Is footballer Eric Cantona an existentialist? | Illustrated Philosopher

Описание: The footballer Eric Cantona says he doesn’t regret kicking and punching a fan: does that make him an existentialist? What would philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre make of Cantona? Nigel Warburton explains.

Animation: Cognitive Media (http://www.wearecognitive.com/)

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The most infamous kick of the French footballer Eric Cantona’s accomplished career wasn’t a game-winning goal, but rather an airborne attack on a fan who was shouting abuse at him during a match in 1995. When asked to reflect on the incident some two decades later, Cantona stated: ‘I love it and I don’t regret it … I am not a role model … I am just a human being with emotion.’ This short animation from the Illustrated Philosopher series – written by Nigel Warburton, consultant senior editor at Aeon – ponders whether Cantona proved himself an unlikely existentialist by refusing to succumb to the pressure to express contrition.