Customer Reviews

Existentialism: A Reconstruction (Introducing Philosophy)

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David E. Cooper shows how many of the popular views on existentialism are actually misconceptions about the philosophy - this book is very helpful in dispelling the dictionary definition of existentialism. The idea that Existentialism is irrational or an anti-rational form of philosophy is shown to be an incorrect interpretation of what existential thought is about. Cooper shows that the existentialists where not against reason or rational thought but where really against a narrow form of rationalism -also empiricism- which attempted, through non-involvement in the human world, to gain a god-like perspective; a detached and impersonal view from nowhere within the world. Against this the existentialists wanted to show that we are all participants in human affairs and not mere spectators. Other misconceptions mentioned in the book were; that existentialism is just a phenomena born out of post-war Europe; that existentialism is a form of subjectivist philosophy; and that there was a large gulf between Sartre and Heidegger, Sartre -it is often claimed- was a Cartesian while Heidegger was Anti-Cartesian etc.. Some other misconceptions are also mentioned.

I thought the book was missing many of the insights from literature into existentialist thought -although some people will think that is a positive thing. Dostoevsky was not mentioned; I don't remember Kafkas great existential novels (the Trial or the Castle) coming up; and Camus is only mentioned long enough for us to see that he was neither philosophical or systematic and therefore not included. Cooper is not as hostile towards Camus as Sartre was in his review of the Rebel in Les Temps Modenes, but if you are a Camus fan you might want to look away. Of course every book has to make some cuts and Cooper does give reasons for his omissions.

I found the book very helpful and enjoyable, it would probably make a good introduction, but I wouldn't base all my opinions of the philosophy on it.

This is the best of all exisiting introductions to Existentialism in English, and perhaps any language. The clarity is not bogus. It is exemplary in the number of confusions it clears up. Existentialism is far from a passing post-war fad, and Cooper shows why, chapter after chapter. This is a book that should be on every philosophy student's reading list.

This is a detailed and interesting analysis of the underrated philosophy, existentialism. Dr. Cooper builds a coherent and useful philosophy from the writings of several diverse, and thoroughly vague, philosophers (focusing on the works of Kierkegaard, Heidegger, Nietzsche, and Sartre). Dr. Cooper does much to dissolve the common conception of existentialism as merely a cultural movement. Although somewhat awkwardly worded in places, it is a wonderful book that will most certainly not leave the reader unchanged (if nothing else it will change the readers opinion of the importance of existentialism in the overall history of philosophy).

I enjoyed the well-written book (and I came as a sceptic). Cooper not only synthesizes the different strands of existentialism, but nicely fills in weaknesses before showing how the existentialistic argument can deliver a reasonable philosophy to live by. To help you judge where I am coming from, consider two other books of practical philosophy that I liked: Peter Singer's "Essential Singer: Writings on an ethical life" and Stephen Batchelor's "Buddhism Without Beliefs".

David E. Cooper
Existentialism

(Oxford, UK: Blackwell, 1999---second edition) 220 pages
(ISBN: 0-631-21322-8; hardcover)
(ISBN: 0-631-21323-6; paperback)
(Library of Congress call number: B819.C62 1999)

The main virtue of this book is that it is readily available.
It is a competent review of the main ideas of existentialism
by a man who is now a professor of philosophy.
It was originally published in 1990, when I first read it.
I have read it again in the new edition, hoping for improvements,
but the book remains basically the same,
with an appendix added, which answers the claim
that Heidegger and Sartre are substantially different.

The first half of the book deals with the philosophical background.
And when Cooper finally gets around
to the new themes presented in existentialism,
he gives only a superficial analysis.
For example, his analysis of angst, death, and absurdity
are not nearly as deep as presented in Our Existential Predicament,
which I should admit was written by this reviewer.

For all readers who are hoping for
a passionately existential book on existentialism,
this book will be a disappointment.
It is an academic rather than an existential approach to the subject.
The author remains an observer of existentialism from outside,
rather than a living person whose life has been changed
by existential insights and perspectives.

Nevertheless, it could be a good place to begin reading
for someone who knows nothing about existentialism.
Just don't let your whole impression of existentialism
be formed by this one book.

James Leonard Park, existential philosopher

David E.Cooper's Existentialism: A Reconstruction is just that.It reconstructs out of the many philosophers of Existentialism an imaginary amalgam and synthetic creature,The Existentialist,who gives us the line of up-to-date existential awareness,that is relevant to our lives today.In demystifying these complex concepts:Being-in-theworld, Being-for-itself,Being-in-itself,commitment,availability,Dasein,freedom,self-estrangement, phenomenology, epoche, directedness,intentionality,reduction,spectator,participant,project,The Other, proximal,negativity,ready-to-hand, equipmental,care,value,lack,alienation,'objective body'.'lived body',authenticity,bad faith,the Look,an object for the Other,herd mentality,mass existence,Public,they,facticity,transcendence,fallenness,salaud,ex-istent,choice, contingency,thrownness,given,Angst,useless passion,gratuitious,absurd, outside myself,open to the world, spectatorial ego,intersubjective solidarity,it clears up the subjectivist/psychological cloud it was under.Cooper unpacks this whole nucleur payload of meaning in calm,lucid, coherent,logical prose.

He also utilises the major works of Heidegger(Being and Time),and Sartre(Being and Nothingness),and their other works,along with Kierkegaard's several,Husserl's works on phenomenology,Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Perception,Gasset,Buber and Beauvoir's many tomes,Jaspers,with a sprinkling of Nietzsche's,also quoting from Wittgenstein,Marcel,Iris Murdoch, Maccquarrie and Barrett.Existentialism is viewed as the attempt to overcome various forms of alienation:from the world,from one another,from oneself.The early chapters describe the existential phenomenology,on the basis of which the Cartesian metaphysics are `dissolved'.Discussions of the self and of others,and of `Angst' and absurdity,lead into chapters on existential freedom and the prospects for an existential ethic and reciprocal freedom.Cooper seems to remove the soap bubble around Continental philosophy, placing existentialism within the great historical traditions of philosophy,arguing that it deserves as much attention from analytical philosophers as it has always received on the Continent.He demonstrates that Sartre
and Heiddeger have a lot more in common,despite their differences.