A French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer and literary critic. He was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism and phenomenology and one of the leading figures in 20th-century French philosophy and Marxism. His work has also influenced sociology, critical theory, post-colonial theory and literary studies.

He has also been noted for his open relationship with the prominent feminist theorist Simone de Beauvoir.

He was awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature and refused it, saying that he always declined official honours and that a writer should not allow himself to be turned into an institution.