Existentialism From Dostoevsky To Sartre

Existentialism is perhaps the most misunderstood of modern philosophic positions-- misunderstood by reason of its broad popularity and general unfamiliarity with its origins, representatives, and principles. Existential thinking did not originate with Jean Paul Sartre. It has prior religious, literary, and philosophic origins. In its narrowest formulation it is a metaphysical doctrine, arguing as it does that any definition of man's essence must follow, not precede, an estimation of his existence. In Heidegger, it affords a view of Being in its totality; in Kierkegaard, an approach to that inwardness indispensable to authentic religious experience; for Dostoevsky, Kafka, and Rilke the existential situation bears the stamp of modern man's alienation, uprootedness, and absurdity; to Sartre it has vast ethical and political implications. This book contains only complete selections or entire works by the major thinkers.--From publisher description.

Edited and with an Introduction by Gordon Marino Basic Writings of Existentialism, unique to the Modern Library, presents the writings of key nineteenth- and twentieth-century thinkers broadly united by their belief that because life has no inherent meaning humans can discover, we must determine meaning for ourselves. This anthology brings together into one volume the most influential and commonly taught works of existentialism. Contributors include Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Ralph Ellison, Martin Heidegger, Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo.

What is Existentialism? It is perhaps the most misunderstood of modern philosophic positions—misunderstood by reason of its broad popularity and general unfamiliarity with its origins, representatives, and principles. Existential thinking does not originate with Jean Paul Sartre. It has prior religious, literary, and philosophic origins. In its narrowest formulation it is a metaphysical doctrine, arguing as it does that any definition of man’s essence must follow, not precede, an estimation of his existence. In Heidegger, it affords a view of Being in its totality; in Kierkegaard an approach to that inwardness indispensable to authentic religious experience; for Dostoevsky, Kafka, and Rilke the existential situation bears the stamp of modern man’s alienation, uprootedness, and absurdity; to Sartre it has vast ethical and political implications. Walter Kaufmann, author of Nietzsche, is eminently qualified to present and interpret the insights of existentialism as they occur and are deepened by the major thinkers who express them. In every case complete selections or entire works have been employed: The Wall, Existentialism, and the complete chapter on “Self-Deception” from L’être et le Néant by Sartre; two lectures from Jaspers’ book Reason and Existenz; original translations of On My Philosophy by Jaspers and The Way Back into the Ground of Metaphysics by Heidegger. There is, as well, material from Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Rilke, and Camus.

A Meridan book.

Widely recognized as the finest definition of existentialist philosophy ever written, this book introduced existentialism to America in 1958. Barrett speaks eloquently and directly to concerns of the 1990s: a period when the irrational and the absurd are no better integrated than before and when humankind is in even greater danger of destroying its existence without ever understanding the meaning of its existence. Irrational Man begins by discussing the roots of existentialism in the art and thinking of Augustine, Aquinas, Pascal, Baudelaire, Blake, Dostoevski, Tolstoy, Hemingway, Picasso, Joyce, and Beckett. The heart of the book explains the views of the foremost existentialists—Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Sartre. The result is a marvelously lucid definition of existentialism and a brilliant interpretation of its impact.

One of the foremost resources on existentialism from renowned philosopher, poet, and Nietzsche translator Walter Kaufmann—a must-read for philosophers, both armchair and professional. Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre provides basic writings of Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Rilke, Kafka, Ortega, Jaspers, Heidegger, Sartre, and Camus, including some not previously translated, along with an invaluable introductory essay by Walter Kaufmann.

Click for larger cover scan Humanistic Existentialism The Literature of Possibility Paper: 1959, X, 419, CIP.LC 59-11732 ISBN: 0-8032-5229-3 Price: $29.95 University of Nebraska Press -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "This study in humanistic existentialism is highly informative as well as entertaining. It is a scholarly, detailed analysis of the literary art, the philosophical ideas, and the psychologies of Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir. It is also a competent effort to explain the positive implications for the theory of freedom and possibility which lie half buried under this literature of nothingness, alienation, and absurdity. . . . Miss Barnes makes thoroughly enjoyable reading of a subject-matter which might have seemed forbidding."--Herbert W. Schneider, Journal of Philosophy. "Recommended unqualifiedly as the most thorough and reliable exposition of the works of Sartre, Camus, and de Beauvoir to have appeared in this country."--Willard Colston, Chicago Sun-Times. "Those who want a real understanding of existentialism instead of the usual superficial generalizations are certain to gain it from this book."--Walter Kaufmann, The American Scholar. "The book captures much of the forlorn dark grandeur of the existentialist vision of the human condition."--Yale Review. "The philosophy of Sartre is presented accurately and with rare elegance and simplicity. . . . The section on psychoanalysis compares Sartre to Freud, then to Horney and Fromm, then to the phenomenologists. The treatment is fair-minded and careful."--Robert Champigny, L'Esprit Crateur.

This anthology provides a history of the systemization and canonization of existentialism, a quintessentially antisystemic mode of thought. Situating existentialism within the history of ideas, it features new readings on the most influential works in the existential canon, exploring their formative contexts and the cultural dialogues of which they were a part. Emphasizing the multidisciplinary and global nature of existential arguments, the chosen texts relate to philosophy, religion, literature, theater, and culture and reflect European, Russian, Latin American, African, and American strains of thought. Readings are grouped into three thematic categories: national contexts, existentialism and religion, and transcultural migrations that explore the reception of existentialism. The volume explains how literary giants such as Dostoevsky and Tolstoy were incorporated into the existentialist fold and how inclusion into the canon recast the work of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, and it describes the roles played by Jaspers and Heidegger in Germany and the Paris School of existentialism in France. Essays address not only frequently assigned works but also underappreciated discoveries, underscoring their vital relevance to contemporary critical debate. Designed to speak to a new generation's concerns, the collection deploys a diverse range of voices to interrogate the fundamental questions of the human condition.

How four of Europe’s most mysterious and fascinating writers shaped the modern mind. Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Kafka were all outsiders in their societies, unable to fit into the accepted nineteenth-century categories of theology, philosophy, or belles lettres. Instead, they saw themselves both as the end products of a dying civilization and as prophets of the coming chaos of the twentieth century. In this brilliant combination of biography and lucid exposition, their apocalyptic visions of the future are woven together into a provocative portrait of modernity. “This small book has a depth of insight and a comprehensiveness of treatment beyond what its modesty of size and tone indicates. William Hubben…sees the spiritual destiny of Europe as one of transcending these masters. But to be transcended, their message must first be absorbed, and that is why the study of them is so important to us now.” —William Barrett, The New York Times