What do you think?
Rate this book
Essays in Existentialism
A splendid introduction to the philosophy of existentialism.
In Essays in Existentialism, Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980), the leading French exponent of existential philosophy, wrote a book that open many doors to the mind. Sartre challenged his readers to think beyond the meaning of their everyday thoughts and beliefs. His essays on nothingness, on the emotions, and on the image—including “The Problem of Nothingness,” “The Role of the Image in Mental Life,” and “Essays in Aesthetics”—contain the essentials of his metaphysical speculations.
An introductory essay by Professor Jean Wahl clarifies the origins of Sartre’s humanistic, religious, and aesthetic ideas.
Essays in Existentialism challanges and encourages us to alter how we think about the choices that we make: to live “authentically” we must be concious of our freedom to choose and concerned with the effect our choice will have on all others. It is an essential text for any student of philosophy.
In Essays in Existentialism, Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980), the leading French exponent of existential philosophy, wrote a book that open many doors to the mind. Sartre challenged his readers to think beyond the meaning of their everyday thoughts and beliefs. His essays on nothingness, on the emotions, and on the image—including “The Problem of Nothingness,” “The Role of the Image in Mental Life,” and “Essays in Aesthetics”—contain the essentials of his metaphysical speculations.
An introductory essay by Professor Jean Wahl clarifies the origins of Sartre’s humanistic, religious, and aesthetic ideas.
Essays in Existentialism challanges and encourages us to alter how we think about the choices that we make: to live “authentically” we must be concious of our freedom to choose and concerned with the effect our choice will have on all others. It is an essential text for any student of philosophy.
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
69 people are currently reading
2524 people want to read
About the author
Jean-Paul Sartre
1,086 books12.6k followersJean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic, considered a leading figure in 20th-century French philosophy and Marxism. Sartre was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology). His work has influenced sociology, critical theory, post-colonial theory, and literary studies. He was awarded the 1964 Nobel Prize in Literature despite attempting to refuse it, saying that he always declined official honors and that "a writer should not allow himself to be turned into an institution."
Sartre held an open relationship with prominent feminist and fellow existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. Together, Sartre and de Beauvoir challenged the cultural and social assumptions and expectations of their upbringings, which they considered bourgeois, in both lifestyles and thought. The conflict between oppressive, spiritually destructive conformity (mauvaise foi, literally, 'bad faith') and an "authentic" way of "being" became the dominant theme of Sartre's early work, a theme embodied in his principal philosophical work Being and Nothingness (L'Être et le Néant, 1943). Sartre's introduction to his philosophy is his work Existentialism Is a Humanism (L'existentialisme est un humanisme, 1946), originally presented as a lecture.
Sartre held an open relationship with prominent feminist and fellow existentialist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. Together, Sartre and de Beauvoir challenged the cultural and social assumptions and expectations of their upbringings, which they considered bourgeois, in both lifestyles and thought. The conflict between oppressive, spiritually destructive conformity (mauvaise foi, literally, 'bad faith') and an "authentic" way of "being" became the dominant theme of Sartre's early work, a theme embodied in his principal philosophical work Being and Nothingness (L'Être et le Néant, 1943). Sartre's introduction to his philosophy is his work Existentialism Is a Humanism (L'existentialisme est un humanisme, 1946), originally presented as a lecture.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 26, 2015
This was assigned for the Philosophy of Existentialism taught by Howard Burkle. Although he became head of the new Religion Department at Grinnell College, this course was taught under the Department of Philosophy. The readings included Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, Marcel and Kaufmann. The fact that I remember them all bespeaks the positive impression the class made and I did quite enjoy all the readings--even, surprisingly, Kierkegaard--except for one.
The one I didn't like was the Sartre collection, titled in this edition Essays in Existentialism, but originally published as The Philsophy of Existentialism. Looking at it, I find a lot of tiny marginalia, particularly in the sections about psychology. I simply couldn't reoncile Sartre's views with those I'd been picking up reading what he terms "the classical psychologists" and the psychoanalysts, particularly as regards the heuristic of the unconscious. I remember sitting in my room on a cold night, feverishly penning questions and criticisms in the margins, wondering how he could be so dense--or I so ignorant, as not to get it.
Now, of course, I suspect it was over my head at the time like so many readings were.
PS: I find a bibliographical note praising the introduction to this volume.
The one I didn't like was the Sartre collection, titled in this edition Essays in Existentialism, but originally published as The Philsophy of Existentialism. Looking at it, I find a lot of tiny marginalia, particularly in the sections about psychology. I simply couldn't reoncile Sartre's views with those I'd been picking up reading what he terms "the classical psychologists" and the psychoanalysts, particularly as regards the heuristic of the unconscious. I remember sitting in my room on a cold night, feverishly penning questions and criticisms in the margins, wondering how he could be so dense--or I so ignorant, as not to get it.
Now, of course, I suspect it was over my head at the time like so many readings were.
PS: I find a bibliographical note praising the introduction to this volume.
July 22, 2015
Part I is comprised of the Sartre-ssentials: accessible, to the point, and "of interest primarily to the ethicist," aka your average guy. Must read.
Part II is, from what I can discern, a condensed version of his explorations of Nothingness, Negation, the "Not." Deeply interesting, occasionally deeply confusing. Perhaps a dive into Being and Nothingness is in order, but the passages on bad faith are indispensable.
Part III offers a phenomenological attack on psychology and those pesky psychoanalysts. Skippable.
Part IV was unreadable for me, personally. I could not make heads or tails of this lengthy essay on all things Epistemological. I've no opinion or suggestion to offer, I was forced to skip it.
Part V is undoubtedly the most interesting section of this collection: Sartre's essays on writing, one painter, one sculptor, and one movement-capturer, are frantic, digressive, rambling scratchings on the lives, work, emotions, and philosophical trappings of artists. Wholly unique essay style which one can engorge on. Must read.
Part II is, from what I can discern, a condensed version of his explorations of Nothingness, Negation, the "Not." Deeply interesting, occasionally deeply confusing. Perhaps a dive into Being and Nothingness is in order, but the passages on bad faith are indispensable.
Part III offers a phenomenological attack on psychology and those pesky psychoanalysts. Skippable.
Part IV was unreadable for me, personally. I could not make heads or tails of this lengthy essay on all things Epistemological. I've no opinion or suggestion to offer, I was forced to skip it.
Part V is undoubtedly the most interesting section of this collection: Sartre's essays on writing, one painter, one sculptor, and one movement-capturer, are frantic, digressive, rambling scratchings on the lives, work, emotions, and philosophical trappings of artists. Wholly unique essay style which one can engorge on. Must read.
February 3, 2019
140511: this could be a 3.5, as i enjoyed the start essays but less the applied criticism of the arts. the beginning essays simply reminded me of his ideas, his perspectives, his existentialism- and what a smooth writer he is, with a deft turn of phrase, an acute sense of dramatization. i felt i had read them before, possibly had in b & n. his essay on why write also familiar, also useful. interesting bio on tincoretti. on giaccometti sculptures yes i could see where he is headed. on his painting less so. on mobiles by calder, well you probably have to see his work in person...
November 3, 2023
I enjoyed reading this, and I most certainly embrace existentialism, but I really dislike Sartre. He's irritating, which isn't always a terrible thing. Sometimes irritation ignites the thinking mind, but Sartre's sexism and single-mindedness is so bland and old, it's not even a productive annoyance. Worth the read though, many valuable insights that can lead one to evolving their own thoughts and ideas.
February 11, 2016
A fantastic collection of essays from one of the most brilliant existentialists. If you had/have a hard time getting through "Being & Nothingness" start here. You won't feel overwhelmed with the information being hurled at you, but your brain will still explode from the unmitigated sense of nothingness you'll feel during & after reading. Highly recommend for fans of existentialism or for someone looking to learn more about it.
March 24, 2017
I read this book - an introduction, perhaps, or an overview of Sartre - alongside, of all things, the Apostle Paul and the Book of Romans. The two make an incredible pair.
I said to a friend: "Paul and Sartre are like photographic negatives." I do not think Sartre knew how closely his views of Freedom and Responsibility and Bad Faith could mirror the Christian description of Sin and Freedom and Depravity. Sartre seems to be mistaken whenever he confronts God, speaking antagonistically toward the God of Plato and the God of Bad Calvinists, not realizing that his system is, perhaps, more Christian than he would like.
More on that elsewhere.
The book makes a nice collection, moving from Sartre's basic existentialist principles to Freedom and Responsibility and then on to Bad Faith. I found all this philosophy section to be incredibly intriguing and exciting.
When he switched over to Psychoanalysis and (afterward) the Imagination, I found him to be an utter bore. He misreads Freud - a cardinal humanist sin, but all to common even these days - and takes for granted that his Bad Faith is fundamentally distant from the Unconscious. They are closer than he makes it sound.
Likewise, and on a similar vibe, the Imagination writings are tone-deaf compared to Lacan and his lineage... Which will make Fanon's combination of Sartre and Lacan in particular so powerful.
But those sections, while being the middle third of the book, were thankfully soon forgotten by the final section, which were essays on Art, specifically on Tintoretto, Giamcometti, and Calder. Here my own interest in Space, fueled by Bachelard and Einstein, brought me an even greater delight in enjoying Sartre's expositions of Giamcometti's sculptures. The essay on Tintoretto and Venice was also very enjoyable.
Those final essays to me seemed particularly piquant, as they previewed how Sartre's Being and Nothingness can manifest in art critique.
I have more to say about Sartre, especially his philosophy and relating it to the Book of Romans, but that will be a blog post, I'm sure. For here it is enough to say that this book satisfies the desire of those not formally trained by philosophy the enjoyment of challenging philosophical argument without the technical complexity one would expect from, say, Being and Nothingness.
I said to a friend: "Paul and Sartre are like photographic negatives." I do not think Sartre knew how closely his views of Freedom and Responsibility and Bad Faith could mirror the Christian description of Sin and Freedom and Depravity. Sartre seems to be mistaken whenever he confronts God, speaking antagonistically toward the God of Plato and the God of Bad Calvinists, not realizing that his system is, perhaps, more Christian than he would like.
More on that elsewhere.
The book makes a nice collection, moving from Sartre's basic existentialist principles to Freedom and Responsibility and then on to Bad Faith. I found all this philosophy section to be incredibly intriguing and exciting.
When he switched over to Psychoanalysis and (afterward) the Imagination, I found him to be an utter bore. He misreads Freud - a cardinal humanist sin, but all to common even these days - and takes for granted that his Bad Faith is fundamentally distant from the Unconscious. They are closer than he makes it sound.
Likewise, and on a similar vibe, the Imagination writings are tone-deaf compared to Lacan and his lineage... Which will make Fanon's combination of Sartre and Lacan in particular so powerful.
But those sections, while being the middle third of the book, were thankfully soon forgotten by the final section, which were essays on Art, specifically on Tintoretto, Giamcometti, and Calder. Here my own interest in Space, fueled by Bachelard and Einstein, brought me an even greater delight in enjoying Sartre's expositions of Giamcometti's sculptures. The essay on Tintoretto and Venice was also very enjoyable.
Those final essays to me seemed particularly piquant, as they previewed how Sartre's Being and Nothingness can manifest in art critique.
I have more to say about Sartre, especially his philosophy and relating it to the Book of Romans, but that will be a blog post, I'm sure. For here it is enough to say that this book satisfies the desire of those not formally trained by philosophy the enjoyment of challenging philosophical argument without the technical complexity one would expect from, say, Being and Nothingness.
June 8, 2017
The essays about existentialism proper are great, a worthy read. All the other stuff he wrote was just coasting on those earlier successes.
July 6, 2018
Sartre at his most digestible. Great in general, but you'll have to look elsewhere if you want to pursue these topics in any depth.
April 23, 2025
Read this for a philosophy class.
July 12, 2025
the fact i finished this while it was literally disintegrating in my hands and i only really cared about the first essay really shows my dedication to sartre (or my stubbornness)
October 26, 2021
I’m all for exploring the feeling of existential angst – the absurdity of life, alienation, solitude, etc (heck aren’t these all just SO wonderful?-) – but I find it far more effective and meaningful to do this in the form of fiction, not philosophy.
I do love Sartre and others for helping to take the blinders off of mankind – while it’s terrifying to live in a world without absolute meaning, it’s reality – and I love how Sartre understands that meaninglessness does not translate to anarchy or “anything goes”, on the contrary, as Baskin says in the introduction, his most significant tenet was that we “must be conscious of our freedom to choose and concerned with the effect our choice will have on all men”.
However, if you are going to pick this book up, for most I would suggest just reading Part 1, “The Humanism of Existentialism”, as from Part 2 (“the Problem of Nothingness”) on it is dense and quite dry, better suited for those who truly love the study of philosophy.
Quotes:
“Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself.
…
Thus, existentialism’s first move is to make every man aware of what he is and to make the full responsibility of his existence rest on him. And when we say that a man is responsible for himself, we do not only mean that he is responsible for his own individuality, but that he is responsible for all men.”
“The existentialist, on the contrary, thinks it very distressing that God does not exist, because all possibility of finding values in a heaven of ideas disappears along with Him; there can no longer be an a priori Good, since there is no infinite and perfect consciousness to think it. Nowhere is it written that the Good exists, that we must be honest, that we must not lie; because the fact is we are on a plane where there are only men. Dostoievsky said, ‘If God didn’t exist, everything would be possible.’ That is the very starting point of existentialism.”
“…but if I’ve discarded God the Father, there has to be someone to invent values. You’ve got to take things as they are. Moreover, to say that we invent values means nothing else but this: life has no meaning a priori. Before you come alive, life is nothing; it’s up to you to give it a meaning, and value is nothing else but the meaning that you choose.”
I do love Sartre and others for helping to take the blinders off of mankind – while it’s terrifying to live in a world without absolute meaning, it’s reality – and I love how Sartre understands that meaninglessness does not translate to anarchy or “anything goes”, on the contrary, as Baskin says in the introduction, his most significant tenet was that we “must be conscious of our freedom to choose and concerned with the effect our choice will have on all men”.
However, if you are going to pick this book up, for most I would suggest just reading Part 1, “The Humanism of Existentialism”, as from Part 2 (“the Problem of Nothingness”) on it is dense and quite dry, better suited for those who truly love the study of philosophy.
Quotes:
“Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself.
…
Thus, existentialism’s first move is to make every man aware of what he is and to make the full responsibility of his existence rest on him. And when we say that a man is responsible for himself, we do not only mean that he is responsible for his own individuality, but that he is responsible for all men.”
“The existentialist, on the contrary, thinks it very distressing that God does not exist, because all possibility of finding values in a heaven of ideas disappears along with Him; there can no longer be an a priori Good, since there is no infinite and perfect consciousness to think it. Nowhere is it written that the Good exists, that we must be honest, that we must not lie; because the fact is we are on a plane where there are only men. Dostoievsky said, ‘If God didn’t exist, everything would be possible.’ That is the very starting point of existentialism.”
“…but if I’ve discarded God the Father, there has to be someone to invent values. You’ve got to take things as they are. Moreover, to say that we invent values means nothing else but this: life has no meaning a priori. Before you come alive, life is nothing; it’s up to you to give it a meaning, and value is nothing else but the meaning that you choose.”
September 28, 2012
Existentialism is a Humanism is a substantial essay in that it, in my opinion, successfully refutes the "oppositions" skewing of existentialism and what it entails. In the essay - which I only read, I didn't read the rest of the book - he bifurcates existentialism into two essential parts: theistic (kierkegaard, etc) and atheistic (he lumps in hedeigger), and proceeds to expound on the importance of both in terms of morality and the human condition. I think his position on "existence preceeding essence" is true and profound. Definitely read this essay if you want an elucidated analysis of what existentialism actually is, along with all of its implications on life, our perceptions, and morality.
October 14, 2012
This book is a collection of essays by Sartre. They begin with very existential ideas, in fact nearly defining the existential movement. It then morphs into a discussion of nothingness, still very existential in nature. The discussion of nothingness was the hardest for me to understand, and one would likely benefit from reading it with a friend to sound out ideas together. The concept of emotions that Sartre then pursues is also rich. Finally Sartre ends with a discussion of different artists, which I think was interesting, although at times I struggled to see the connection to the earlier pieces of the work. Overall, worth a read.
August 24, 2008
A thoroughly enjoyable collection of essays by Jean-Paul Sartre. . . . Really. I especially enjoyed reading Part I ("The Humanism of Existentialism" and "Freedom and Responsibility" were my favorite sub-sections) as well as Part III ("The Emotions: Outline of a Theory"), Part V ("What Is Writing?"), and Part VI ("Essays in Aesthetics"). This last part (VI) is an excellent reminder that Sartre is also a fiction writer whose language is indeed beautiful. . . . I just love those French existentialists!
October 18, 2010
The beginning, Existentialism is a humanism, is just about the finest, most well-sitting intro on Existentialism I've found to date.
After that, everything gets a bit fuzzy for me. I found Satre's use of psychoanalysis old-fashioned, and he lost me in his subsequent essays on authenticity & co, but I did find the closing writings on aesthetics semi-comprehensible.
Still, fond memories of what was my first foray into Existentialism, though as you can get Existentialism is a humanism as a full text online, I don't see why I would go back to this book again in the near future.
After that, everything gets a bit fuzzy for me. I found Satre's use of psychoanalysis old-fashioned, and he lost me in his subsequent essays on authenticity & co, but I did find the closing writings on aesthetics semi-comprehensible.
Still, fond memories of what was my first foray into Existentialism, though as you can get Existentialism is a humanism as a full text online, I don't see why I would go back to this book again in the near future.
November 6, 2009
Short essays on various topics in existentialism. I realize this is not likely helpful but it is a great text for getting in on the ground floor and learning of existentialism. Sometimes gets a little complex on the ideas and concepts but overall good for someone without previous philosophical study.
June 16, 2007
A nice collection of essays discussing not only existentialism, but also topics such as art (through a consideration of specific artists such as Calder and Giacometti) from an existentialist, or at least Sartrean, viewpoint.
June 24, 2010
Existentialist heavy hitter.
JP is very technical, and makes some people drink lots of black coffee and smoke unfiltered cigarettes.
I find this book to be surprisingly easy to read compared to some of his other work.
JP is very technical, and makes some people drink lots of black coffee and smoke unfiltered cigarettes.
I find this book to be surprisingly easy to read compared to some of his other work.
March 10, 2014
This is a pretty good collection of Sartre's works; however, I'm not a big fan of the translations in this text. But if you need to read a bunch of Sartre's most important essays, this is the text to get.
July 21, 2007
this book was given to me by a friend. i haven't read all of it because it's really thick and a little boring.
February 5, 2008
logical
May 26, 2011
Love him despite his many flaws. Love just about everything he's written.
Read
August 11, 2011Not only is this work captivating, but many of the essays just are not hard to follow.
March 13, 2008
GREAT PLACE TO START FOR UNDERSTANDING WHAT EXISTENTIALISM IS.
April 20, 2008
Brilliant analysis and synthesis from a thinking dead-ender.
Needed to be read.
Needed to be read.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews