Existentialism

[Geoff Shipley]

Hello everyone,
Lately i've found myself fascinated by existentialism. Ive been reading a lot of Hermann Hesse, and to quote Dennis Hopper in FFC's Apocalypse Now(which is based on my favorite Joseph Conrad work) "He's expanded my mind man!"

I was wondering if any one could refer, or recomend any existential works, or anything on absurdism, which has also sparked my interest and seems to follow in a similar vain to existentialism. I'm somewhat familar with works of Hesse and Camus, but feel free to elaborate on them.

Any input would be greatly apreciated, whether it's a novel, essay, or even a website (I hold the quality of your recomendations in higher regaurd than those of Google.) I apologize for my atrocious grammar, and ussage, I remain a diligens novice (my latin most deffinately needs some work also. Im new on the forums, and I hope im not wrong in assuming posting is not a formal affair.

With all due sincerity,
Geoff

[Jean-Baptiste]

Not a formal affair at all, Geoff! Welcome to the forums! :wave:

Well, I'd like for you to read Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling, and you can move on with his works from there, as he is considered The Father of Existentialism. It's one of my favorites. Also, you should read Dostoevsky's The Bothers Karamazov, because it's great, and because it's considered one of the most important Existentialist novels. Actually, here's a link to something I found absolutely valuable: an entire lecture series on Existentialism (http://webcast.berkeley.edu/course_details.php?seriesid=1906978306), by a professor at Berkeley. You can download each session and listen. If nothing else, the list provides valuable titles on the topic.

I hope this helps a bit. Existentialism is a very interesting way. Hope to see you around! :)

[Geoff Shipley]

This is exactly the kind of help and reception I had hoped for. Thank you very much.

[Redzeppelin]

Irrational Man by William Barrett (spelling?) is the bes run-down of existentialism and its influence on literature that I've ever read. Highly recommended.

[Virgil]

Irrational Man by William Barrett (spelling?) is the bes run-down of existentialism and its influence on literature that I've ever read. Highly recommended.

I agree. I don't care for existentialism, but this was a good primer.

[Inderjit Sanghe]

There is a lot of great existential literature out there-Dostoevskii's works "Notes from the Underground", "The Brothers Karamazov" and "Crime and Punishment" are all important works of literary existentialism, and are all forerunners of the existentialist movement which only really gained popularity in the 20th century, following on from the main existenalists of the 19th century, Kierkegaard (philosophy) and Dostoevskii (literature).

I would reccommend reading Camus's "The Stranger" alongside Moravia's "The Conformist"-both books complement each other well. A lot of Kafka's works, including "The Trial" and a lot of his short stories all have existentialist themes-Sartre's "Nausea", the works of Miguel de Unamuno, "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison are all important works of existentialism.

The aforementioned texts are, of course, only a brief summation of the most important existentialist novels-after all, existentialism was one of the most influential and important intellectual movements of the previous century.

[ennison]

Try Wilson's brilliant book 'The Outsider'

[water lily]

I second Inderjit's suggestion. "The Stranger" - Camus. Read it!

[quasimodo1]

You must read Sarte, Ionesco, Dostoyevsky, Kafka, and Samuel Becket (Murphy) the novel. Also from Becket...the trilogy; Molloy, Malone, the Unnamable. Sorry, my spelling sucks. RJS

[hyperborean]

Camus' philosophy isn't pure existentialism but instead "absurdism". I recommend "The Stranger", but you're better off with Sartre's works.

[Tuesday]

I strongly recommend "The Sheltering Sky" by Paul Bowles. I think it's worth reading just for the few lines describing the death of Port Moresby. I have yet to read a more intense description of how it must feel to die.

[Argyroneta]

Since reading 'The Outsider' by Albert Camus, a book that got me hooked on existentialism; I have enjoyed reading existentialist novels by Dostoyevsky - particularly Crime & Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov & The Idiot. In each the main characters are defined by the way they exist in relation to others and the environment. Kafka's 'The Trial' is a wonderful example of existential ideas, although very dark and haunting, i strongly recommend it.

I am currently reading Nausea by Jean Paul Sartre...only half way through but clearly with this book he lives up to his reputation as one of the more important existential writers. I am interested to read more of both Camus and Sartre as they fell out over certain Marxist ideas running underneath thier literature.

[hyperborean]

I am currently reading Nausea by Jean Paul Sartre...only half way through but clearly with this book he lives up to his reputation as one of the more important existential writers. I am interested to read more of both Camus and Sartre as they fell out over certain Marxist ideas running underneath thier literature.

Now, that's a good existential read.:thumbs_up

[quasimodo1]

Dear Argyroneta, Your reading might bring you from existentialism to a more rare genre called nihilism. Interesting stuff but I don't want to live there. You might remember when Samuel Becket won the Nobel for Lit. He wrote a novel called "Murphy". Now that IS interesting. RJS

[*Classic*Charm*]

A friend of mine reccomends Jean Paul Satre if you're interested in existentialism.


and to quote Dennis Hopper in FFC's Apocalypse Now(which is based on my favorite Joseph Conrad work) "He's expanded my mind man!"

Sorry about the two posts, but I had to mention this- Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now is brilliant. In fact, I think the character is even more effective in that role than the Russian in Conrad's work. I think it's a toss up as to which is more disturbing- Apocalypse Now or Heart of Darkness itself.

I apologize for the tangent...

[cuppajoe_9]

Existentialism is a Humanism (http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/sartre/works/exist/sartre.htm), a lecture by Jean-Paul Sartre is a good, brief little read. Harold Pinter's drama comes highly recomended in the absurdist vein, particularly The Dumb Waiter, if you can get your hands on it.

[Quark]

Also, you should read Dostoevsky's The Bothers Karamazov, because it's great, and because it's considered one of the most important Existentialist novels.

Why is the The Brothers Karamazov considered an existentialist novel? I have heard this repeated many times, and seen sections of the novel inserted into existentialist anthologies. Yet, for all their praise, I don't think Dostoevsky would want to be included in their group, and his novels certainly don't suggest it. The hero of The Brothers Karamazov is a devout Christian who acts from from his beliefs outward. Characters like Ivan or Raskilnokov do espouse existentialist ideas. Ivan, for example, does claim that morality is based on the erroneous idea of an afterlife. The novels that these characters are in, however, do not support their existentialist ideas. Both Ivan and Raskilnokov are brought to the brink of madness, and only redeemed when they reject their philosophies. I think that they are interesting characters and deserve to be quoted in anthologies, but the novels they are in are ultimately not very sympathetic to them. It would be a mistake to consider The Brothers Karamazov an existentialist novel.

But, I did like the suggestion of Fear and Trembling. That is actually a great work of existentialist thought.

[cuppajoe_9]

Dostoevski is usually considered to be a precursor to existentialism, rather than an existentialist himself. Perhaps Jean-Baptiste menat that BK is one of the most important books for existentialists.


The hero of The Brothers Karamazov is a devout Christian who acts from from his beliefs outward.So was Søren Kierkegaard, the godfather of existentialism.

[NickAdams]

Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot is a great absurdist play.

Existentialism is a Humanism: The essay has been criticized by some for giving only a superficial overview of the themes of existentialism, and Sartre himself has called its undeveloped morality an "error".

[mcvv09]

An excellent existential read is Joyce's Portrait of the artist as a young man. The shifts that mark different philosophical patterns in the life of Stephen Dedalus are fascinating. Also look at camus' the stranger and Brothers Karamazov

[Pelican King]

Why is the The Brothers Karamazov considered an existentialist novel? I have heard this repeated many times, and seen sections of the novel inserted into existentialist anthologies. Yet, for all their praise, I don't think Dostoevsky would want to be included in their group, and his novels certainly don't suggest it. The hero of The Brothers Karamazov is a devout Christian who acts from from his beliefs outward. Characters like Ivan or Raskilnokov do espouse existentialist ideas. Ivan, for example, does claim that morality is based on the erroneous idea of an afterlife. The novels that these characters are in, however, do not support their existentialist ideas. Both Ivan and Raskilnokov are brought to the brink of madness, and only redeemed when they reject their philosophies. I think that they are interesting characters and deserve to be quoted in anthologies, but the novels they are in are ultimately not very sympathetic to them. It would be a mistake to consider The Brothers Karamazov an existentialist novel.

But, I did like the suggestion of Fear and Trembling. That is actually a great work of existentialist thought.

Unfortunately for myself i haven't read The Brothers Karamazov yet, but i have read Colin Wilson's The Outsider which convincingly argues that The Brothers Karamazov, and Ivan specifically, are existentialist. Ivan is similar to Kierkegaard's 'knight of faith', which stresses individual action and is not "a devout Christian who acts from from his beliefs outward".
Ivan says "I accept God and I accept his wisdom, his purpose, which are unknowable to us; I believe in the underlying order and meaning of life; I believe in the eternal harmony... I believe in the Word to which the Universe is striving... I seem to be on the right path, don't I? Yet - in the final result, I don't accept God's world", also "It's not God I don't accept, Alyosha - only that i most respectfully return Him the entrance ticket". These opinions are fundamentally existentialist on par with Fear and Trembling, and represent Christian existentialism.
Dostoyevsky and Camus may not of appreciated the title 'existentialist', which the likes of Sartre proudly professed, but they have nonetheless had existentialist ideas.