Jean-Paul Sartre

Sartre is arguably the best known philosopher of the twentieth century. His unfaltering pursuit of philosophical reflection, literary creativity, and, in the second half of his life, active political commitment gained him worldwide renown, if not an admiration. He is commonly considered the father of Existentialist philosophy, whose writings set the tone for intellectual life in the decade immediately following the Second World War. Among the many ironies that permeate his life, not the least …

…In his essays Sartre dealt with wide range of subjects, many times in provocative and controversial manner. 'The Republic of Silence' starts 'We were never more free than under the German occupation', explaining this later that then each gesture had the weight of a commitment. In 'The Humanism of Existentialism' he condensed the major theme of existentialist philosophy simply 'first of all, man exist, turns up, appears on the scene, and, only afterwards, defines himself'