Irrational Man: A Study In Existential Philosophy
Irrational Man subtitled "A Study In Existential Philosophy" is an influential book by William Barrett published in 1958 which served to introduce existentialism to the English speaking world. His writing style is conversational, and he takes time to define terms and give the reader background on philosophical terms and concepts, so this book is aimed at a general reader curious about the topic.
The need for a native English speaker to write a text on existentialist philosophy was paramount for its understanding, since most of the primary philosophers in this movement were not native English speakers. While Kierkegaard's works had been translated several decades earlier, the full impact of existential philosophy had not yet been felt in the English speaking world when this book was produced. Jean Paul Sartre's Being and Nothingness had been available in English for only a couple of years, Kaufmann's translation of Friedrich Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra had been out only a few more, and Heidegger's Being and Time had not yet been translated into English.
Read more about Irrational Man: A Study In Existential Philosophy: Organization of The Book
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