bad-faith

This chapter analyzes the concept of bad faith, distinguishing it from ordinary lying by emphasizing that bad faith is a form of self-deception where the deceiver and the deceived are the same consciousness. Sartre explores the ontological difficulties of bad faith, particularly how one can simultaneously know and hide the truth from oneself, and critiques psychoanalytic explanations that split the psyche to account for self-deception.

In Chapter 2: Bad Faith, Sartre explores the concept of self-deception or 'bad faith,' where individuals deny their own freedom and responsibility by adopting false identities or excuses. He analyzes how people evade the anguish of freedom by 'thingifying' themselves or others, thus avoiding the authentic confrontation with their own being-for-itself. The chapter also discusses the social and psychological mechanisms underpinning bad faith, referencing phenomenology, psychoanalysis, and existentialist philosophy.