in-itself-and-for-itself-relation
The asymmetric relationship between the in-itself (being-in-itself) and the for-itself (consciousness), where the for-itself is contingent and defined by its lack relative to the in-itself.
1 chapter across 1 book
Being and Nothingness (1943)Jean-Paul Sartre
In Chapter 1: The Immediate Structures of the For-Itself, Sartre explores the fundamental nature of consciousness as a for-itself, emphasizing its self-presence and the inherent distance it maintains from itself. The chapter delves into phenomenological methods, the role of negation and lack in consciousness, and the complex interplay between the for-itself and the in-itself, highlighting the contingent and incomplete nature of self-consciousness. Sartre also engages with philosophical predecessors like Heidegger, Hegel, and Spinoza to articulate the dynamic structure of being-for-itself and its existential implications.