Existentialism is a Humanism is the text of a conference given by Jean-Paul Sartre in October 1945. He had already published several philosophical works, including Being and Nothingness, several plays, and the first two volumes of The Roads to Freedom. He was already a famous writer, whose work has been widely read and criticized. Through this conference, Sartre intended to make his philosophy more accessible and to respond to several criticisms addressed to him.