Irrational Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy [Paperback]

William Barrett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1962

Widely recognized as the finest definition of existentialist Philosophy, this book introduced existentialism to America in 1958. Barrett discusses the views of 19th and 20th century existentialists Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Sartre and interprets the impact of their thinking on literature, art, and philosophy.

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From the Publisher

Widely recognized as the finest definition of existentialist Philosophy, this book introduced existentialism to America in 1958. Barrett discusses the views of 19th and 20th century existentialists Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Sartre and interprets the impact of their thinking on literature, art, and philosophy.

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Widely recognized as the finest definition of existentialist Philosophy, this book introduced existentialism to America in 1958. Barrett discusses the views of 19th and 20th century existentialists Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Sartre and interprets the impact of their thinking on literature, art, and philosophy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 314 pages
• Publisher: Anchor Books/Doubleday (July 1, 1962)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385031386
• ISBN-13: 978-0385031387
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,905 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

118 of 121 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Living with despair, February 20, 2002

By 

Pumpkin King - See all my reviews

This review is from: Irrational Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy (Paperback)

IRRATIONAL MAN is a great read for anyone interested in existentialism. William Barrett does not bore, and he covers existentialism from its roots in Hebraism and Hellenism to its development by its most famous spokesman, Jean-Paul Sartre. For Barrett, existentialism is a personal and relevant matter, and he passionately reminds the reader that it is a philosophy for the modern age, an age of atomic weaponry. Though he has only four chapters on particular existentialists (Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre), he also addresses various other figures such as St. Augustine, Descartes, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy. The scope of this work is vast.

The aforementioned "existentialists" have disparate views, but all share the understanding that reason has its limits, that man is alone in the world, and that to live, one must face one's own finitude. Each thinker comes to their ideas from a unique point of view and Barrett connects their ideas with their personal historical context. What we have is a study that is coherent and enlightening, passionate and somehow urgent.

But perhaps it is a little too passionate, too grandiose. He has romantic notions of greatness, in art and in thought. Sometimes he seems too sure of his interpretations as well, but it is up to me to go to the original sources he writes about and try his findings against mine.

In the end, the very fact that I desire to read directly the works of the four existentialists he writes about shows to me that Barrett has done a fine job, and he has simultaneously clarified and deepened my understanding of existentialism beyond the famous line "existence precedes essence." As an introduction or a supplement, IRRATIONAL MAN is an essential, and entertaining, work.

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Those Interested in Existentialism, April 18, 2000

By 

Stephen G. Melvin - See all my reviews

This review is from: Irrational Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy (Paperback)

The book largely responsible for bringing the existential thought patterns to America, Barrett's book is a wonderful read. Unlike so many critical books and works of philosophy which are dry and dull, Barrett is a colorful writer with great imagery and a flowing language. He sums up beautifully the historical and social factors that lead to the existential revolution as well as captures the feeling of alienation that modern man feels almost as well as Camus did in Sisyphus.

Minds like Kierkegaard, Hiedegger, and Sartre are brilliant, but often their writing is convoluted and complex. Barrett simplifies their concepts while giving a thorough and clear exposition of them. After reading this book, a person will have a good basic knowledge of the philosophical underpinnings of existential philosophy and should be able to converse with others who are knowledgeable on the subject. I heartily recommend it to those who feel as if they are a stranger to the rest of humanity and to themselves.

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Existentialism may not work, but . . ., June 21, 2000

By 

S. Guha (Redmond, Washington United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Irrational Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy (Paperback)

Near the beginning of his book, Barrett quotes a bit of verse by Yeats:

"Now that my ladder's gone,/ I must lie down where all ladders start,/ In the foul rag-and-bone shop of the heart."

This is the problematic of existentialism, which Barrett (correctly) identifies as the "homelessness" of man in a world bereft of religion, hitherto his only sure ladder to the transcendent. Existentialism might succinctly be defined as the attempt to continue living philosophically in the deafening, intolerable silence that follows the collapse of that ladder. This basic theme is traced from the thought of our forebears, as far back as Ecclesiastes and Augustine, but also more recently in Pascal and Swift, through Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, to Sartre, Camus, and Gabriel Marcel, among others. In the end Barrett seems to offer two conclusions. The first is that the choice between theism and atheism matters less than the recognition of man's desperation in the face of the Silence. The second is that unchecked rationality, enshrined in modern scientism (not to be confused with science) is the enemy of reason. There is, as he notes, a distinction between being rational and being reasonable; some of the most insane and ludicrous schemes--like Mutual Assured Destruction--have been arrived at with impeccable rationality, because no wisdom had interfered with the intelligence of those involved. Although existentialism cannot in the end offer a way out of the Silence, this book is invaluable for its humanizing theme and its recognition of facts that our culture is all too eager to sweep under the rug. It is worth the while of any thoughtful person to read it.