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The Penguin Book of Existentialist Philosophy
A powerful new anthology that redefines our understanding of existentialism and argues for its contemporary relevance.
'Superb ... I can't imagine a better way of meeting the existentialists in all their variety' - Sarah Bakewell, author of At the Existentialist Café
'Existentialist thought [...] is an effort to reconcile the objective and the subjective, the absolute and the relative, the timeless and the historical.' Simone de Beauvoir
In the aftermath of the Second World War, a group of intellectuals gathered to discuss urgent questions of existence, commitment, racism, colonialism, and feminism. Their ideas would continue to shape those debates throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
his major new anthology gathers the key texts of existentialism, and their major intellectual influences, along with other works previously neglected in overviews and anthologies of the movement. Incorporating the writings of Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre and Frantz Fanon, alongside selections from Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud and Martin Heidegger, it significantly expands and redefines our understanding of what existentialism means, and why it matters.
Edited with an Introduction by Jonathan Webber
'Superb ... I can't imagine a better way of meeting the existentialists in all their variety' - Sarah Bakewell, author of At the Existentialist Café
'Existentialist thought [...] is an effort to reconcile the objective and the subjective, the absolute and the relative, the timeless and the historical.' Simone de Beauvoir
In the aftermath of the Second World War, a group of intellectuals gathered to discuss urgent questions of existence, commitment, racism, colonialism, and feminism. Their ideas would continue to shape those debates throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
his major new anthology gathers the key texts of existentialism, and their major intellectual influences, along with other works previously neglected in overviews and anthologies of the movement. Incorporating the writings of Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre and Frantz Fanon, alongside selections from Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud and Martin Heidegger, it significantly expands and redefines our understanding of what existentialism means, and why it matters.
Edited with an Introduction by Jonathan Webber
383 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 13, 2025
About the author
Various
1,354 followersVarious is the correct author for any book with multiple unknown authors, and is acceptable for books with multiple known authors, especially if not all are known or the list is very long (over 50).
If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.
Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.
If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.
Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 24, 2026
An excellent introduction to key existential thinkers and their writings, with accompanying introduction texts to each chapter that explains how they relate to each other.
It helped me tie together many existential writings I’ve read before but couldn’t put into context! Thank you Webber!
It helped me tie together many existential writings I’ve read before but couldn’t put into context! Thank you Webber!
April 19, 2026
Given a philosophy that can be difficult to grasp, this book was still a good book to read. The sections by de Beauvoir and Fanon were incredibly enlightening. The points of view I should have read long ago. Another book that can be re-read many times in bits and pieces. And I will.
April 4, 2026
did help me understand existentialist philosophy but some of the writing was quite heavy and hard to grasp
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews