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Truth and Existence
Truth and Existence , written in response to Martin Heidegger's Essence of Truth , is a product of the years when Sartre was reaching full stature as a philosopher, novelist, playwright, essayist, and political activist. This concise and engaging text not only presents Sartre's ontology of truth but also addresses the key moral questions of freedom, action, and bad faith.
Truth and Existence is introduced by an extended biographical, historical, and analytical essay by Ronald Aronson.
" Truth and Existence is another important element in the recently published links between Sartre's existentialist ontology and his later ethical, political, and literary concerns. . . . The excellent introduction by Aronson will help readers not experienced in reading Sartre."— Choice
"Accompanied by an excellent introduction, this dense, lucidly translated treatise reveals Sartre as a characteristically 20th-century figure."— Publishers Weekly
Jean-Paul Sartre (1906-1980) was offered, but declined, the Nobel Prize for literature in 1964. His many works of fiction, drama, and philosophy include the monumental study of Flaubert, The Family Idiot , and The Freud Scenario , both published in translation by the University of Chicago Press.
Truth and Existence is introduced by an extended biographical, historical, and analytical essay by Ronald Aronson.
" Truth and Existence is another important element in the recently published links between Sartre's existentialist ontology and his later ethical, political, and literary concerns. . . . The excellent introduction by Aronson will help readers not experienced in reading Sartre."— Choice
"Accompanied by an excellent introduction, this dense, lucidly translated treatise reveals Sartre as a characteristically 20th-century figure."— Publishers Weekly
Jean-Paul Sartre (1906-1980) was offered, but declined, the Nobel Prize for literature in 1964. His many works of fiction, drama, and philosophy include the monumental study of Flaubert, The Family Idiot , and The Freud Scenario , both published in translation by the University of Chicago Press.
143 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
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759 people want to read
About the author
Jean-Paul Sartre
1,092 books12.9k followersJean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th-century French philosophy and Marxism. Sartre was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology). His work has influenced sociology, critical theory, post-colonial theory, and literary studies. He was awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature despite attempting to refuse it, saying that he always declined official honors and that "a writer should not allow himself to be turned into an institution."
Sartre held an open relationship with prominent feminist and fellow existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. Together, Sartre and de Beauvoir challenged the cultural and social assumptions and expectations of their upbringings, which they considered bourgeois, in both lifestyles and thought. The conflict between oppressive, spiritually destructive conformity (mauvaise foi, literally, 'bad faith') and an "authentic" way of "being" became the dominant theme of Sartre's early work, a theme embodied in his principal philosophical work Being and Nothingness (L'Être et le Néant, 1943). Sartre's introduction to his philosophy is his work Existentialism Is a Humanism (L'existentialisme est un humanisme, 1946), originally presented as a lecture.
Sartre held an open relationship with prominent feminist and fellow existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. Together, Sartre and de Beauvoir challenged the cultural and social assumptions and expectations of their upbringings, which they considered bourgeois, in both lifestyles and thought. The conflict between oppressive, spiritually destructive conformity (mauvaise foi, literally, 'bad faith') and an "authentic" way of "being" became the dominant theme of Sartre's early work, a theme embodied in his principal philosophical work Being and Nothingness (L'Être et le Néant, 1943). Sartre's introduction to his philosophy is his work Existentialism Is a Humanism (L'existentialisme est un humanisme, 1946), originally presented as a lecture.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 23, 2022
Free therapy
Read
June 10, 2022This book taught me: we don‘t see things as they are, we see them as we are.
January 22, 2013
Too abstract for my level. However, it was rather refreshing to know about how he makes connection between truth and freedom, truth and ignorance, knowledge and freedom as well as responsibilities to know and exist. That knowledge signifies freedom and freedom signifies knowledge is rather novel an idea to me. The concept of necessary ignorance - to ignore in order to know things, to ignore as an acknowledgement of finitude of being. That our knowledge and freedom depends on others - how they process what we see and judge, and return to us as knowledge in its essence. These are all new and refreshing, though at many junctures I was lost and sometimes disagreed with him.
August 29, 2021
If the existential phenomenologists were pointing out the blind spots of their contemporaries, where are we likely to find our own blind spots? This is actually the underlying theme of Sartre’s (1948) long misplaced manuscript "Truth and Existence" that was not published until 1989. It is a challenging but worthy read, insofar as in it he examines our tendency to choose to live in ignorance of the truth of our condition – which at the same time can be expressed as the condition of living in ignorance of the truth of our choices.
In his introduction to the English translation, contemporary philosopher Ronald Aronson observed:
… If, according to Sartre, ignorance begins with an act of will, it makes no sense to be patient, to reason, to develop an argument, to convince. Moreover, according to Sartre, if ignorance is a choice, it is a behavior that one must change first before succeeding in seeing the truth. (p. xxxv)
Many in our society have turned away from the “inconvenient truths” that we prefer not to acknowledge: we prefer to put on blinders. Our society is doing it again right now, and on a number of fronts. When will we come to our senses? Sartre's reflections in this work bear a message for people living today: what is it that might be staring us in the face that we choose to ignore?
In his introduction to the English translation, contemporary philosopher Ronald Aronson observed:
… If, according to Sartre, ignorance begins with an act of will, it makes no sense to be patient, to reason, to develop an argument, to convince. Moreover, according to Sartre, if ignorance is a choice, it is a behavior that one must change first before succeeding in seeing the truth. (p. xxxv)
Many in our society have turned away from the “inconvenient truths” that we prefer not to acknowledge: we prefer to put on blinders. Our society is doing it again right now, and on a number of fronts. When will we come to our senses? Sartre's reflections in this work bear a message for people living today: what is it that might be staring us in the face that we choose to ignore?
January 2, 2012
Mă rog, e o ciornă care nu a fost destinată publicării și totuși e nemaipomenit de ilizibilă pe alocuri. Cu atât mai mare surprinderea când dai de niște pagini foarte congruente. Probabil e o chestiune de limbaj, căci dacă stai să-l descifrezi, Sartre nu face divagații. Vânătoarea de adevăr e plină de surprize. Cea mai mare e faptul că așa sau altfel, suntem pe urmele lui, verificându-i interminabil veridicitatea. Ceea ce nu ne împiedică să optăm în mod voluntar în favoarea ignoranței căci e posibil ca Adevărul să fie mai tare decât dinții. Înseamnă asta că nu-l cunoaștem? Ba bine că nu. Sarte îi zice Ignoranță și aici cred că greșește. Mai degrabă e vorba de Minciună. Se mai întâmplă...
April 1, 2008
Sartre is sharp, quick, and intelligent, but I'm tempted to say that this investigation might be a little shallow. I may re-read this at some point to form a better opinion.
January 30, 2014
A very difficult read. Quite honestly, I could not make head nor tail of it.
December 21, 2024
Although this was first published in 1989 — 9 years after Sartre passed away — this was actually first written in 1948, and acted in some ways as a response to Heidegger’s Essence of Truth, although I would also argue that this book served as some closing remarks and afterthoughts of his earlier works, but also briefly alludes to ideas that he would later expound on.
This text is about 80 pages long, and feels fairly accessible to people mildly familiar with Sartre. The prose can still be quite thick though at times.
The topics in here may not be all that new if you are already familiar with Sartre’s works, however, this text is original enough and satisfyingly stimulating to be considered as its own separate work.
I highly recommend this work, even those who are not collectors of Sartre’s catalogue. This book definitely deserves more recognition.
I really love the part where he mentions on how much you must embrace and accept your actions with the morals and values that you chose to apply, but most importantly, without knowing with definite certainty of what the consequences of your actions will be (regardless of intention), it interestingly can reveal to you and others what your truth is, provided you made it authentically and in good faith. In other words, if people knew in advance what would happen in their lives with the choices they made, how real do you really think that you would truly be? How likely would you still follow the same path and exercise your same values?
The most genuine version of yourself is acting as though you have no idea what will come in the future, while pretending that nobody is watching you.
This text is about 80 pages long, and feels fairly accessible to people mildly familiar with Sartre. The prose can still be quite thick though at times.
The topics in here may not be all that new if you are already familiar with Sartre’s works, however, this text is original enough and satisfyingly stimulating to be considered as its own separate work.
I highly recommend this work, even those who are not collectors of Sartre’s catalogue. This book definitely deserves more recognition.
I really love the part where he mentions on how much you must embrace and accept your actions with the morals and values that you chose to apply, but most importantly, without knowing with definite certainty of what the consequences of your actions will be (regardless of intention), it interestingly can reveal to you and others what your truth is, provided you made it authentically and in good faith. In other words, if people knew in advance what would happen in their lives with the choices they made, how real do you really think that you would truly be? How likely would you still follow the same path and exercise your same values?
The most genuine version of yourself is acting as though you have no idea what will come in the future, while pretending that nobody is watching you.
April 12, 2023
Sartre takes up the age old question of perception and ‘objective truth’. If we are ignorant of reality, does it still exist? Like the classic fable of, if a tree falls down in the forest but nobody hears it, did it actually fall down? Sartre answers in the affirmative, arguing that we have a ‘responsibility’ to face reality. If we merely ignore reality and pretend it doesn’t exist to avoid pain (I.e. ignoring a sign that your partner is cheating on you), then you may as well be dead because you’re not actually living. For Sartre, ‘being’ is defined by acting in good-faith and facing reality. Only then do we take responsibility for our own lives and have the freedom to decide what we want to do with our fate. Creating meaning in a meaningless and painful world is, for Sartre, the ultimate human purpose. Therefore, if we ignore reality (truth), our existence is a waste.
Sartre uses this book to look at his typical topics of meaning, responsibility, freedom and temporality, as well as the last few pages looking at historicism and what seems like a subtle critique of dialectical materialism. Arguing that humans are both constrained by history but also capable of changing it and making our own mark (paraphrasing: “history has meaning even if that meaning is that it’s a series of absurdities with no meaning”).
For such a short book though, it is extremely dense particularly the first half. The second half is much more practical and makes more sense.
Sartre uses this book to look at his typical topics of meaning, responsibility, freedom and temporality, as well as the last few pages looking at historicism and what seems like a subtle critique of dialectical materialism. Arguing that humans are both constrained by history but also capable of changing it and making our own mark (paraphrasing: “history has meaning even if that meaning is that it’s a series of absurdities with no meaning”).
For such a short book though, it is extremely dense particularly the first half. The second half is much more practical and makes more sense.
February 22, 2020
I tend to stay after from unfinished texts posthumously published but I stopped avoiding this one. Truth is explored and considered from the inside out.
April 11, 2021
Muy buena edición con introducción de Celia Amorós.
Creo que es una buena lectura si antes se ha leído El ser y la Nada.
Inquietante estructura del libro
Creo que es una buena lectura si antes se ha leído El ser y la Nada.
Inquietante estructura del libro
April 15, 2021
3.5 stars
September 28, 2022
[insira aqui imagem maloqueiro lendo Verdade e Existência do Sartre com a legenda "krl então nada é realmente verdade senão aquilo que nos é subjetivamente entendido como real e vice-versa"]
November 27, 2022
a veces me enteraba de cosas
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews