EXISTENTIALISM IS A HUMANISM

SARTRE, JEAN-PAUL.

Existentialisme est en humanisme.

(Paris), Les éditions Nagel, (1946). 8vo. Uncut and in the original printed wrappers, w. black and blue printing. A very nice and clean copy with almost no markings . 141, (3) pp.

First edition (43e mille, on back wrapper), the regular issue (not one of the 500 numbered copies) of the second of Sartre's two main philosophical works, which have both influenced 20th century philosophy greatly, and contributed immensely to the development of existentialism in general.

"Existentialism is a Humanism" became one of Sartre's most widely read and most criticized works, and it caused great controversies and uproar at the time of its appearance; -as opposed to his "L'Être et le Néant", all of Sartre's critics actually read this work, and so did huge parts of the population, causing the book to appear in huge numbers after the publication of the first edition.
The work is the literary re-working of an exposition given by Sartre at a conference in October 1945, where he caused a scandalous discussion, which among other things led to the fact that all references to the existentialist T.E. Lawrence were omitted from the work when it appeared in print. "Cette conférence marqua une date dans l'histoire anecdotique de l'existemtialisme..." (Contat & Rybalka p. 131).
"L'Existentialisme est un Humanisme" fut l'un des ouvrages les plus lus et les plus critiqués de Sartre et suscita de considérables malentendus. Comme l'a bien vu M.-A. Burnier dans "Les Existentialistes et la politique" (p. 31), "l'importance prise par ces pages semble due à la paresse d'un bon nombre de critiques qui hésitant à lire "L'Être et le Néant" et qui furent heureaux de pouvoir attaquer Sartre sans grande fatique et avec bonne conscience après avoir parcouru 141 pages." Il est bon de rappeler cependant que l'ouvrage constitue une assez mauvaise introduction à la philosophie de Sartre, surtout pour un public non averti..." (Contat & Rybalka p. 132). Sartre himself also disowned great parts of this work, which makes it all the more interesting, since it is the only one of his works of which he has done so.

The work was reprinted numerous times during the first years, and the first edition (on vellum-paper) is very difficult to come by. This copy states "Achevé d'imprimer en février 1946..." and "(1946 1er trimestre)" on colophon, as with the numbered issue.
Contat & Rybalka 46/88.

Order-nr.: 41375