Final answer:
Jean-Paul Sartre believed that human beings first exist without any predetermined essence, and then actively define their essence through choices and actions. Sartre's existentialism emphasizes the freedom and responsibility humans have in shaping their own lives, rejecting the idea of a fixed human nature.
Step-by-step explanation:
No, Jean-Paul Sartre does not believe there is a fixed human nature or essence. According to Sartre, one of the main principles of existentialism is that existence precedes essence. This means that we are not born with a predefined purpose or characteristics; instead, we come into existence first and then define ourselves through our actions and choices. Humans make themselves what they are, a process not dictated by any intrinsic essence. There is no predestined nature to our being; instead, humans have the freedom and responsibility to define their own essences.
Freedom and Responsibility
For Sartre, humans are condemned to be free. We are beings-for-itself, conscious and free, not mere objects (being-in-itself). Humans must constantly make choices and decide who they are, creating their essence in the process. Rejecting the notion of a predetermined human nature, Sartre asserts that the essence of a person is the cumulation of their life's actions and decisions.