Abstract
On October 29th of 1946, Jean-Paul Sartre gave a lecture entitled “L’existentialisme est un humanisme.” He gave the lecture at a time when Europe was in ruins, millions had died, the military governed, and governments struggled to legitimate themselves, there was wide-spread starvation, massive dislocation, economic collapse, and corruption alongside care. It was a moment in which all of the resources for addressing such disasters were tainted, polluted, and problematic. Even language seemed to have undermined itself and some words which had been enlisted to catastrophic ends no longer seemed to serve as ideals – as George Steiner said, no one could innocently speak of Recht, Gerechtigkeit, or even Wahrheit after they had been used in Nazi courtrooms.1 So, Sartre gave his lecture at a moment when the need for an orientation that could help navigate the moral complexities of the moment was driven home in so many ways. To be sure, practical solutions were urgently needed – food, shelter, and so much more was needed (as Bloch said, human beings do not live by bread alone, except when there is none2) – but the need to understand to make sense of the world become incomprehensible was just as sharply felt. If philosophy has a task in the world, then this was a moment in which that task was clear and present as a need.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | International Yearbook for Hermeneutics. Volume 19, Focus: Plurality |
Place of Publication | Germany |
Publisher | Mohr Siebeck |
Pages | 55-65 |
Number of pages | 11 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9783161599323 |
ISBN (Print) | 9783161599316 |
Publication status | Published - 2020 |