Existentialism and its critics: Sartre responds to structuralism

For next week we'll read Sartre's 1966 response to structuralism, together with an excerpt from Being and Nothingness on language. Please take the time to read and engage with the texts, as this is required to participate in the discussion. Find the PDFs in the Google Drive linked at the bottom of the description 👇

In contrast to the structuralism of Barthes and Foucault, Sartre remains committed to human agency and subjectivity. Already in 1943 he regards language--including its formal structures, vocabulary and socio-historical roots--as a given in-itself that must be taken up and animated by the transcendence of a for-itself. By 1966 the vocabulary has changed: the for-itself is now praxis, and the in-itself is labeled the practico-inert; plus the locus of Sartre's thought is now unequivocally Marxist. But the basic structure of his thinking seems to be preserved: human agents confront, reveal and transform their environment, while being shaped by it in turn. Here we can ask, how much continuity is there really between Sartre's existentialism of the 40s and its Marxist variant of the 60s? Turning to his post-modern critics, what lies at the foundation of the so-called "death of the subject"? Is this an ethical decision? A brute fact of human existence? A fundamental event that marks late capitalist culture? Some, all or none of the above?

The full reading list for our engagement with structuralism:
Aug 26: Foucault, "Foucault responds to Sartre", "The Disappearance of Man", "Is Man Dead?", "The Birth of a World"
Sept 2: Barthes, "The Death of the Author", Foucault, "What is an Author?"
Sept 9: Sartre, "Replies to Structuralism", "Sartre on language"
Sept 16: TBA

Join the Facebook group for more Existentialism resources and on-going discussion throughout the week:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/755460079505498

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In this group we read key existentialist texts from the 20th century, as well as their critics. If you're just joining us, it is worthwhile reading Sartre's "Existentialism is a Humanism" as background. See below for other recommended resources. We spend 2-3 weeks on each thinker and stick to accessible texts. The goal is to get an overview of existentialism in the 20th century. Please note that everyone is expected to do the reading in advance. We aim for 20-30 pages per week.

Previous readings included Sartre, "Existentialism is a Humanism", de Beauvoir's The Ethics of Ambiguity, essays by Gabriel Marcel and Martin Heidegger, and Sartre's engagement with the Marxism of his time. Possible future authors include Camus, Ayer, Arendt, Jaspers, Merleau-Ponty.

Please support the publishers and buy the original texts. All readings are also available in a Google folder linked at the bottom.

Guiding questions

• What is existentialism and why did it arise when it did?
• What are the different types of existential thinking and what sets them apart?
• What is the place of freedom in the modern (and today post-modern) world?
• Can we be defined as rational animals, or is there an aspect to being human more fundamental than reason?
• What is the ultimate source of meaning and value in human life?
• Is it possible to create one's values, as some existentialists say? Or do human beings have a need for external authority?
• What, if any, is the place of mystery in human life? What about the divine?
• Is existentialism still relevant today, and if so, how?

Resources on existentialism

Self-Encounter: A Study in Existentialism with Hazel Barnes: http://y2u.be/-ta1xMTj99E

Arthur Holmes' famous philosophy lectures (#67-72 on existentialism): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9GwT4_YRZdBf9nIUHs0zjrnUVl-KBNSM

Encyclopedia articles

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existentialism

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/existentialism/

Group rules & process

• Everyone is welcome to attend, but speaking priority will be given to people who have done the reading in advance.
• I suggest spending 1-2 hours per week reading and preparing for the discussion.
• Virtual meeting courtesy applies: let's not interrupt each other and keep mics muted when not speaking.
• Keep comments concise and on topic. Several focused comments work better than one long speech.
• We'll focus the discussion with key passages and discussion questions.
• Bring your questions, comments, favorite passages, criticisms, etc to the meeting.

All readings can be found in this Google folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VPRdvZYmUKBY3cSxD8xC8sTYtSEKBXDs

Art: One and three hammers, Joseph Kosuth, 1965