Existentialism For Beginners

For Beginners

by David Cogswell, Joe Lee (Illustrator)

Existentialism For Beginners  is an entertaining romp through the history of a philosophical movement that has had a broad and enduring influence on Western culture. From the middle of the Nineteenth Century through the late Twentieth Century, existentialism informed our politics and art, and still exerts its influence today. Tracing the movement’s beginnings with close-up views of seminal figures like Kierkegaard, Dostoyevsky and Nietzsche,  Existentialism For Beginners  follows its intellectual and literary trail to German philosophers Jaspers and Heidegger, and finally to the movement’s flowering in post-World-War-II France thanks to masterworks by such giants as Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Simone de Beauvoir, plus many others.

Illustrations throughout — at once lighthearted and gritty — help readers explore and understand a style of thinking that, while pervasive in its influence, is often seen as obscure, difficult, cryptic and dark. Existentialism For Beginners  draws the movement’s many diverse elements together to provide an accessible introduction for those who seek a better understanding of the topic, and an enjoyable historical review packed with timeless quotes from existentialism’s leading lights.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

237 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 14, 2008

Reviews

[Nocheevo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad overview of the concepts for what is a slight amorphous philosophy. Fairly easy read and a good starting point before wearing a black skivvy and reading Satre in coffee lounges. The illustrations give the work a "lay person friendly" look without adding anything.

[for-much-deliberation ... · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple and rather entertaining beginners guide to the topic...

[Phil Calandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a general overview of the philosophy of existentialism that highlights the individual in contrast to the universe and the rebellion against traditional philosophy and beliefs. Existentialism grew up during the decline of religion and during the emergence of science, rationalism and materialism. The work of Nietzshe, Kierkegaan, Dostoyousky and others is reviewed vis a vis their relationship to the philosophy of existentialism. This is not an easy book but does explore a specific style of thinking that can be seen as difficult, cryptic and obscure. The book does provide a good source for further reading for those interested in this philosophy.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this specifically for a book bingo challenge (a title with "x"), but I am so glad I did. I had no idea how much I missed philosophy. I got my degree in philosophy but our department was so small, I never got to learn much about this period. This was a pretty good primer!

Brief overview of these philosophers and their contribution in existentialism: Hegel, Schopenhaur, Dostoyevsky, Kierkagaard, Nietzsche, Kafka, Rilke, Jaspers, Dilthey (phenomenonology), Husserl, Heidegger, Sarte, Camus, Beauvoir, Marcel, Merleau Ponty, Ortega Y Gassett

I still feel like I have so much to learn but I think it was a good starting point.

[dp · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was inviting because of its illustrations, which aren’t bad, but it’s poorly edited and incredibly shallow. I appreciate the general introduction to a number of existential philosophers though, and I look forward to reading the work of many of them. I feel like this is a dumbed down, bootleg version of Walter Kaufmann’s existentialism reader - which I haven’t read, but I’ve glossed it and it looks substantial.

[Dan Provost · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great starting point if you are interested in the individuals who influence Existentialist thought. It's a good resource to peek the reader's curiosity into reading more of Husserl, Rilke, Sartre... The illustrations were funny and lighthearted.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are longer histories of existialialism, but this is a concise summary which should suffice to send you looking up primary sources. There are some curious fixations, Ortega y Gassett chief among them, but this does a great service to precursors.

[Chelsee Angevine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The illustrations were so irrelevant at times that I was actually getting mad. Content was not written in any compelling way. Def would not actually give to anyone who I wanted to take an interest in the subject matter! 1.5

[Semi · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read, especially as an introduction to further reading, but I subtracted a star because, like other reviewers, I found the substandard editing to be a distraction.

[Jonathan Quarg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it

Do I get college credit for review in the book, since not no review for you.

I read this book

[DRugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light historical review.

[Imran Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this engaging tale of philosophy, the author portrayed the evolution of existentialism from tradition cartesian philosophy.

[Desollado · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best of the series.

[Jim Cullison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful! And there's cartoons!

[R. C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so disorderly that at several points I stopped and made a line-by-line survey of what I had read before so I could be absolutely certain that the author really was casually referring to something he had not yet mentioned.

I liked it, though. Despite the arbitrary placement of the paragraphs, I found it easy to understand. The pictures were funny. It was occasionally cursory, but it was not meant to be thorough. I can't speak to it's accuracy, having not read enough about this topic before. Assuming it's accurate, I wouldn't hesitate to place this in the hands of an older child or young adolescent who is looking to pick up some philosophy. If you can read the newspapers you can read this.

But do, please do, follow it up straight away with some primary sources or expert overviews.

[Julio Vasquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book gives a basic understanding of Existentialism and its main concepts. It is also a good source for further readings to continue studying the philosophy. I wish the writers and editors had been more careful as the book is filled with grammatical errors and spelling errors. Other than that, this is definitely a great and accesible introduction.

If after finishing this you are interested in a more concrete and equally accessible break down of Existentialism, I highly recommend reading Existentialism Is a Humanism

[Amber Sweat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love everything by David Cogswell. This book is an awesome introduction to existentialism and the history of the philosophy! Full of fun pictures and cartoons, tons of mini comic strips and enough to tell you about your favorite Existential philosophers. To be fair, I really only went through DeBeauvoir, Sartre and Camus, but every section is packed with information. I ADORE this book and highly suggest the Cogswell books to anybody who is interested in philosophy, but can't stand huge walls of text!

[Pete · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this text serves as a decent introduction to existentialism, the writing is not exactly up to snuff. There are numerous grammar and spelling errors scattered throughout the entirety and the book seems poorly edited. At one point, the author makes mention of "the day this book was written." I know that can simply mean the day it was completed, but was this book written in one day? It seems like it sometimes.

[Judah The Omnipotent · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is perfect for philosophy experts and beginners alike. The illustrations are amazingly done and connect to the each section. It's also organized incredibly well. It begins with an explanation of what existentialism is (spoiler: It's complicated), and then begins going through existentialist philosophers, writers and artists. Then it starts talking about existentialism in various fields. A good read, well worth it.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though there were plenty of editorial mistakes this is a very good introduction to existentialism. The little bit of background of some of the movements main proponents helps to put their thoughts and ideas into perspective. The illustrations also helped me better understand some of their main ideas. Overall I enjoyed the read and learned a lot about the movement and now want to read some of their works.

[D G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun! I Wanted to read some heavier existential essays and needed a quick rerun of the basics. A great prerequisite to all those borderline psychobable-esqu essays (*COUGHCamus's Sisyphus *COUGH). The illustrator was a clown for Barnum and Bailey, speaking of absurd! Loved it.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

مدخل جيد و مرح للفلسفة الوجودية. لا بأس به كمقدمة تعلمت منها الكثير عن فلسفة جهلتها. الفلسفة الوجودية و التأكيد على الفرد و أهميته هي نقاط تستحق الاطلاع.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good basic overview of existential thinkers. Good introductory book for anyone looking for a brief overview of the area.

[Brent Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I studied existentialism in college as part of a philosophy minor. I also designed and taught an undergraduate course entitled "Topics and Problems on Humanistic/Existential Psychology." You might reasonably conclude that I know something significant about the subject area. So did I until I read David Cogswell's clear, concise and rigorous examination of existentialism, from its precipitating rebellion against the philosophies of Friedrich Hegel to the disarming impact of existentialism on today's arts, politics and culture.

Between these two bookends, David Cogswell examines all the great thinkers and writers who have propelled this philosophy, helping his readers understand comparisons and contrasts within such an eclectic group. In this most readable book he accomplishes what my college studies did not: a synthesized, 50,000 ft. overview across two centuries and the work of fifteen great philosophers. What I found to be most remarkable about the author's accomplishment is the extent to which he simplifies an enormous body of writing, teaching his readers fundamentals while not forcing us to wade through nonessential details, digressions and debates (so characteristic of the movement). It takes a keen mind to condense so much information in an accessible and interesting expose, and David Cogswell certainly has accomplished this.

The author has done an enormous amount of research to bring life to these philosophers, augmented by interesting historical and biographical details that make them more human--more men and women in the context of the times in which they lived and thought and wrote.

Illustrations by collaborator Joe Lee are surprisingly helpful because they invite the reader to think more deeply--a form of "hot medium" that Marshall McLuhan described, requiring active engagement on the part of the receiver to lend interpretation and meaning to the message.

My only regret is that the author's book was not available when I was in college so that I could have seen the larger picture and gained deeper appreciation of the whole. The book is well worth reading today for any serious professional focused on contemporary politics, creative arts, sociology, psychology and culture. As you finish the final pages of the book, you will be impressed with how extensively existentialism has pervaded our lives today and how entertainingly this author has taken you on a thought-provoking journey into the most essential questions about human life.