Existence et textualité : Sartre, Derrida et la liberté comme jeu de mots

This article aims to interrogate the pragmatics of the texts of Jean-Paul Sartre, in the light of the thought of textuality by Jacques Derrida. When Sartre tells his readers that they are free, is he describing a reality, or is he attempting to transform their condition? Even though Derrida always claimed to reject completely his predecessor, many theoretical points and projects draw them into proximity – such as, for instance, a conception of philosophy as a material action that aims to constitute, or even transform, reality, and not just to describe it. But if I turn to an author or his texts as a guide for action, it may seem that I am no longer the sole agent of my freedom, and thus that I act in bad faith, losing the authenticity of those who accept full responsibility of their acts. Derridean thought would counter this concern by suggesting that Sartre’s text, as encountered by a reader, unavoidably becomes a supplement to their own agency – and that this is not a threat, but an opportunity to rethink the ethical and political stakes of philosophical writing.