Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15170 in Books
• Published on: 2000-12-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Customer Reviews

Great book
I first checked this out from the library. I loved the text so much that I ended up reading it in an afternoon. I later bought the book because I liked it so much. If you're interested in Sartre but don't want to dig through his longer books, this is a good start.

A brilliant work by a brilliant author!
Sartre hass eloquently and brilliantly defended existentialism and elucidated the meaning behind the words. Sartre emphasized the importance of actions and responsibility in defining man. No more excuses. You create yourself and you are responsible for it. Sartre debunks the victim role perpetuated by religion, determinism, and fatalism, and in lieu he accentuates freedom of choice and responsibility.
This book is a must read for any student or lover of philosophy....

A Good Introduction
This is a very accessible book for anyone who has a passing acquaintance with philosophical terminology and discussion. As a Christian, I of course differ with Sartre in many fundamental ways, but one has to admire the consistency of his thought given his philosophical presuppositions.

Sartre is unafraid to face and even embrace the consequences of the idea of life lived without hope of fundamental purpose or meaning. Life, both corporate and individual, is the outcome of choices we make. Every man carries the burden and freedom of all humanity and in his time through his own actions makes the human race what it is and becomes through him.

The weakest areas of his ethics is when he seeks to divorce them from absolute standards. Though he requires that individual man must necessarily act on his freedom to judge and evaluate the actions of others, and to make statements about his evaluation, yet he seeks to distance such statements from any claim that all should so evaluate them. I think Sartre recognizes the logical tension he creates here but his explanation is not satisfying.

All in all, if someone wants to sample the waters of atheistic existentialism, then you can't go far wrong with this book. It is not light reading but it is worthwhile. After reading it find a similar book on Christian ethics for the other side of the story.