Truth and Existence [Paperback]

Jean-Paul Sartre (Author), Ronald Aronson (Editor), Adrian van den Hoven (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1995

Truth and Existence, written in response to Martin Heidegger's Essence of Truth, is a product of the years when Sartre was reaching full stature as a philosopher, novelist, playwright, essayist, and political activist. This concise and engaging text not only presents Sartre's ontology of truth but also addresses the key moral questions of freedom, action, and bad faith.

Truth and Existence is introduced by an extended biographical, historical, and analytical essay by Ronald Aronson.

"Truth and Existence is another important element in the recently published links between Sartre's existentialist ontology and his later ethical, political, and literary concerns. . . . The excellent introduction by Aronson will help readers not experienced in reading Sartre."—Choice

"Accompanied by an excellent introduction, this dense, lucidly translated treatise reveals Sartre as a characteristically 20th-century figure."—Publishers Weekly

Jean-Paul Sartre (1906-1980) was offered, but declined, the Nobel Prize for literature in 1964. His many works of fiction, drama, and philosophy include the monumental study of Flaubert, The Family Idiot, and The Freud Scenario, both published in translation by the University of Chicago Press.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ignorance, if Sartre is correct, is an intentional act, a means of avoiding the truth through sheer indifference or an act of will. Freedom is achieved through hard work and choice--both anathema to the willfully ignorant--declares the French existentialist in this short, coherent philosophical tract, written in 1948 and published only now. To prove that ignorance is bad faith, Sartre uses the example of a tubercular woman who denies her illness, pretending to be controlled by destiny yet at the same time preoccupied with the suppressed truth. Other forms of bad faith explored here are passive contemplation, innocence and abstract knowledge divorced from living reality. Accompanied by an excellent introduction, this dense, lucidly translated treatise reveals Sartre as a characteristically 20th-century figure. Van den Hoven is a professor of French at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Aronson a humanities professor at Wayne State in Michigan.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Although written in 1948 on the heels of Being and Nothingness , this work remained unpublished until, posthumously, Sartre's adopted daughter saw it into print in France in 1989. Her arrangement of Sartre's manuscript pages has been translated here, including the notes Sartre added to his draft. Editor Aronson's introduction is an important element of the work for contemporary readers because it places Sartre's explication of truth within his developing philosophy. In spite of this work's brevity, Sartre's delineation of truth as the antithesis of willful ignorance is dense and demanding. A necessary and welcome addition to all humanities collections, it will interest scholars of the 20th century as well as philosophers.
- Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley P.L., Cal.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 143 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (June 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226735230
• ISBN-13: 978-0226735238
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #471,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Novelist, playwright, and biographer Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-80) is widely considered one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century. His major works include "No Exit," "Nausea," "The Wall," "The Age of Reason," "Critique of Dialectical Reason," "Being and Nothingness," and "Roads to Freedom," an allegory of man's search for commitment, and not, as the man at the off-licence says, an everyday story of French country folk.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Addition to Being and Nothingness, October 12, 2006

By 

S. Marchese (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Truth and Existence (Paperback)

Further developing themes laid out in earlier works, specifically truth and ignorance as it relates to Being. The prose is dense at times, and you can tell in many places that this book was published unfinished-once in a while the ideas meander or are not clearly defined. Nevertheless, I found it to be a highly interesting read containing ideas that are both philosophically intriguing and personally relevant. A companion piece to Baing and Nothingness.

I don't speak French so I cannot personally evaluate the translation job, but the English here flows well enough. Highly recommended.