Sartre: A Guide for the Perplexed - (Guides for the Perplexed) by Gary Cox (Paperback)

About the Book

Provides an introduction to the work of Sartre, the twentieth-century thinker and writer. This book identifies four themes that run through his oeuvre, consciousness, freedom, bad faith and authenticity, and explores them, building up an overview of Sartre's philosophy in its entirety. It covers the core concepts that recur throughout his work.

Book Synopsis

Jean-Paul Sartre in one of the most widely read and important of twentieth-century philosophers, an iconic figure, whose ideas and writings continue to resonate. A confident understanding of Sartre is essential for students of Continental philosophy.

Sartre: A Guide for the Perplexed is an illuminating and comprehensive introduction to the work of this major twentieth-century thinker. It identifies the four key themes that run through Sartre's writings - consciousness, freedom, bad faith and authenticity. It explores each theme in detail, building up a clear and thorough overview of Sartre's philosophy in its entirety. Anyone required to read Sartre will find this thematic account of his work an invaluable companion to study.

Review Quotes

"By discussing the limits of [Sartre's] arguments and assessing the criticisms levelled against him, the author maintains a balanced view and does not go along with the tendency of the 1980s and 1990s to dismiss his work as incoherent and insignificant. Equally helpful are the examples from everyday life illustrating particularly difficult ideas, like the use of the pixelated image of an actor on screen to explain intentionality (p.17)."--Sanford Lakoff "Journal Of European Studies "

"Cox's book is much more than an introduction to Sartre ... Sartre: A Guide for the Perplexed is well worth reading and thinking about. It would be useful in existentialism classes, history of philosophy classes, philosophy of mind, and in Great Books programs which focus on the chronological development of ideas in the Western world."--Sanford Lakoff

'Exceptionally clear and incisive ... This book will be hugely helpful to readers of Sartre and will, I believe, prove to be of lasting value.' Nicholas Dent, Professor (Emeritus) of Philosophy, University of Birmingham

About the Author

Gary Cox has a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Birmingham, UK, where he is also an Honorary Research Fellow.