Nothingness and Differance: Sartre and Derrida on freedom and responsibility

Are Sartre and Derrida philosophical enemies or rivals? Are their philosophies fundamentally at odds with each other? Can connections be made between their distinctive philosophical views and perspective, especially considering neither particularly discusses or focuses on the other's thought in their texts or interviews? "Is" Sartre deconstructionist? "Is" Derrida existentialist? "Nothingness and Differance" poses these questions in order to locate intersections, harmonies, and contrasts between Sartre and Derrida concerning their views on freedom and responsibility. The study begins with an examination of the "deconstruction of the subject" in both Sartre and Derrida, where it is argued the classical, autonomous, immediate, purely present subject may have always already been a fable, and Sartre and Derrida both contribute to the deconstruction but not rejection of the human subject. From there, the study considers to what extent we are "guilty" or "responsible" for our actions, and in what sense are we innocent, in order to explicate the idea we are always already guilty, a view akin to a secular form of "original sin." Next, the study considers Sartre's infamous concept "bad faith," highlighting a junction between deconstructive and existential tools in order to reinterpret this famous Sartrean concept to make it more relevant to current philosophical outlooks and concerns. From there, the study considers the dual, uncooperative, and difficult relationship between "action of inaction" and "inaction of action" in order to solidify the philosophical justification for the recognition of strong existential components in Derrida's thought. Finally, the project considers Sartre and Derrida's special place in the philosophical perspectival shift towards the importance of, and concern for, the Other. The purpose of the project is to reconsider Sartre's importance in light of his direct and indirect affect on Derrida's philosophy, as well as reconsider Derrida in terms of "traditional" existential themes in order to refashion a deeper and more penetrating and still relevant place for both philosophers in contemporary philosophy.