This anthology provides a history of the systemization and canonization
of existentialism, a quintessentially antisystemic mode of thought.
Situating existentialism within the history of ideas, it features new
readings on the most influential works in the existential canon,
exploring their formative contexts and the cultural dialogues of which
they were a part.
Emphasizing the multidisciplinary and global nature of existential
arguments, the chosen texts relate to philosophy, religion, literature,
theater, and culture and reflect European, Russian, Latin American,
African, and American strains of thought. Readings are grouped into
three thematic categories: national contexts, existentialism and
religion, and transcultural migrations that explore the reception of
existentialism. The volume explains how literary giants such as
Dostoevsky and Tolstoy were incorporated into the existentialist fold
and how inclusion into the canon recast the work of Kierkegaard and
Nietzsche, and it describes the roles played by Jaspers and Heidegger in
Germany and the Paris School of existentialism in France. Essays address
not only frequently assigned works but also underappreciated
discoveries, underscoring their vital relevance to contemporary critical
debate. Designed to speak to a new generation's concerns, the collection
deploys a diverse range of voices to interrogate the fundamental
questions of the human condition.
