Existentialism Books

Thomas W. Busch's "Circulating Being" provides an insightful critical examination of late French existential writings by Camus, Marcel, Sartre, and Merleau-Ponty. While early existentialists viewed traditional Western thought, rationalism and empiricism with disdain, Busch argues that the late existentialists recognized the limits of science and technology by shifting existentialism "from embodiment to incorporation". Existentialism is a "good faith" attempt to make sense of and refigure the world based on individual lived experience and subjectivity. While the universe is indeed an uncertain, ambiguous place, we human beings can find certainty and "deliverance" by developing authentic, loving relationships with each other. No doubt, there are differences in perspectives, yet Bush shows how, for example, Sartre, the "philosopher of psychological difference," (46) was greatly influenced by Decartes, Husserl, and even Freud to a certain extent. For Sartre, "Human reality [is] a being which is what it is not and which is not what it is" (47).

Busch's work serves as a readable and invaluable referential keepsake for further study in French existentialism. A great read!

We are enveloped in this book by an Introduction and thirteen masterful essays, on and in the Heideggerian movement of enowning, a.k.a. the event of appropriation (Ereignis). I use the word "enveloped" with care, as this book is not a presentation that the reader can enact on her or his own as if it entails simply gathering the meanings of key terms and 'ideas.' This is so because the English rendering of Heidegger's key terms is itself an act of enowning that pulls in the reader to re-experience the space between these two great philosophical languages. I have never accepted the absurd claim that English is inferior to German in its philosophical power, scope, and richness. I would venture to say that translations of the terms and sentences of the astonishing text that is the subject of these essays, namely, "Contributions to Philosophy: From Enowning," struggle to exhibit the power of English not only to faintly mimic Heidegger (an insulting idea of the Germanophiles), but to move into other and equally profound momenta of language that bring English to the test of its own resources.
The writers of the essays in the book all have a long-time deep familiarity with Heidegger's key work in the period of the so-called turning (late 1930s) where the Dasein-problematic of "Sein und Zeit" becomes internally transfigured into and with the gifting of time-space, which opens out the reticent ground (ab-grund) that in turn can judge and measure the ungrund of our technological culture.
Rarely does one find a gathering of secondary, yet primary, essays of such high caliber as in this anthology. The "Companion" probes into generic and 'structural' issues as well as into such themes as: the last god, the leap, be-ing (seyn or beyng), beings as a whole (the Greek conception in the first beginning), and things in being. The essays elucidate the tensions between the first ancient beginning and the other beginning that is yet and not yet enacted within the provenance of the first beginning.
For an absolute beginner in Heidegger studies, this is not the place to even attempt a movement of encounter, yet for the advanced novice, this book is accessible on different levels and in different ways. It has opened my eyes to new ways of re-enacting my previous readings of "Contributions to Philosophy," as well as deepening my relationship with one of my most insightful and overturning/re-tuning interlocutors. This anthology is indeed a rare treasure in a decidedly mediocre period in the history of foundational or grounding philosophical query. It is, dare I use the cliche, a must read/encounter.

Hubert Dreyfus is the leading American existential philosopher today and the spiritual parent of "California" phenomenology and existentialism (the godparent of this contemporary movement is of course Paul Tillich, for whom Dreyfus was a teaching assistant at Harvard). All the existential philosophers currently tenured in major analytic philosophy departments - Sean Kelly at Harvard, John Richardson at NYU, Carmen Taylor at Columbia - had Dreyfus for their graduate supervisor. (Interestingly, Tillich produced not only Dreyfus but also directed Rollo May's dissertation - later published as The Meaning of Anxiety - and then literally told Ernest Becker to write The Denial of Death). Hence the Tillich-Dreyfus legacy alone guarantees that existential thinking will continue to powerfully confront the analytic tradition regarding the inherent limitations of its intellectualism well into the twenty-first century.

These days, celebrity authors earn thousands of dollars for a speech, but back in the 1880s, Ralph Waldo Emerson, the first American author known to receive payment for delivering a talk, was paid $5 and oats for his horse.

Excellent exposition of the point of view of the founder of the Gestalt School, Twardowski. For those who are interested in the epistemological foundation of the austrian school, and particularly on its economic branch (Menger, Mises, Hayek), this book is very important.Because of the importance on the school founded by Menger and because a lot of economists (even libertarians)are ignorant of the philosophical ground that support Menger's thought to read this book is something obligatory. With Cavallin one can have a real guarantee of seriousness and depth and profound knowledge of the matters as well.

Cornel West & Philosophy: The Quest for Social Justice is easily the best book on Cornel West that I have read. The author, Clarence Johnson, takes his readers through West's thought on a really broad variety of matters and shows how they can best be seen as united (of at least all branches from the same tree). Johnson begins by explaining that West is best thought of as a prophetic pragmatist. This allows Johnson to see apparently quite diverse aspects of West's thought (including such things as West's critique of the silent acquiescence of black in Clarence Thomas's nomination to the Supreme Court, West's apparently shifting positions during the time he was leaving Harvard, Wes's views on the black/Jewish conflicts, West's blending of theological and humanistic values, and West's peculiar form of Marxism) as all part of a coherent philosophy. Nowhere in the literature on West-and certainly not in West's writings themselves-is there nearly such a good statement of West's views or one that organizes them into such a readily comprehensible structure. So, for someone who is looking for a good clear understanding of what really drives West's sometimes apparently unconnected views on so many matters, this volume cannot be beaten. And because it is so well-written and clearly organized, everyone-including those with no training in philosophy or political theory-will have no difficulty in getting a firm grip on West's take on our current political situation and his views about where we should go from here. Furthermore, because it sheds new light on so many areas of West's thinking, even those who are well steeped in West's thought will learn a lot from this volume.
But Johnson is no mere expositor of West's thought. He also is a critic and a very good one. For what Johnson does is first try to find the best defense he can of West on any given position and then attack that position. There are, so far as I can see, no cheap shots in Johnson's critique of West. Rather, what the reader finds is a fair-minded discussion of some very serious flaws in West's position. I found it very helpful to have someone take on some of West's positions in a way that shows both their weaknesses and how one might go about correcting them to build a better, more sustainable, philosophically well-grounded position on America's most pressing problems. I hope Johnson will write more on these matters. We need to hear more from him about how America should address and redress its racist past, cleanse itself of its current racism, and go on to build a society where each is treated with dignity and where governments at all levels show everyone equal concern and respect and take measures to ensure that all have access to adequate basic goods so that each person has a decent chance to lead the sort of life that she judges is both rewarding and fulfilling.
One final observation. The book contains an absolutely excellent short summary of how deeply embedded racism is in the thought of some of the western establishment's most cherished thinkers, such as Locke, Hume, and Kant. Johnson shows how deeply racist such thinkers (particularly Kant) were while still allowing that some of their best ideas are of use to those who seek to uproot racism. Even if one had no interest in West or his ideas, the book would be worth reading for this penetrating analysis of how deeply racism affects the thought of thinkers who have done so much to shape the post-Enlightenment world. (I only wish Johnson had discussed Adam Smith's views here as well.)
So, I give this book my highest recommendation. It is the best available introduction to West's thought, teaches us all something about the strengths and weaknesses of West's ideas, and is just a joy to read. (Scholars of West will be glad to know that everything is properly cited, there is an fine bibliography, and a first rate index. Everyone will be amazed that Johnson packed so much material into a scant 182 pages of clearly written insightful text.) I eagerly await West's response to Johnson's fine volume.

i am typing this with one hand with my eight month old daughter asleep on my lap so excuse the brevity. i just want to say that i have read a number of books by and about derrida and i think that this is one of the two or three best. i am a college english instructor and found the chapter on conrad's heart of darkness especially helpful for thinking about deconstruction and texts. get this book. you won't regret it.

santi464@netzero.net

Denial of the Soul is one of those books of rare insight about the human condition. The author shares the distillation of experience, concern about death, the nature of euthanasia, and life itself. Peck's book is not a diatribe against euthanasia but a subtle examination of how human nature shapes our deaths and how our choices about death ultimately strip bear our grip on life. The book is also a straw in the wind of the cultural war that flares all too often in the U.S. Peck characterizes himself as a Christian but does not then procede to pick up the cudgels of fundamentalism to batter the secular barbarians who may disagree with him. Peck's Christianity is tempered with more than a little humility and a keen awareness that he might be wrong from time to time. Peck does use this volume to speak against the notion that the whole of a human is immeasurably greater than the sum of the biochemical parts. He passionately argues that just as quantum mechanics limits what we can measure and describe with certainty, the nature of the human soul masks depths and purposes that also remain hidden. The decision to prematurely end a life, to short-cut a soul strikes Peck as a risky endeavour. Denial of the Soul is more than a discourse on euthanasia and sadly may be ignored because it is neither a strident attack on secular valuses nor a staunch defense of conservative Christianity. The book is far more than that, it is about life and the choices all of us make.

Yea man, this book is hot. Man, James McLachlan is one hip cat. Its like deep dady-o. When I'm playing my kongas I have my wife read me this book and its like jiving, man. Well I'm out man. Peace Daddy-o

Kupczak's book Destined for Liberty is an excellent book to know more behind Wojtyla's thought. The book starts with an introduction from Michael Novak which ends with a Polish prayer to JPII: " May he live a hundred years".

The book analyzes Wojtyla's thought by first examining his early writings and methodology. In the latter sections he talks about his habilitation thesis and his Lublin Lectrues. In the methodology section he explains his mix of phenomenology with Thomistic thought and does an excellent section that highlights some of the critiques of Wojtyla at the time Wojtyla published and explained his work, The Acting Person.

After Kupczak examines Wojtyla's writings and method he concentrates on Wojtyla's thought on consciousness and efficacy as well as transcedence and intergration. The latter crucial to understanding Wojtyla's thought.

Great book! Read it.