Existentialism (Paperback)

~ Robert Solomon (Author)
Key Phrases: Jean-Paul Sartre, The Viking Press, Walter Kaufmann (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

With Selections from Kierkegaard, Turgener, Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, Hesse, Heidegger, Marcel, Jaspers, Kafka, Gide, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, de Beauvoir, Rieocer, Berdygev, Buber, Tillich, Pinter, Beckett, Mailer, Laing, Bellon Bach, Weiss, and Muller.

About the Author

Robert C. Solomon is Quincy Lee Centennial Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and has taught at Princeton University, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of California. He is the author of FROM RATIONALISM TO EXISTENTIALISM (Harper & Row, 1972), THE PASSIONS (Doubleday, 1976), IN THE SPIRIT OF HEGEL (Oxford, 1983), ABOUT LOVE (Simon & Schuster, 1988), ETHICS AND EXCELLENCE (Oxford, 1992), NEW WORLD OF BUSINESS (Rowman & Littlefield, 1994), and A PASSION FOR WISDOM (Oxford, 1997), as well as a number of textbooks in general philosophy. He has won numerous awards for his teaching and has taught in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 363 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 1 edition (February 1, 1974)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0075537117
• ISBN-13: 978-0075537113
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #614,374 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dreadfully good selection, December 8, 2004

By	Gary Sprandel (Frankfort, Kentucky) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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Solomon selects 26 authors, that give a flavor of the attitude of existentialism (up through 1974). The selections from the novelists such as Dostoevsky, Hesse, Camus, Becket and Saul Bellow capture the tone best for me. Although the more philosophical writings of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Sartre are all fairly readable, the selections from Heidegger and Jaspers were rough going. Each author is introduced with a brief background that presents the author in context.

Solomon does not define existentialism nor offer a single dogma to the herd. This is a good thing! Solomon allows the authors to speak for themselves, and nothing more should be expected of this most individualistic of philosophies. Contrasted to Nietzsche's "God is Dead", Existentialism is not necessarily atheistic, as the inclusion of Kierkegaard, Marcel, Dostoevsky, Buber, and Tillich illustrate. Existentialism is nothing if it doesn't emphasize individual existence, so make the choice to stop reading this review, and read the book and write your own review!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Overview, April 25, 2005

By	ARH "Obsessive Reader/Movie Geek" (USA) - See all my reviews

I must admit I bought this for a class, but I really enjoyed it a great deal. Typically I dislike books that are simply excerpts from philosophical texts and sell them as soon as the class I need the book for is over, but Solomon provides a nice, concise overview of the most prominant of the existential thinkers as well as some exisential plays and novels. It truly is a great overview of existentialism and would be a great intro for anyone interested in the subject.

5.0 out of 5 stars A great intro to anyone who is interested in the study of existentialism., December 22, 2008

By	T Z Me - See all my reviews

This review is from: Existentialism (Paperback)

Robert C. Solomon takes the best writtings from the greatest philisophers of existentialism and combines them into an awesome 400 page pack. Combined with minor notes and histories, this is a book that should be treasured by any philosopher. If you want one book on the subject, believe me, this is the best you can do.