What is a good introductory book to understand Sartre's philosophy?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around finding a suitable introductory book to understand Jean-Paul Sartre's philosophy, particularly his work "Being and Nothingness." Participants express their challenges in comprehending Sartre's ideas and explore related concepts such as existentialism and determinism.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses difficulty in understanding "Being and Nothingness," describing it as confusing and unhelpful despite attempts to seek clarity.
  • Another participant suggests that Sartre's work is fundamentally a position against determinism, linking it to existentialist beliefs.
  • A participant questions the meaning of determinism, noting its frequent association with Sartre's philosophy.
  • One contribution explains existentialism as a belief system where existence precedes essence, emphasizing human agency in defining oneself.
  • There is a mention of Calvinism's concept of predestination as a related idea to determinism.
  • A participant shares their intention to explore various philosophical texts to form their own understanding of existential themes.
  • Concerns are raised about Sartre's use of terminology in "Being and Nothingness," with one participant finding it overly complex and confusing.
  • A suggestion is made for an alternative introductory text, "Existentialism is a Humanism," which is described as more accessible and a good overview of Sartre's philosophy.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the best introductory material, with differing opinions on the accessibility of Sartre's texts and the clarity of his concepts. The discussion reflects a mix of agreement on the challenges of understanding Sartre and disagreement on the interpretation of determinism and existentialism.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the definitions and implications of determinism and existentialism, indicating a need for clearer explanations of these concepts as they relate to Sartre's philosophy.

thomasxc
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i bought Sartre's "being & nothingness" and have tried my best to comprehend it. to me it seems to be a mess,and i can make neither head nor tail of it. wikipedia didnt help much either. can someone steer me in the right direction or try to help me understand it? thanks in advance.



-Tom
 
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Sartre's 'Being and 'Nothingness' is essentially a position against determinism.
 
determinism is what, in so many words? that term seems to get thrown around a lot with sartre as well.
 
thomasxc said:
determinism is what, in so many words? that term seems to get thrown around a lot with sartre as well.

You are correct in your assertion that Jean-Paul Sartre is associated with existentialism. Existentialism is, to say the least, a "base" system of beliefs that supports other types of beliefs (see ethic of Authenticity). Sartre was, in fact, as staunch supporter of existentialism. He believed that humans exist before they define themselves. This essentially means that as humans we have the ability to take initiative and shape ourselves. The key phrase associated with existentialism is "existence before essence", which sums up what I have said. Sartre wrote being and nothingness in a time of great turmoil. It was more or less of a call to the people of France to pull themselves up and truly live.

Anyways, Sartre, because of his existentialist beliefs, was opposed to the idea of determinism. Determinism, as you may have guessed by now, is more or less of the idea that we have been pre-destined, our destinies already sealed by the time we come into existence. This ties in with the precept of pre-destination used by Calvinists if I recall correctly. There is a basic guideline, perhaps I rambled.

Another fascinating existentialist was Martin Heidegger, though I must admit he is not easy to read if you are new to such texts.
 
yes, calvinists believed in predestination.and yes, i am new to such texts.but i figured i'd start somewhere, and learn a bit of all the different ones so that i might be able to sort of formulate my own opinion on all this existing business. and thanks for the quick replies.
 
thomasxc said:
yes, calvinists believed in predestination.and yes, i am new to such texts.but i figured i'd start somewhere, and learn a bit of all the different ones so that i might be able to sort of formulate my own opinion on all this existing business. and thanks for the quick replies.

thanks for confirming my thoughts on calvinism in that case
 
youre welcome. i recently finished a european history course, and that was a considerable chapter.
 
it just seems that the biggest hassle with being and nothingness is how he uses the same word in five different ways. it feels like semantics.needless to say, i read it when i want to fall asleep-it works marvelously.
 

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