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Existentialism
by Robert C. Solomon • 1974
No fixed human nature, only your choices. Each one invents you and implicates everyone else.
4.07
384
Existentialism Summary
Existentialism 93%
No fixed human nature, only your choices. Each one invents you and implicates everyone else.
by Robert C. Solomon 1974
4.07
384 ratings
Existentialism
by Thomas R. Flynn • 2006
Your choices are all you are: a brief guide to the philosophy of radical freedom.
3.49
2k+
Existentialism Summary
Existentialism 92%
Your choices are all you are: a brief guide to the philosophy of radical freedom.
by Thomas R. Flynn 2006
3.49
2k+ ratings
The Age of Defeat
by Colin Wilson • 1959
Why the hero vanished: affluence, conformity, and philosophy all taught us we don't matter.
4.00
59
The Age of Defeat Summary
The Age of Defeat 92%
Why the hero vanished: affluence, conformity, and philosophy all taught us we don't matter.
by Colin Wilson 1959
4.00
59 ratings
A Life Worth Living
by Robert Zaretsky • 2013
The universe is silent, life has no given meaning. Camus: that is where freedom begins.
4.00
647
A Life Worth Living Summary
A Life Worth Living 92%
The universe is silent, life has no given meaning. Camus: that is where freedom begins.
by Robert Zaretsky 2013
4.00
647 ratings
The Existentialist's Guide to Death, the Universe and Nothingness
by Gary Cox • 2011
You are free in a way you never asked for. This is what that actually costs.
4.12
121
The Existentialist's Guide to Death, the Universe and Nothingness Summary
The Existentialist's Guide to Death, the Universe and Nothingness 92%
You are free in a way you never asked for. This is what that actually costs.
by Gary Cox 2011
4.12
121 ratings
The Ethics of Ambiguity
by Simone de Beauvoir • 1947
Freedom is never just your own: the only genuine ethics is to will it for everyone.
4.17
8k+
The Ethics of Ambiguity Summary
The Ethics of Ambiguity 92%
Freedom is never just your own: the only genuine ethics is to will it for everyone.
by Simone de Beauvoir 1947
4.17
8k+ ratings
At the Existentialist Café
by Sarah Bakewell • 2016
The existentialists built a philosophy from cafés, war, and each other's complicated lives.
4.24
20k+
At the Existentialist Café Summary
At the Existentialist Café 92%
The existentialists built a philosophy from cafés, war, and each other's complicated lives.
by Sarah Bakewell 2016
4.24
20k+ ratings
What Is Existentialism?
by Simone de Beauvoir • 1944
No fixed nature, no cosmic plan, no excuses: what existentialism actually says about being human.
3.91
2k+
What Is Existentialism? Summary
What Is Existentialism? 92%
No fixed nature, no cosmic plan, no excuses: what existentialism actually says about being human.
by Simone de Beauvoir 1944
3.91
2k+ ratings
Being and Nothingness
by Jean-Paul Sartre • 1943
Consciousness is a hole in being. What pours through is freedom, and it terrifies us.
3.99
35k+
Being and Nothingness Summary
Being and Nothingness 91%
Consciousness is a hole in being. What pours through is freedom, and it terrifies us.
by Jean-Paul Sartre 1943
3.99
35k+ ratings
Heidegger
by Michael Watts • 2014
Heidegger demystified: the freedom found in facing death, and the worldview technology imposes.
4.40
143
Heidegger Summary
Heidegger 91%
Heidegger demystified: the freedom found in facing death, and the worldview technology imposes.
by Michael Watts 2014
4.40
143 ratings
Very Little...Almost Nothing
by Simon Critchley • 2004
Nihilism is the norm after God. Creative resistance through literature is how meaning gets remade.
3.89
132
Very Little...Almost Nothing Summary
Very Little...Almost Nothing 91%
Nihilism is the norm after God. Creative resistance through literature is how meaning gets remade.
by Simon Critchley 2004
3.89
132 ratings
Philosophy of Existence
by Karl Jaspers • 1938
Objects aren't real. The real is a horizon you inhabit, never grasp, and awaken to.
3.79
323
Philosophy of Existence Summary
Philosophy of Existence 91%
Objects aren't real. The real is a horizon you inhabit, never grasp, and awaken to.
by Karl Jaspers 1938
3.79
323 ratings
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays
by Albert Camus • 1942
The only real philosophical question is suicide. The answer is not hope, but revolt.
4.21
66k+
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays Summary
The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays 91%
The only real philosophical question is suicide. The answer is not hope, but revolt.
by Albert Camus 1942
4.21
66k+ ratings
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five
by Curtis Smith • 2016
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
4.27
41
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five Summary
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five 91%
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
by Curtis Smith 2016
4.27
41 ratings
The Myth of Sisyphus
by Albert Camus • 1942
Indifferent universe, no cosmic meaning: why not end it? Camus answers with Sisyphus.
4.17
99k+
The Myth of Sisyphus Summary
The Myth of Sisyphus 91%
Indifferent universe, no cosmic meaning: why not end it? Camus answers with Sisyphus.
by Albert Camus 1942
4.17
99k+ ratings
Being and Time
by Martin Heidegger • 1927
Reality's biggest question has been forgotten: start with the anxious, mortal creature who asks it.
4.05
28k+
Being and Time Summary
Being and Time 90%
Reality's biggest question has been forgotten: start with the anxious, mortal creature who asks it.
by Martin Heidegger 1927
4.05
28k+ ratings
Lyrical and Critical Essays
by Albert Camus • 1970
Poverty and sunlight taught Camus a philosophy without resentment. These essays are its laboratory.
4.31
1k+
Lyrical and Critical Essays Summary
Lyrical and Critical Essays 90%
Poverty and sunlight taught Camus a philosophy without resentment. These essays are its laboratory.
by Albert Camus 1970
4.31
1k+ ratings
Introduction to Metaphysics
by Martin Heidegger • 1929
Before any science, one question: what does it mean to exist? Philosophy forgot, and reality shrank.
4.03
4k+
Introduction to Metaphysics Summary
Introduction to Metaphysics 90%
Before any science, one question: what does it mean to exist? Philosophy forgot, and reality shrank.
by Martin Heidegger 1929
4.03
4k+ ratings
The Rebel
by Albert Camus • 1951
Rebellion either creates solidarity or becomes murder: a journey from blasphemy to the guillotine.
4.13
19k+
The Rebel Summary
The Rebel 90%
Rebellion either creates solidarity or becomes murder: a journey from blasphemy to the guillotine.
by Albert Camus 1951
4.13
19k+ ratings
The Words
by Jean-Paul Sartre • 1963
Philosopher's childhood: every gesture staged for adults, every written word a bid for freedom.
3.73
10k+
The Words Summary
The Words 90%
Philosopher's childhood: every gesture staged for adults, every written word a bid for freedom.
by Jean-Paul Sartre 1963
3.73
10k+ ratings
Ethics and Infinity
by Emmanuel Levinas • 1985
You are responsible before you are a self. The other's face upends philosophy.
3.88
721
Ethics and Infinity Summary
Ethics and Infinity 90%
You are responsible before you are a self. The other's face upends philosophy.
by Emmanuel Levinas 1985
3.88
721 ratings
The Clown
by Heinrich Böll • 1963
A clown in postwar Bonn unravels after the woman he loves leaves him for a Catholic.
3.93
32k+
The Clown Summary
The Clown 90%
A clown in postwar Bonn unravels after the woman he loves leaves him for a Catholic.
by Heinrich Böll 1963
3.93
32k+ ratings
Writing and Difference
by Jacques Derrida • 1967
Structuralism loved the architecture of texts. One philosopher asked where the energy went.
4.00
8k+
Writing and Difference Summary
Writing and Difference 90%
Structuralism loved the architecture of texts. One philosopher asked where the energy went.
by Jacques Derrida 1967
4.00
8k+ ratings
The Bloomsbury Companion to Arendt
by Peter Gratton • 2020
Why totalitarianism aims to make humans unnecessary, and the public acts that can stop it.
The Bloomsbury Companion to Arendt Summary
The Bloomsbury Companion to Arendt 90%
Why totalitarianism aims to make humans unnecessary, and the public acts that can stop it.
by Peter Gratton 2020
The Man Without Content
by Giorgio Agamben • 1970
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
4.15
383
The Man Without Content Summary
The Man Without Content 90%
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
by Giorgio Agamben 1970
4.15
383 ratings
Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering
by Scott Samuelson • 2018
Our crusade to eliminate suffering is producing a deeper despair. Seven traditions show why.
4.00
134
Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering Summary
Seven Ways of Looking at Pointless Suffering 90%
Our crusade to eliminate suffering is producing a deeper despair. Seven traditions show why.
by Scott Samuelson 2018
4.00
134 ratings
Homo Faber
by Max Frisch • 1957
An engineer who trusts only statistics meets a young woman on a ship who will unravel everything.
3.68
32k+
Homo Faber Summary
Homo Faber 90%
An engineer who trusts only statistics meets a young woman on a ship who will unravel everything.
by Max Frisch 1957
3.68
32k+ ratings
Albert Camus
by Robert Zaretsky • 2010
Camus wrote against the death penalty. He stayed silent on Algeria. The life between those stands.
4.10
171
Albert Camus Summary
Albert Camus 90%
Camus wrote against the death penalty. He stayed silent on Algeria. The life between those stands.
by Robert Zaretsky 2010
4.10
171 ratings
Nine Stories
by J.D. Salinger • 1948
Nine stories: children see what adults miss, the wounded self-destruct, and grace arrives uninvited.
4.18
150k+
Nine Stories Summary
Nine Stories 90%
Nine stories: children see what adults miss, the wounded self-destruct, and grace arrives uninvited.
by J.D. Salinger 1948
4.18
150k+ ratings
The Logic of Sense
by Gilles Deleuze • 1969
Sense is not a thing but an event, a surface effect where language meets the world.
4.29
1k+
The Logic of Sense Summary
The Logic of Sense 90%
Sense is not a thing but an event, a surface effect where language meets the world.
by Gilles Deleuze 1969
4.29
1k+ ratings
Huis clos
by Jean-Paul Sartre • 1944
Three strangers arrive in hell expecting torture. Instead they get a drawing room and each other.
4.11
47k+
Huis clos Summary
Huis clos 90%
Three strangers arrive in hell expecting torture. Instead they get a drawing room and each other.
by Jean-Paul Sartre 1944
4.11
47k+ ratings
The Visionaries
by Wolfram Eilenberger • 2020
Four women, one war, and the year their philosophies of freedom were forged in darkness.
3.91
1k+
The Visionaries Summary
The Visionaries 90%
Four women, one war, and the year their philosophies of freedom were forged in darkness.
by Wolfram Eilenberger 2020
3.91
1k+ ratings
Why Does the World Exist?
by Jim Holt • 2011
Physics, philosophy, and theology each claim to know why anything exists. None of them agree.
3.81
7k+
Why Does the World Exist? Summary
Why Does the World Exist? 90%
Physics, philosophy, and theology each claim to know why anything exists. None of them agree.
by Jim Holt 2011
3.81
7k+ ratings
Totality and Infinity
by Emmanuel Levinas • 1961
Knowledge grasps at everything. The human face resists, demanding something older than philosophy.
4.21
2k+
Totality and Infinity Summary
Totality and Infinity 90%
Knowledge grasps at everything. The human face resists, demanding something older than philosophy.
by Emmanuel Levinas 1961
4.21
2k+ ratings
Carpe Diem
by Roman Alexander Krznaric • 2017
Living fully was hijacked by shopping, scheduling, and screens. Five forgotten paths to reclaim it.
3.76
385
Carpe Diem Summary
Carpe Diem 90%
Living fully was hijacked by shopping, scheduling, and screens. Five forgotten paths to reclaim it.
by Roman Alexander Krznaric 2017
3.76
385 ratings
Standpoints
by Svend Brinkmann • 2018
Modernity wants a use for everything. Ten old ideas that refuse to earn their keep.
3.77
787
Standpoints Summary
Standpoints 90%
Modernity wants a use for everything. Ten old ideas that refuse to earn their keep.
by Svend Brinkmann 2018
3.77
787 ratings
Albert Camus
by Olivier Todd • 1996
The Nobel laureate who preached justice but found none for his own homeland.
4.03
837
Albert Camus Summary
Albert Camus 90%
The Nobel laureate who preached justice but found none for his own homeland.
by Olivier Todd 1996
4.03
837 ratings
The Walnut Trees of Altenburg
by André Malraux • 1989
A prisoner in Chartres Cathedral traces his family through two wars to ask what remains human.
3.58
102
The Walnut Trees of Altenburg Summary
The Walnut Trees of Altenburg 90%
A prisoner in Chartres Cathedral traces his family through two wars to ask what remains human.
by André Malraux 1989
3.58
102 ratings
Sun and Steel
by Yukio Mishima • 1968
Words trapped him. The body gave him a second grammar: its final word was death.
3.83
9k+
Sun and Steel Summary
Sun and Steel 90%
Words trapped him. The body gave him a second grammar: its final word was death.
by Yukio Mishima 1968
3.83
9k+ ratings
Francis Fukuyama and the End of History
by Howard Williams • 1997
Hegel, Kant, Marx, and the claim that liberal democracy is the last political idea.
4.05
20
Francis Fukuyama and the End of History Summary
Francis Fukuyama and the End of History 90%
Hegel, Kant, Marx, and the claim that liberal democracy is the last political idea.
by Howard Williams 1997
4.05
20 ratings
Nausea
by Jean-Paul Sartre • 1938
A historian's diary becomes a record of his unraveling as ordinary objects turn hostile and unreal.
3.93
142k+
Nausea Summary
Nausea 90%
A historian's diary becomes a record of his unraveling as ordinary objects turn hostile and unreal.
by Jean-Paul Sartre 1938
3.93
142k+ ratings
Religion and the Rebel
by Colin Wilson • 1957
The rebel craving spiritual intensity is not broken: he is civilization's healthy warning symptom.
4.08
249
Religion and the Rebel Summary
Religion and the Rebel 90%
The rebel craving spiritual intensity is not broken: he is civilization's healthy warning symptom.
by Colin Wilson 1957
4.08
249 ratings
Wars and Capital (Semiotext
by Éric Alliez • 2016
Capitalism is a war system that uses markets, not an economic system that uses war.
3.93
29
Wars and Capital (Semiotext Summary
Wars and Capital (Semiotext 90%
Capitalism is a war system that uses markets, not an economic system that uses war.
by Éric Alliez 2016
3.93
29 ratings
The Matrix and Philosophy
by William Irwin • 2002
Plato imagined the cave, Descartes the demon. The Matrix put both on screen and philosophy noticed.
3.90
2k+
The Matrix and Philosophy Summary
The Matrix and Philosophy 90%
Plato imagined the cave, Descartes the demon. The Matrix put both on screen and philosophy noticed.
by William Irwin 2002
3.90
2k+ ratings
After Utopia
by Judith N. Shklar • 1970
When political faith collapsed, every tradition fell into its own fatalism. Theory never recovered.
4.15
40
After Utopia Summary
After Utopia 90%
When political faith collapsed, every tradition fell into its own fatalism. Theory never recovered.
by Judith N. Shklar 1970
4.15
40 ratings
Being And Event
by Alain Badiou • 1988
Set theory is the science of being itself, and the One is nowhere in it.
4.01
1k+
Being And Event Summary
Being And Event 90%
Set theory is the science of being itself, and the One is nowhere in it.
by Alain Badiou 1988
4.01
1k+ ratings
Cynicism
by Ansgar Allen • 2014
Cynicism once meant tearing everything down. Now it just means giving up.
3.71
146
Cynicism Summary
Cynicism 90%
Cynicism once meant tearing everything down. Now it just means giving up.
by Ansgar Allen 2014
3.71
146 ratings
War and the Iliad
by Simone Weil • 1940
The Iliad's hero is force: what turns a person into a corpse or a living thing.
4.09
983
War and the Iliad Summary
War and the Iliad 89%
The Iliad's hero is force: what turns a person into a corpse or a living thing.
by Simone Weil 1940
4.09
983 ratings
In Praise of Risk
by Anne Dufourmantelle • 2011
To avoid risk is to refuse life. A philosopher's argument for love, beauty, and freedom.
4.12
613
In Praise of Risk Summary
In Praise of Risk 89%
To avoid risk is to refuse life. A philosopher's argument for love, beauty, and freedom.
by Anne Dufourmantelle 2011
4.12
613 ratings
Quentin Tarantino and Philosophy
by Richard Greene • 2007
Tarantino's blowtorch-wielding criminals as moral philosophers: nihilism, karma, and revenge.
3.73
201
Quentin Tarantino and Philosophy Summary
Quentin Tarantino and Philosophy 89%
Tarantino's blowtorch-wielding criminals as moral philosophers: nihilism, karma, and revenge.
by Richard Greene 2007
3.73
201 ratings
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