Rethinking Existentialism - Hardcover

Webber, Jonathan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198735901 ISBN 13: 9780198735908

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2018

Synopsis

In Rethinking Existentialism, Jonathan Webber articulates an original interpretation of existentialism as the ethical theory that human freedom is the foundation of all other values. Offering an accessible conception of classic literary and philosophical works published by Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Frantz Fanon up until 1952, Webber's novel analysis is developed in critical contrast with central works by Albert Camus, Sigmund Freud, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty.

Presenting his arguments in an accessible and engaging style, Webber contends that Beauvoir and Sartre initially disagreed over the structure of human freedom in 1943 but Sartre ultimately came to accept Beauvoir's view over the next decade. He develops the viewpoint that Beauvoir provides a more significant argument for authenticity than either Satre or Fanon. Key concerns such as individual character or the social identities of gender and race are detailed thematically and contrasted with existentialism. Having reviewed numerous theoretical and literary works, Webber concludes by coherently sketching out the broader implications of his interpretation of existentialism for philosophy, psychology, and psychotherapy.

About this title

About the Author

Jonathan Webber is Professor of Philosophy at Cardiff University. He has published papers on moral philosophy and philosophy of psychology in leading academic journals including Analysis, European Journal of Philosophy, Journal of Moral Philosophy, Mind, and Philosophical Quarterly. He is the author of the monograph The Existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre, editor of the collection of essays Reading Sartre: on Phenomenology and Existentialism, co-editor of From Personality to Virtue: Essays in the Philosophy of Character, and translator of Sartre's book The Imaginary.

Review

"Rethinking Existentialism is a substantial and valuable attempt to re-evaluate the core ideas of this important philosophical movement." -- Juliana De Albuquerque, University College Cork, Times Literary Supplement

"There is a great deal of really excellent analysis in this book - of Sartre, of Beauvoir, of Fanon, and of The Outsider, She Came to Stay and No Exit - with which scholars will want to engage seriously." -- Katherine J. Morris, Mansfield College, Oxford University, Mind

"Clear and readable, this book is advanced but will still be inviting to nonspecialists. A valuable resource in the classroom and in research. Summing up: Highly recommended" -- CHOICE

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 0198735901
• ISBN 13: 9780198735908
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 244