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rboone 's review for:
Existentialism Is a Humanism
by Jean-Paul Sartre
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.
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.