Hell and sexuality in Jean-Paul Sartre. An ontological reinterpretation

Abstract

The topic of sexuality is controversial in public debates where it is difficult to accept or take anything for granted. In philosophical analysis little interest has been invested in such considerations and they are relegated more usually to cultural, social or anthropological debates. This paper reviews the brief ontology of sexuality developed by Jean-Paul Sartre in his work Being and Nothingness; the subject is limited to his reflections on primordial relationships with a neighbor. Following up on the rereading made in a related work regarding the problem of interpersonal relationships in Sartre’s reflections, the present aim is to reinterpret the theme of sexuality beyond sadomasochistic limits, and to establish some references to discuss the issue on ontological foundations. The results lead to understanding sexuality as a pre-ontological condition in relation to being-before the other, a requirement for the three ontological elements of the human being to be possible: the body in-itself, which is a biological corporal basis; the body for-itself, as the foundation of human identity; and the body for-the-other, rooted in interpersonal interaction. Moreover, these fundamental components are identified as inscribed in the formative context of being-with.