Existentialism Is a Humanism

The author, philosopher Jean Paul Sartre, gave a lecture, followed by a question-and-answer session in Paris, late in 1945. He set out to more clearly define existentialism, which even he admits during the talk is somewhat complicated by the fact that some approach existentialism from a religious point-of-view (such as Jaspers and Dostoevsky) while others approach existentialism from an atheistic point-of-view (such as himself and Heidegger). The transcription of that lecture (which is said to be lightly edited by Sartre himself) makes up the text of this book, including a section for the Q and A that follows. The guiding principle of existentialism, according to Sartre, is as follows: “Existence precedes essence.” Simply put, Sartre wants his listener/reader to understand that we have the power to shape our own lives through our choices. In that sense, we are a blank canvas waiting for the artist (ourselves) to create our own masterpiece. For example, we may not have control over how our boss treats us at work, but we have complete control of how we respond and how we act in the first place. This concept of being in control of the direction of our lives via the choices that we make can be very comforting for some, and it can be very disconcerting for others. Sometimes it may be easier to say: “Well, I wasn’t the only one speeding. It’s just bad luck that I was the one that was caught.” It’s actually not bad luck at all. You made the choice to speed, and as a direct result, you were pulled over and received that speeding ticket. Ultimately the philosophy reduces to choice. I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to better understand existentialism. Since this was written as a lecture, the style is conversational and therefore it makes a complicated topic very easy and pleasant to read.

Many of the existialist writings have influenced me, such as The Age of Reason and The Stranger, but in this book we see Sartre define what Existialism is. The book is a printed version of a lecture Sartre gave defending Existialism because it was being loosely misrepresented in many circles from religious groups, Marxists and people using it as a catch phrase for loose behavior or being artistic. If you want to understand what Existialism is, whether you are new to it or a long term admirer of it, there is no better book to explain it than this one. Sartre begins his lecture explaining how some people misinterpret what Existenialism is, encouraging people to quietism and despair, emphasizing what is despicable, suspicious, base and pessimistic, and how the notion of Existentialism isolating individuals away from society, so they only consider themselves is a false notion. Notable statements from Sartre include: “Man is not only that which he conceives himself to be, but that which he wills himself to be, and since he conceives of himself only after he exists, just as he wills himself to be after being thrown into existence, man is nothing other than what he makes of himself.” “In choosing what you do you should always ask yourself, ‘What would happen if everyone did what I am doing?” He also makes it clear, our choices and our actions define us. And not choosing is a form of choice. There are many more great points he addresses, and the book will be one to read and reread.

In this short and powerful lecture Sartre seeks to defend Existentialism against charges levied against it by Communists, who accuse it of being a contemplative, bourgeois philosophy, and Catholics, who accuse it of being a pessimistic philosophy. In response to the Communist charge, Sartre says that Existentialism is a philosophy based on human action. Everything that man is is a result of his actions, not his dreams and expectations. "... he (Man) is nothing more than the sum of his actions, nothing more than his life." Against the charge put forth by the Catholics, Sartre says that Existentialism is overtly optimistic because it stresses man's ability to make himself as he wishes. What I have just spelled out is a superficial overview of Sartre's defense. There are other interesting concepts explored in this book such as morality, anguish, abandonment, despair, and intersubjectivity. Although I do disagree with some of Sartre's implications put forth, especially concerning morality, I still think it is a rather strong defense of Existentialism. If you are looking for a systematic treatise in defense of Sartrean Existentialism, turn to Being and Nothingness. If you are looking for a short defense and description of Existentialism, I suggest picking up this book.

easy to understand for someone new to the concept

This is a book anyone interested in Philosophy should read, AND it is READABLE!

Eloquent explanation of what humanism and existentialism means in the words of Sartre. This book recites a lecture given by Sartre defending existentialism. If you are curious it’s a good place to start.

This is a condensed version of his previous book... although I disagree with almost all of his precepts, it was a pretty interesting read.

In this one talk Sartre provides a clear overview of the varying aspects of existentialism, clarifying each (as he is refuting arguments against the philosophy throughout) which leaves the reader with a solid understandings of the tenets of the philosophy. It is extremely readable and will certainly leave you thinking. Great if you want to find a starting place for existentialism but aren't sure which area to dive into in regards to fiction or non-fiction (A good follow-up to this piece is Camus' The Stranger)

Llego sellado y sin ningún daño.

This book feels more like a long conversation with Sartre. Since he didn't write the book, instead it is a written version of a speech he held, it seems more life like. I can reccomend this book for everyone who wants to expand his horizon of philosophy or wants to start reading books alike. Good for beginners in the field.

Nice book.

Great short intro on the topic. Will be buying more of Sartre.

Although it's a good introduction for understanding the basic idea of existentialism, one must read other existentialists including Kierkegaard. I mean, one must consult philosophical reads chronologically.