The Work of Sartre: Search for Freedom and the Challenge of History

Description

This landmark book, first published in 1979, met acclaim as a doubly imporatnt work of radical philosophy. Its subject, Jean-Paul Sartre, was among the twentieth century’s most controversial and influential philosophers; its author, Istvan Meszaros, was himself establishing a reputation for profound contributions to the Marxist tradition, which would continue into the next century.The Work of Sartrewas thus considered essential for its insights on Sartre and as a piece of Meszaros’s developing politico-philosophical project.

In this compltely updated and expanded volume, Meszaros examines the manifold aspects of Sartre’s legacy – as novelist, playwright, philosopher, and political actor – and in so doing casts light on the entire oeuvre, situating it within the historical and social contexts of Sartre’s time. Although critical of aspects of Sartre’s philosophy, Meszaros celebrates his unyielding commitment to the struggle against the power of capital, and elucidates what this means for the individual in the search for freedom.

Istvan Meszarosis a world-renowned philosopher and critic. He left his native Hungary after the Soviet invasion of 1956. He is professor emeritus at the University of Sussex, where he held the chair of philsophy for fifteen years. Among his many book areSocial Structure and Forms of Consciousness Volumes I & II,and Beyond Capital: Toward a Theory of Transition.