The Philosophy of Sartre

by Mary Warnock

This book, first published in 1965, is a critical exposition of the philosophical doctrines of Jean-Paul Sartre. His contribution to ethical and political theory, and to metaphysics and ontology, is reviewed against the background of German idealism and phenomenology, and his arguments are presented clearly so that readers may assess their philosophical value in their own right.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

188 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Helen Mary Warnock, Baroness Warnock, DBE, FBA is a British philosopher of morality, education and mind, and writer on existentialism.

Reviews

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a decent primer, but Warnock's writing is a bit flat and this book did little to enhance my understanding of Sartre's work.

[Harvey Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear introduction which I've found invaluable--I have neither the energy nor inclination to read Sartre's philosophy, so my hope was to find a lucid introduction which while critical in places was not out to either elevate Sartre or to do a hatchet job. I especially enjoyed the account of Sartre's reading of Husserl and was also intrigued to learn of Sartre's preliminary essay 'The question of Method' to his The Critique of Dialectical Reason. 'The question of method' immediately brought to my mind the section of Derrida's Of Grammatology 'The Exorbitant: Question of Method' and I wondered at the threads that could be used to cross-stitch these two together. Warnock tells us that this section deals with the question of method and that Sartre's writing raises how he can ground his notion of dialectical reason and how this might be linked to 'totalization' and 'praxis.' All this is done in a restrained, plain English style which is not without its own charms though I wonder if she'd be hostile to all sense of stylistic flourishes in dry old philosophy. When I was in grad school, back in the old days, its was like Existentialism, like the war, never happened.

[Cal Davie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sartre isn't always the easiest to understand, and this resource really gives the reader confidence to start engaging with his text directly. Definitely read this before starting to read him if you're finding him quite tricky to get your head round!

[amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

clear, concise, helpful. hoping i remember some of it for my collection tomorrow.