'It is possible for man to snatch the world from the darkness of absurdity' How should we think and act in the world? These writings on the human condition by one of the twentieth century's great philosophers explore the absurdity of our notions of good and evil, and show instead how we make our own destiny simply by being. One of twenty new books in the bestselling Penguin Great Ideas series. This new selection showcases a diverse list of thinkers who have helped shape our world today, from anarchists to stoics, feminists to prophets, satirists to Zen Buddhists.
Existentialism: An Introduction provides an accessible and scholarly introduction to the core ideas of the existentialist tradition. Kevin Aho draws on a wide range of existentialist thinkers in chapters centering on the key themes of freedom, being-in-the-world, alienation, nihilism, anxiety and authenticity. He also addresses important but often overlooked issues in the canon of existentialism, with discussions devoted to the role of embodiment, the movement’s contribution to ethics, politics, and environmental and comparative philosophies, as well as its influence on contemporary psychiatry and psychotherapy. The enduring relevance of existentialism is shown by applying existentialist ideas to contemporary philosophical discussions of interest to a wide audience. The book covers secular thinkers such as Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, and Beauvoir as well as religious authors, such as Buber, Dostoevsky, Marcel, and Kierkegaard. In this engaging and accessible text Aho shows why existentialism cannot be easily dismissed as a moribund or outdated movement. In the aftermath of 'God’s death', existentialist philosophy engages questions with lasting philosophical significance, questions such as 'Who am I?' and 'How should I live?' By showing how existentialism offers insight into what it means to be human, the author illuminates existentialism’s enduring value. Existentialism: An Introduction provides the ideal introduction for upper level students and anyone interested in knowing more about one of the most vibrant and important areas of philosophy today.
Sartre, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, de Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty, and Camus were some of the most important existentialist thinkers. This book provides an account of the existentialist movement, and of the themes of individuality, free will, and personal responsibility which make it a 'philosophy as a way of life'.
What is existential anthropology, and how would you define it? What has been gained by using existential perspectives in your fieldwork and writing? Editors Michael Jackson and Albert Piette each invited anthropologists on both sides of the Atlantic to address these questions and explore how various approaches to the human condition might be brought together on the levels of method and of theory. Both editors also bring their own perspective: while Jackson has drawn on phenomenology, deploying the concepts of intersubjectivity, lifeworld, experience, existential mobility, and event, Piette has drawn on Heidegger’s Dasein-analysis, and developed a phenomenographical method for the observation and description of human beings in their singularity and ever-changing situations.
This fully revised and updated 2nd edition provides a comprehensive reference guide to existentialism, featuring key chapters on key existentialist thinkers, as well as chapters applying existentialism to subject areas ranging across politics, literature, feminism, religion, the emotions, cognitive science, and poststructuralism. Contemporary developments in the field of existentialism that speak to issues of identity and exclusion are explored in 4 new chapters on race, gender, disability, and technology, whilst the 5th new chapter new chapter outlines analytic philosophy's complicated relationship to existentialism. Presenting the field of existentialism beyond the European tradition, this edition also includes a new key thinker chapter on Frantz Fanon, alongside Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre and de Beauvoir, as well as new engagement with the work of scholars on race and existentialism, including Lewis R. Gordon, George Yancy, and Richard Wright. The resources section at the end of the book includes an updated A to Z glossary, and timeline of key events, texts and thinkers in existentialism, as well as a list of relevant organisations, and an annotated guide to further reading, making this 2nd edition an invaluable text for scholars and students alike.
Throughout Church history, a lack of clear thought has been the chief cause of heresy: wherever indifference to doctrine and theology has arisen, neglect and rejection have soon followed. Christianity today faces a crisis in thinking: there is both an indifference toward, and neglect of, serious thought about Christian doctrine and theology. Instead, personal experience has been given primacy. Thinking Christianity attempts to reverse this popular attitude and forestall the rejection of the Christian gospel that will otherwise inevitably follow. Author Daniel Klassen covers two aspects of thinking in the Christian faith: the necessity for thinking, and the need for proper thinking. Addressing the first aspect, he answers questions such as “Why should Christians think?”, “Is faith reasonable and rational?”, “How do we know God?”, and “How do we know the truth?”. Addressing the second aspect, he explores foundational beliefs for the Christian faith, covering questions such as, “What is salvation?”, “What is sanctification?”, How do we gain assurance?”, and “What does it mean to worship God?”. Throughout the book, he attempts to answer these questions with clarity and truthfulness by expounding Scripture, using historical examples from the Reformation, and exploring philosophical ideas. This clearly reasoned, timely book will help Christians live in assurance and confidence in God—and preserve the gospel for future generations.
Empirical research provides the basis for a comprehensive depiction of evangelical Christian men who self-identify as sexual addicts. Losing the Bond with God: Sexual Addiction and Evangelical Men offers a humane and constructive understanding of this issue, treating it from an objective perspective rather than the Christian perspective that is common to writings on the subject. Based on her own qualitative study of self-identified evangelical sex addicts, the author shows how these men must overcome the compartmentalization of their lives and improve the integration of religion, marriage, and sexuality if they are to break their destructive patterns. The book addresses many of the most dominant issues specific to sexuality within the evangelical movement, such as sexual purity, gender roles, attitudes regarding homosexuality, and marriage. It begins with a framework for understanding the evangelical movement and its stance on sexual issues. and ends with a cumulative summary about evangelical men who self-identify as sexual addicts. Direct quotes and personal experiences from interviews are woven throughout the study, and appendices provide a detailed description of the author's research.
