Jean-Paul Sartre

Existentialism and Humanism

This book presents a new English translation of two seminal works by Jean-Paul Sartre, the most dominant European intellectual of the post-World War II decades. The volume includes Sartre's 1945 lecture “Existentialism Is a Humanism” and his analysis of Camus's The Stranger, along with a discussion of these works by acclaimed Sartre biographer Annie Cohen-Solal. This edition is a translation of the 1996 French edition, which includes Arlette Elkaïm-Sartre's introduction and a Q&A with Sartre about his lecture. In her foreword, intended for an American audience, acclaimed Sartre biographer Annie Cohen-Solal offers an assessment of both works. It was to correct common misconceptions about his thought that Sartre accepted an invitation to speak on October 29, 1945, at the Club Maintenant in Paris. The unstated objective of his lecture (“Existentialism Is a Humanism”) was to expound his philosophy as a form of “existentialism,” a term much bandied about at the time. Sartre asserted that existentialism was essentially a doctrine for philosophers, though, ironically, he was about to make it accessible to a general audience. The published text of his lecture quickly became one of the bibles of existentialism and made Sartre an international celebrity. The idea of freedom occupies the center of Sartre's doctrine. Man, born into an empty, godless universe, is nothing to begin with. He creates his essence—his self, his being—through the choices he freely makes (“existence precedes essence”). Were it not for the contingency of his death, he would never end. Choosing to be this or that is to affirm the value of what we choose. In choosing, therefore, we commit not only ourselves but all of mankind.

Existentialism is a Humanism

maia

And at the point of departure there cannot be any other truth than this, I think, therefore I am.

Dostoevsky once wrote: "If God did not exist, everything would be permitted"; and that, for existentialism, is the starting point“

When Descartes said, "Conquer yourself rather than the world," what he meant was, at bottom, the same - that we should act without hope.

good essay to ease into reading satre! looking forward to longer books

mimi nguyen

armoni mayes

I honestly feel like I cannot even rate this essay…it was really interesting…but also made me go into a deep depression

jess

This book covers the exposure and deep dive into existentialism and how it bounds with humanism. it provides depth and detailed explanations about misconceptions to existentialism linked with religion, purpose of life, and marxism itself. it is a somewhat interesting primer and the important thing to acknowledge is not so much this particular philosophy, but the importance of philosophy in general. This book also explores the commentary of The Stranger by Sartre, further describing the tension between Sartre and Camus, both literary giants at that time.

It was enlightening to consider different viewpoints (both the absurd, and existentialism itself) when trying to perceive the world and this book contributes to that search and is therefore important and worth reading, not to mention it can be read in a single afternoon.

Big fan of existentialism and Sartre's explanation of it. Really cool presentation as it's a lecture that was recorded by a stenographer and reviewed by Sartre. It has been interesting to read this while reflecting on poststructuralism and phenomenology. You have to be somewhat privileged to believe every choice is only yours and the consequences are your responsibility, and that's one of many obvious reasons why I am not a hardcore Sartre fanboy. But nevertheless there are important tenets of existentialism that emphasize the humanist nature of ethics under atheism. 

Thomas Steur 

Wilde

An excellent introduction into Sartre's philosophy. Considering this is essentially a lecture, it's very accessible and as a former philosophy student I can appreciate the straight talking tone. Makes a nice change!

i’m interested in existentialism. this isn’t exactly what i thought it’d be, but definitely thought-provoking. i am not an existentialist

the_basis_

incredibly informative i found myself agreeing to a lot of what he said because every single value/statement had a lot of logic backing it up.

excited to read reviews which challenge his work so that i can understand this book further.

Gabriela Roxana 

This was my first real foray into Sartre's philosophy. I had a cursory knowledge of existentialism, but only of the kind that's pretty inevitable if you spend enough time on Twitter or Tumblr. 

That said, I gather that this isn't an entirely accurate portrait of existentialism, even if it was given by the man himself. It's actually a speech Sartre gave in response to his critics, so he necessarily rounded off some corners and sanded some edges to fit the narrative. 

Even so, it's fascinating to delve into, and Sartre relays his ideas in an approachable way without dumbing anything down. The first third of the book was spent nodding along vigorously, everything basically boiling down to the famous line that "existence precedes essence," that man creates himself. 

Sartre then runs into a stumbling block: his complete and utter denial of what we now know to be pretty basic truths of human nature and psychology. Had he known what we know now, I think he would've adjusted his views accordingly, but as it stands, I think much of Satre's philosophy hinges on a faulty premise. 

Still, it's a fascinating read, and it's hard not to feel inspired when you finally turn the last page.

Aksara

yuyu

April M

Robert Vetter

Elou

Momo

lala

Drew Timms

Delivered as a lecture in Paris in 1945, this work provides a seminal defence of the author's doctrine of existentialism and a plan for its practical application to everyday human life. It explores one of the central tenets of the author's philosophical thought, offering an introduction to his work. It is suitable for students of philosophy.

Existentialism and Humanism

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