Sartre Explained - (Ideas Explained) by David Detmer (Paperback)

About the Book

Jean-Paul Sartre is perhaps the most famous of the existentialists, and by far the most famous philosopher of the post-war era. Sartre was a highly prolific writer and thinker, and delving into his novels, plays, stories, essays, and memoirs can be challenging. Most books on Sartre focus on only one sphere of his astounding intellect -- either his philosophical treatises or his forays into fiction. Enter "Sartre Explained," a comprehensive guide to Sartre's versatile work, as well as a valuable overview of his life and scholarly context. Detailing the philosophical notions central to all of Sartre's work, including his fictional pieces, this guide is an essential resource for anyone interested in Sartre's full range of talents.

Book Synopsis

Jean-Paul Sartre is perhaps the most famous of the existentialists, and by far the most famous philosopher of the post-war era. Sartre was a highly prolific writer and thinker, and delving into his novels, plays, stories, essays, and memoirs can be challenging. Most books on Sartre focus on only one sphere of his astounding intellect -- either his philosophical treatises or his forays into fiction. Enter Sartre Explained, a comprehensive guide to Sartre's versatile work, as well as a valuable overview of his life and scholarly context. Detailing the philosophical notions central to all of Sartre's work, including his fictional pieces, this guide is an essential resource for anyone interested in Sartre's full range of talents.

From the Back Cover

"David Detmer's Sartre Explained is undoubtedly the best introduction to Jean-Paul Sartre's ideas available today. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Sartre. It not only provides an invaluable resource for students confronting Sartre's difficult technical vocabulary, but Sartre scholars will also find it illuminating."

--Matthew Eshleman, University of North Carolina at Wilmington

"Detmer explores the implications of Sartre's work both for ourselves and for our world, and in so doing he makes Sartre come alive. Sartre's most complicated philosophical doctrines are rendered comprehensible without sacrificing rigor, and his most counterintuitive political positions are shown to be more compelling than they are often taken to be."

--David Sherman, author of Sartre and Adorno

"Detmer has managed to boil down Sartre without losing any of the flavor. This readable book, written in lucid and lively prose, straightforwardly addresses the hard, important issues in Sartre. The book is admirable in scope and tasteful in its selection of crucial issues and major texts."

--T Storm Heter, author of Sartre's Ethics of Engagement

"Detmer's Sartre Explained convincingly demonstrates how important Sartre is for us today, and places Sartre front and center as a giant of the twentieth century whose stature will be felt well beyond the twenty-first. Detmer's deft treatment of Sartre's most abstruse ideas, and his use of creative examples to tackle difficult problems and concepts, makes this a most welcome and inviting guide for those unfamiliar with Sartre's work. Scholars will appreciate the depth of analysis and rigor."

--Gail E. Linsenbard, author of An Investigation of Jean-Paul Sartre's Posthumously Published Notebooks for an Ethics

David Detmer is Professor of Philosophy at Purdue University Calumet in Hammond, Indiana. He is the author of two previous books, a critically acclaimed book on Sartre, Freedom as a Value, and Challenging Postmodernism. He is currently the Executive Editor of Sartre Studies International.

Review Quotes

"David Detmer's Sartre Explained is undoubtedly the best introduction to Jean-Paul Sartre's ideas available today. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Sartre."
--Matthew Eshleman, University of North Carolina at Wilmington

"Detmer explores the implications of Sartre's work both for ourselves and for our world, and in so doing he makes Sartre come alive. Sartre's most complicated philosophical doctrines are rendered comprehensible without sacrificing rigor, and his most counterintuitive political positions are shown to be more compelling than they are often taken to be."
--David Sherman, author of Sartre and Adorno

"Detmer has managed to boil down Sartre without losing any of the flavor. This readable book, written in lucid and lively prose, straightforwardly addresses the hard, important issues in Sartre."
--T Storm Heter, author of Sartre's Ethics of Engagement

"Detmer's Sartre Explained convincingly demonstrates how important Sartre is for us today, and places Sartre front and center as a giant of the twentieth century whose stature will be felt well beyond the twenty-first. Detmer's deft treatment of Sartre's most abstruse ideas, and his use of creative examples to tackle difficult problems and concepts, makes this a most welcome and inviting guide for those unfamiliar with Sartre's work. Scholars will appreciate the depth of analysis and rigor."
--Gail E. Linsenbard, author of An Investigation of Jean-Paul Sartre's Posthumously Published Notebooks for an Ethics

"Detmer (philosophy, Purdue U. Calumet) introduces the work of French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-80), explaining how his writings on existentialism, his fiction and plays, and his political activism were all part of his attempt to describe the salient features of human existence such as freedom, responsibility, emotions, human relations, work, and death."
--Annotation (c)2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR