Understanding Existentialism

Understanding Movements in Modern Thought

by Jack Reynolds

Understanding Existentialism provides an accessible introduction to existentialism by examining the major themes in the work of Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty and de Beauvoir. Paying particular attention to the key texts, Being and Time, Being and Nothingness, Phenomenology of Perception, The Ethics of Ambiguity and The Second Sex, the book explores the shared concerns and the disagreements between these major thinkers. The fundamental existential themes examined include: freedom; death, finitude and mortality; phenomenological experiences and 'moods', such as anguish, angst, nausea, boredom, and fear; an emphasis upon authenticity and responsibility as well as the denigration of their opposites (inauthenticity and Bad Faith); a pessimism concerning the tendency of individuals to become lost in the crowd and even a pessimism about human relations more generally; and a rejection of any external determination of morality or value. Finally, the book assesses the influence of these philosophers on poststructuralism, arguing that existentialism remains an extraordinarily productive school of thought.

Genres: Philosophy

200 pages, Paperback

First published November 22, 2005

Reviews

[Tom Burdge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best introduction book to existentialism I have read.
The author made excellent choices for the books structure - Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, De Beauvoir, and the legacy of existentialism in France. You'll notice this is more Francocentric than other introductions, like the VSI, which suited my interests perfectly but might not be what everyone wants. Dedicating a chapter to de Beauvoir is very welcome too, considering her contribution to existentialism, in particular, is often overlooked.

[Usman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up primarily as an epilogue to some ideas proposed by Sartre in his Magnum Opus Being and Nothingness. It is self contained and user friendly as a guide to readers interested in Sartre's thoughts as well as to work by Heidegger. The style of writing is helpful in so far as concepts are clearly related and expounded into subsidiary arguments.

Recommended for researchers looking at Existentialism.

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[arkan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This relatively jargon-free book provides a succinct elementary reading for those who wants to achieve a good start in learning existentialism. The descriptions provided are clear, with nice examples to help its readers grasp the variety of thinkers.