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Rethinking Existentialism
Jonathan Webber
Analyses literary and theoretical works of existentialism
Each chapter presents a self-contained argument ideal for individual reading
Engaging and non-technical style is accessible to non-specialist readers
Includes analyses of existentialist theories of gender and race
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 original analysis of classic literary and philosophical works published by Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Frantz Fanon up until 1952, Webber's conception of existentialism 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 Sartre or Fanon. He articulates in detail the existentialist theories of individual character and the social identities of gender and race, key concerns in current discourse. Webber concludes by sketching out the broader implications of his interpretation of existentialism for philosophy, psychology, and psychotherapy.
1:What Is Existentialism?
2:Why Meursault is an Outsider
3:Freedom and the Origins of Reasons
4:Why Xaviere is a Threat to Francoise
5:Psychoanalysis and the Existentialist Mind
6:Why Inez is not in Hell
7:Sedimentation and the Origins of Cultural Values
8:Black Skin, White Masks
9:From Absurdity to Authenticity
10:The Imperative of Authenticity
11:The Future of Existentialism
Jonathan Webber, Professor of Philosophy, Cardiff University
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.
"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
"This excellent study engages with the heart of existentialism, challenging established views and interpretations in its rigorous categorizations. Written with concision, control, conviction, and confidence, it significantly re-evaluates Beauvoir's thought, and its outline of radical freedom reveals its influence on contemporary culture. Essential reading for all researchers and students of existentialism, its clarity of argument will encourage debate, for instance on the correctness and validity of its canonical definition, or whether this view of absolute freedom rules out Christian existentialism." - John Gillespie, Ulster University, French Studies
"Rethinking Existentialism is not only essential reading for anyone interested in existentialism, but the only book one needs." - Kyle Shuttleworth, Queen's University Belfast, Sartre Studies International
"Rethinking Existentialism is not only essential reading for anyone interested in existentialism, but the only book one needs" - Kyle Shuttleworth, Queen's University Belfast, Sartre Studies International
"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
The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Existentialist
At the end of the second world war, Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre launched the 'existentialist offensive,' an ambitious campaign to shape a new cultural and political landscape. The word 'existentialism' was a popular neologism with no clear meaning. They wanted to profit from its media currency by making their philosophy its definition. Sartre's talk 'Existentialism is a Humanism' was an instant legend.
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