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 A long haul, but brilliant May 1, 2005
49 out of 54 found this review helpful
Probably the best description of what this book is about comes from the subtitle, 'An essay on phenomenological ontology'- its a thorough analysis of the nature of existence from the point of view of human consciousness. Sartre begins with our most basic knowledge and works his way up to the complexities of human relationships, leaving nothing out. The first Part (of four) of the book centres around the two fundamental components of consciousness. Being is what we are aware of as existing; and Nothingness signifies any kind of negation, such as what we identify as missing, or even the giving of boundaries to an object. Consciousness is shown to be the agency responsible for introducing nothingness into the world: it is we who decide where the boundaries lie or who notice a component missing from the whole. Hence Sartre distinguishes two species of being: in-itself, i.e. a fixed, definable object in the normal understanding of the word; and for-itself, something with free will and which, therefore, is constantly moving beyond what it is was towards something new. Part II deals in-depth with the for-itself, Parts III & IV move on to relationships between for-itselves. One of the other reviews condemns Sartre for lack of argument. In fact, there is nothing to argue for, this book is a description, Sartre regards knowledge derived from closer scrutiny of the subject matter as superior to that elicited by chain of reason. Actually, the misunderstanding here is fundamental, and boils down to the conflict between the analytic and continental schools of philosophy.
This book is anti-religious, anti-scientific and anti-analytic. These three facts are the reason for a lot of general abuse that is hurled at the book, Sartre, and continental philosophy as a whole. However, with an open mind you will find that Sartre makes a very strong case for himself. The prose is difficult to follow, there is no disputing that, however, it is premature to dismiss the work as impenetrable, or even 'confused and obtuse'. I am an A-level student with no formal background in philosophy and I found no insurmountable problems. Continental philosophy is almost always like this, and the reason for it lies in the nature of the content. Sartre is attempting to describe something that precedes logic, and if you are willing to accept that such a notion is possible you will realise that it makes redundant the use of clear-cut definitions and logical language structure. Instead, Sartre must resort to using almost poetic descriptive methods (paradox and oxymoron abound), and the result of this is that the reader must take a more active approach to the understanding of the text. You have to 'think around' the words and sentences to find a meaning that is coherent. Sometimes this requires adapting your interpretation of earlier material. Having read to the end, I can assure you that there is a least one way of understanding what Sartre is trying to put across, although it is a time-intensive endeavour. I would recommend reading a short introductory book, some of Sartre's fictional works or Existentialism And Humanism, to get an idea of what you're in for; you're liable otherwise to regard yourself as having wasted a considerable amount of life-time and 13 quid on top of that. Also, Sartre kicks off with an immense amount of jargon, if you are without a basic grounding in philosophy, something like Penguin's Dictionary of Philosophy will prove useful.It's not an easy read, and I can't agree with everything said, but for the most part it is incredibly perspicacious. It is written with an intensity that simultaneously demands and enthrals. Sartre's philosophy answers a lot of questions very well, and if you are both interested and determined enough to want a full account of his thought, this book is wholeheartedly recommended.
Satisfyingly Weighty November 3, 2004
David J. Smith (UK)
12 out of 17 found this review helpful
Alongside Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Perception, de Beauvoir's Second Sex and Heidegger's Being and Time this book seems to have that requisite broadness of the beam to be considered foundational existentialist fodder. Which is curious, really, given the anti-foundationalist nature of existentialism. But on to content - this is definitely not the place, like the other tomes mentioned above, to start from for an understanding of existential phenomenology. For that I heartily recommend "Existentialism: A reconstruction" by David Cooper.
This, the "seminal" work of Sartre, is a thorough examination of the differences and relationships between thing-like beings and mind-like beings, to some degree aimed at overcoming the cartesian division of the subject from the world, and couched in Sartre's own attempt at phenomenological prose, which is at best paradoxical and at worst utterly confusing and easily misunderstandable. Statements like "man is what he is not and is not what he is" need pages of clarification to draw out the sense in which nothingness, or nihiliation is an integral process in the human project of self-identification. Much of what Sartre says is (badly) rehashed Heidegger, who I found much easier to understand, but Sartre does depart from Heidegger on several very important points, and also peppers his work with some quite specific real-world examples of what he means, a practise not favoured by the Master. It is also iluminating to read a work that many bandwagonesque 20th century "existentialists" in the parisian cafe culture probably never waded through, and now, at a time when Sartre is unpopular, is probably a better time to read this work, unhindered by hype and "movements". Some of the key elements of Sartre's thought presented here he later repudiated or at least doubted, especially during his romance with communism, such as the radical nature of human freedom to create itself, however, it is possible on returning to this work after reading elsewhere to come to the conclusion that Sartre himself misunderstood this work in his later years, and that he never really did underplay the significance of intersubjectivity after all.
I found the most illuminating passages in this weighty tome are those regarding "the look", "bad faith", "authenticity" etc. It is also facinating to see how all those quotations from Sartre that have been (mis)appropriated by others actually sit within this text in quite different contexts to how they have been used, and this goes for those colourful examples regarding "vertigo", pierre's "absence in the cafe", the "waiter playing at being a waiter" and so on.
This book is a very challenging read in terms of its style and its density, but extremely rewarding and surprising, especially coming to it after having read only second or third hand accounts of Sartre.
I rate this book despite its sheer awkwardness, with one single provisio: Sartre's attempt at examing sexual encounter is most amusing, if not profoundly silly!
Essential read on modern existentialism November 1, 1998
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
Sartre, more than any other existentialist writer, has in Being and Nothingness developed a comprehensive philisophical system. The book is concisely written -- every sentence is important. I found that it was useful to become completely familiar with the introduction by translator Hazel Barnes before diving into the text. The book is fascinating, and for anyone interested in existentialism, provide a wealth of insights into the nature of choice, the other and man's relation to the universe.
The most underated classic of all time! August 15, 1999
7 out of 25 found this review helpful
The review before mine says that there is a God shaped hole in existential thought. I disagree. Being an existentialist deals with man's acceptance of powers greater than his own. God is not the focus, and yes Sartre has a problem with the God idea, but God can exist if he exist's with the individual. There need not be a hole. Man is minute, but in his own life he is usually more important than anything. This does pose a problem for the western ideal of God, but it does not destroy the existence. The book will show you a God like hole only if one exists already, within you.
Profoundly Important -Ahead of Its Time November 5, 1998
2 out of 10 found this review helpful
Difficult and abstract, this book tackles some of the most perplexing mysteries of human existence. It is here that Sartre affirms his concept of "bad faith" and authenticity -one of the most insightful theories in the history of philosophy. Aggressive in his presentation and uncompromising in his conclusions, Jean-Paul is to be admired for his desire to go where few philosphers would dare to venture. How a man like Sartre could later become a socialist has always made me wonder -and yet Marcel predicted it.
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