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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
This felt like it took a long time to read, but only because I’m not used to stopping books and coming back to them. I really liked the biographical aspects of this and got a little lost during the philosophical parts.
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
a captivating story about the appearance, development and fate of existantialist ideas (mostly in the 20th century, with a short outlook on how we could learn from them today). Sarah Bakewell also masterfully draws up the key figures in existentialism and what they got up to (apparently lots of fun things EXCEPT for Heidegger of course but let's ignore him for this argument as he was a phenomenologist anyway).
This took me a long time to finish, because of how much I loved it… I couldn’t read it for long without my brain spinning of into a deep line of thought concerning one passage or another reflecting on its connection to some current historical event or personal experience of mine. I found it to be relentlessly engaging, opening myself to a lot of personal reflection and challenge to my ways of thinking and experiencing the world.
As an introduction to phenomenology and existentialism it seemed quite effective at least in inspiring further reading interest in me. Weaving the writings of these authors into the context of their personal relationships and world events successfully communicated how and why their writings inspired other thinkers, helping to divorce the ideas from our “stern eyes looking back at them from the future.” That idea as E.P. Thompson wrote of “the enormous condescension of posterity” and Sartre’s need to still call the shots as we see them at the time is a strong medicine against the fear of taking the “wrong” position. It drew a connection to “Thinking in Systems” for me, the need for us to deliver the truth of all matters to all change makers, confronting our reality and rejecting abjections sold to us about the way our lives are, and what being in modern time is.
Anyway, so much to chew on here. I look forward to revisiting this and knowing more of the referenced texts the next time I dive back in.
As an introduction to phenomenology and existentialism it seemed quite effective at least in inspiring further reading interest in me. Weaving the writings of these authors into the context of their personal relationships and world events successfully communicated how and why their writings inspired other thinkers, helping to divorce the ideas from our “stern eyes looking back at them from the future.” That idea as E.P. Thompson wrote of “the enormous condescension of posterity” and Sartre’s need to still call the shots as we see them at the time is a strong medicine against the fear of taking the “wrong” position. It drew a connection to “Thinking in Systems” for me, the need for us to deliver the truth of all matters to all change makers, confronting our reality and rejecting abjections sold to us about the way our lives are, and what being in modern time is.
Anyway, so much to chew on here. I look forward to revisiting this and knowing more of the referenced texts the next time I dive back in.
"You should make your choices as though you were choosing on behalf of the whole of humanity, taking the entire burden of responsibility for how the human race behaves. If you avoid this responsibility by fooling yourself that you are the victim of circumstance or of someone else’s bad advice, you are failing to meet the demands of human life and choosing a fake existence, cut off from your own ‘authenticity’."
"We have to do two near-impossible things at once: understand ourselves as limited by circumstances, and yet continue to pursue our projects as though we are truly in control. In Beauvoir’s view, existentialism is the philosophy that best enables us to do this, because it concerns itself so deeply with both freedom and contingency. It acknowledges the radical and terrifying scope of our freedom in life, but also the concrete influences that other philosophies tend to ignore: history, the body, social relationships and the environment."
"We have to do two near-impossible things at once: understand ourselves as limited by circumstances, and yet continue to pursue our projects as though we are truly in control. In Beauvoir’s view, existentialism is the philosophy that best enables us to do this, because it concerns itself so deeply with both freedom and contingency. It acknowledges the radical and terrifying scope of our freedom in life, but also the concrete influences that other philosophies tend to ignore: history, the body, social relationships and the environment."
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Absolutely the best thing I have read in years. Narrative history combined with an autobiographical element from the writer brings alive the individuals and the times, but also a great reminder of phenomenology, existentialism on the page and then how these concepts are to be lived, as well as how the creators did live. I constantly kept wanting to make notes to myself on my life, my beliefs, how I want to go on living, and how I want to teach.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Genocide, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, War, Classism, Deportation
Minor: Bullying, Drug use, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit
DNF 12%
I am shocked that I only got through 12% of this book. It felt like forever. Like I should have been half way through and I'd only read 50 pages.
The way this is promoted feels like fiction, but it isn't. Some of it reads like fiction, but not enough to keep me engaged.
It was recommended as an intro to existentialism, but I don't know if I read enough to really get a better grasp on the subject, or the people involved.
I am shocked that I only got through 12% of this book. It felt like forever. Like I should have been half way through and I'd only read 50 pages.
The way this is promoted feels like fiction, but it isn't. Some of it reads like fiction, but not enough to keep me engaged.
It was recommended as an intro to existentialism, but I don't know if I read enough to really get a better grasp on the subject, or the people involved.
Brilliant portrait of the whole cast of characters who developed the fields of Phenomenology and Existentialism throughout the 20th century. Bakewell’s writing is a joy to read - she has a talent for making historical figures come alive in the pages.
I would recommend this book for anyone who wants a broad introduction to the thought of canonical figures such as Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre and de Beauvoir, whilst also looking for an easy and enjoyable read.
I would recommend this book for anyone who wants a broad introduction to the thought of canonical figures such as Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre and de Beauvoir, whilst also looking for an easy and enjoyable read.
i want to write like this - easy, brilliant, concise, engaging