What if we’d get a chance to start a new
life? In his short novel Les Jeux Sont Faits, philosopher
Jean-Paul Sartre plays with the idea of ‘starting all over’ in the same lifetime, despite
the decisions we have made in the past. Even though we have free will, are we capable
of deviating from the path that we have laid out for ourselves, including the burden of
responsibility that comes with our past choices? Or, do the consequences of our actions govern
our will? Les Jeux Sont Faits - in English called All
Chips Are Down - tells the story about a woman named Ève and a man named Pierre. They meet each other in a park shortly after
they were officially declared ‘dead’. In the story, the dead still live among us
as ghosts; they can see us, but we cannot see them. The realm of the dead is, of course, a crowded
place, because people from all ages of mankind

inhabit it. Both Ève and Pierre died because of betrayal. Ève is very sick. Her husband André is poisoning her, not only
so he can receive her inheritance, but also because he wants to marry Ève’s younger
sister Lucette, and receive her dowry. While grooming the beautiful, seventeen-year-old,
Lucette - who’s devastated by her sister’s condition - André continues to poison his
wife until she dies. Pierre is the leader of the resistance that
wants to overthrow the Regent. He meets with his comrades because they have
planned a rebellion that should start the next morning. When Pierre goes home, he’s approached by
one of his men, Lucien, who admits that he was captured by the military and told them
their plans. He asks him for forgiveness. Pierre calls him a traitor. And shortly after that, Lucien shoots him. After they die, Ève and Pierre discover that
they are invisible to the people they try

to address. They have become ghosts. And after they’re officially registered
as such, they are free to wander wherever they want. Unsurprisingly, they are drawn to the drama
of their past lives. Ève tries to stop her husband André to seduce
her sister Lucette, and Pierre tries to stop the rebellion because the Regent knows of
the plans. It doesn’t take long before they realize
their powerlessness over the situation. Because they’re invisible, they’re nothing
more than spectators. Even though they’re free to roam the earth,
they cannot intervene or connect with the living. Thus, there’s much unfreedom in their freedom. In the park, when sharing their experiences, Ève and Pierre become aware of their romantic connection. However, as ghosts, they’re unable to really
feel each other. Not much later, it turns out that there’s
has been a mistake. Ève and Pierre were destined for each other. They should have met when they were still
alive, but due to the circumstances, this

didn’t happen. Therefore, they get a chance to return to
the realm of the living, and they have 24 hours to prove their love. If they succeed, they can stay, and build
a new life together. Even though Ève and Pierre are very attracted
to each other, they seem to prioritize their own personal affairs. They create much confusion among the living
because they can’t support their claims based on what they have seen when they were
dead; no one believes them. And even though they try to cultivate their
love, they fail to disentangle themselves from the lives they were living before. Tragically, both Ève and Pierre end up dead
again and become ghosts. So, how free are we? Could it be that freedom is just an illusion? Our lives start out as empty canvases, and
it’s up to us to fill them up. We begin to entangle ourselves with the environment
and to define ourselves and our values.

We build relationships. We take on responsibilities,
but the more ownership we take of the world, the more the world takes ownership of us. Yes, we are free to choose what we do, but
the effects of our choices will always resonate between ourselves and the environment. If Ève and Pierre ignored their past lives,
they could have fully focused on their love. But what bloomed between them in isolation
seems of small significance when they’re pulled back into the drama of their lives
after they return. Both have a chance to prevent a disaster happening
to their loved ones. So, would they be willing to carry the consequences
of their inaction and sacrificing their loved ones for a selfish cause? Clearly not. Thus, according to Sartre, freedom of choice
is real. But we’re still shackled to the consequences
that are completely out of control and inseparable from the path we’re on. In other words, the path dictates our will.

And with absolute freedom comes absolute
responsibility. Even if we get a chance to start over new,
it’s almost impossible to let go of what’s laid out for us. We’re already too enmeshed in our environment,
and that which gives our lives meaning plays us as a puppeteer. That’s why we’re free to walk away from
our loved ones, but we’re most likely pulled back when they’re in dire straits. That’s why when the chips are down, we seem
locked in the fallout of our decisions. Sartre presents different faces of freedom. The dead experience the freedom to go wherever
they want, whenever they want, but they are also imprisoned in the role of spectator. From this point of view, freedom lies in the
ability to interact with our environment and influence the world with our choices. On the other hand, we have free will, but,
for a great part, our will is determined by our entanglement in the world, our values,
and our willingness to carry the consequences.

We always have a choice. But with our choices comes the burden of responsibility. Thank you for watching.

The Tragedy of Freedom | Jean-Paul Sartre

The Tragedy of Freedom | Jean-Paul Sartre

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