Jean-Paul Sartre's Anarchist Philosophy

✍ Scribed by William L. Remley

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Year: 2018
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 289
• Series: Bloomsbury Studies in Continental Philosophy
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The influence of anarchists such as Proudhon and Bakunin is apparent in Jean-Paul Sartres' political writings, from his early works of the 1920s to Critique of Dialectical Reason, his largest political piece. Yet, scholarly debate overwhelmingly concludes that his political philosophy is a Marxist one. In this landmark study, William L. Remley sheds new light on the crucial role of anarchism in Sartre's writing, arguing that it fundamentally underpins the body of his political work.

Sartre's political philosophy has been infrequently studied and neglected in recent years. Introducing newly translated material from his early oeuvre, as well as providing a fresh perspective on his colossal Critique of Dialectical Reason, this book is a timely re-invigoration of this topic.

It is only in understanding Sartre's anarchism that one can appreciate the full meaning not only of the Critique, but of Sartre's entire political philosophy. This book sets forth an entirely new approach to Sartre's political philosophy by arguing that it espouses a far more radical anarchist position than has been previously attributed to it. In doing so, Jean-Paul Sartre's Anarchist Philosophy not only fills an important gap in Sartre scholarship but also initiates a much needed revision of twentieth century thought from an anarchist perspective.

✦ Table of Contents

Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part 1 What is Anarchism?
Chapter 1 Anarchism: Towards an Understanding
Anarchism: An Overview
Varieties of Anarchism
Philosophical Anarchism
Individualist Anarchism
Social Anarchism
Clark’s Four-Prong Approach
Chapter 2 Anarchist Notions of Human Nature
William Godwin
Max Stirner
The Foundation for Sartre’s Notion of Human Nature
Part 2 The ‘Golden Age’: Nineteenth-Century Anarchism of Proudhon and Bakunin
Introduction
The Restoration
The ‘July Monarchy’
The Second Republic
The Second Empire and Napoleon III
Chapter 3 Pierre-Joseph Proudhon: His Life and Political Philosophy
Proudhon’s Early Life
Proudhon’s Political Philosophy: Anarchy
Human Nature
Proudhon’s Historical Viewpoint
Chapter 4 Proudhon’s Thoughts on Authority and his ‘Solution to the Social Problem’
Proudhon and Authority
Proudhon’s Proposed Solution
Chapter 5 Mikhail Bakunin and Revolutionary Anarchism
The Development of Bakunin’s Political Philosophy
Bakunin’s Early Philosophical Positions
Bakunin’s Historical Materialism
The State
Part 3 Jean-Paul Sartre and Twentieth-Century Anarchism: 1914–1960
Introduction
French Political and Social Life: 1945–1960
Chapter 6 The Early Development of Sartre’s Political Anarchism
The Beginning of an Anarchist Political Philosophy
The Dialectics of Nature
Chapter 7 The Evolution of Sartre’s Anarchism after the Second World War
Sartre’s Relationship with the PCF
A More Refined Development of Sartre’s Political Philosophy
Part 4 Sartre’s Political Manifesto: The Critique of Dialectical Reason
Introduction
Overview of the Critique
Methodology
The Dialectic
Need
The Third
Scarcity (la rareté)
Interest
Chapter 8 From Collectives to Groups (and Back Again)
Collectives
Groups
Chapter 9 The Institution: Sartre’s Concept of Sovereignty
Back to the Practico-Inert
Conflict within the Pledged Group
The Purge (the second dialectical moment)
The Inertia of Institutionalization (first transformation)
The Rise of the Leader: Authority and Sovereignty (second transformation)
Chapter 10 Institutionalized Soveriegnty: Societies and States
Societies
States
From the Abstract to the Concrete: the Incarnation of Sovereign Praxis
Incarnation of Incarnations as Totalization-of-Envelopment
Sartre the Anarchist: A Conclusion
Introduction
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Part Two: Introduction
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Part Three: Introduction
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Part Four: Introduction
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Primary Texts
Secondary Material
Notes
Bibliography
Index