Rethinking Existentialism

In Rethinking Existentialism, Jonathan Webber articulates an original interpretation of existentialism as the ethical theory that human freedom is the foundation of all other values. Offering an accessible conception of classic literary and philosophical works published by Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Frantz Fanon up until 1952, Webber's novel analysis is developed in critical contrast with central works by Albert Camus, Sigmund Freud, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty.

Presenting his arguments in an accessible and engaging style, Webber contends that Beauvoir and Sartre initially disagreed over the structure of human freedom in 1943 but Sartre ultimately came to accept Beauvoir's view over the next decade. He develops the viewpoint that Beauvoir provides a more significant argument for authenticity than either Satre or Fanon. Key concerns such as individual character or the social identities of gender and race are detailed thematically and contrasted with existentialism. Having reviewed numerous theoretical and literary works, Webber concludes by coherently sketching out the broader implications of his interpretation of existentialism for philosophy, psychology, and psychotherapy.

Jonathan Webber is Professor of Philosophy at Cardiff University. He has published papers on moral philosophy and philosophy of psychology in leading academic journals including Analysis, European Journal of Philosophy, Journal of Moral Philosophy, Mind, and Philosophical Quarterly. He is the author of the monograph The Existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre, editor of the collection of essays Reading Sartre: on Phenomenology and Existentialism, co-editor of From Personality to Virtue: Essays in the Philosophy of Character, and translator of Sartre's book The Imaginary.