Absurd Philosophy

Widely recognized as the finest definition of existentialist philosophy ever written, this book introduced existentialism to America in 1958. Irrational Man begins by discussing the roots of existentialism in the art and thinking of Augustine, Aquinas, Pascal, Baudelaire, Blake, Dostoevski, Tolstoy, Hemingway, Picasso, Joyce, and Beckett. The heart of the book explains the views of the foremost existentialists - Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Sartre. The result is a marvelously lucid definition of existentialism and a brilliant interpretation of its impact.

Existentialism is the literary cri de coeur resulting from the realization that without God, everything good, true, and beautiful in human life is destined to be destroyed in a pitiless material cosmos. Theodore Dalrymple and Kenneth Francis examine the main existentialist works, from Ecclesiastes to the Theatre of the Absurd, each man coming from a different perspective. Francis is a believer, Dalrymple is not, but both empathize with the struggle to find meaning in a seemingly meaningless universe. This book is part literary criticism, part philosophical exploration....

Does GOD exist? This question has been a subject of contemplation and debate for every known society throughout the history of our world; and, many would maintain, the most significant inquiry above any other topic. Regardless of which way a person responds, either answer can be alarming in its own right when one delves into the details or repercussions involved with either reality. During our lifetimes, this analysis will undoubtedly take place at one time or another for each individual. Although debates continue relating to theology and religious teachings, the focused debate on the ...