A philosophy to fit “the character of this historical period”? Responses to Jean-Paul Sartre in some British and American philosophy departments, c. 1945 - 1970.

Germain, Rosie Olga (2019) A philosophy to fit “the character of this historical period”? Responses to Jean-Paul Sartre in some British and American philosophy departments, c. 1945 - 1970. Intellectual History Review. ISSN 1749-6977, ESSN: 1749-6985

Text Rosie Germain_FINAL Edits July 29 2019 (4) Sartre in US and UK IHR.docx - Accepted Version Download (127kB)

Abstract

Anglophone philosophers are often associated with rejecting philosophy’s moral guidance function after 1945. This article builds on existing work on Jean-Paul Sartre’s reception in universities to show that, actually, many British and American philosophers embraced moral guidance roles by engaging with his work and that they promoted creativity and choice in society as a result. Sartre first came to philosophers’ attention in the context of post-war Francophilia, but interest in him quickly went beyond the fact that he was French and expanded to include the wider existentialist movement that he was a part of. Sartre had enduring popularity among English speaking philosophers because his philosophy resonated with the older British and American philosophies idealism and pragmatism that, like his, were inspired by Hegel. Sartre’s respondents also valued existentialism because, to them, it made certain Judeo-Christian principles relevant, thus protecting religion at a time when they believed it was threatened with decline, and by the advance of specialisation. Anglophone philosophers who were interested in Sartre spread their responses to him through teaching an expanding student population, but also reached the wider public through activism, journalism, broadcasting, and government advisory roles. In doing so, philosophers integrated existential ideas into several aspects of culture in post-war Britain and America.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information and Comments:	This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Intellectual History Review on 5th September 2019, available online:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17496977.2019.1651128
Keywords:	existentialism, Britain, U.S.A, university, post-war, specialisation
Faculty / Department:	Faculty of Education and Social Sciences > School of Education
Depositing User:	Rosie Germain
Date Deposited:	02 May 2019 14:52
Last Modified:	12 Nov 2024 11:20
URI:	https://hira.hope.ac.uk/id/eprint/2828

Actions (login required)

View Item