How to Be an Existentialist - by Gary Cox (Paperback)

About the Book

"First published in Great Britain in 2009 by the Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd"--Title page

Book Synopsis

The 10th anniversary edition of a witty classic about the philosophy of existentialism. It is also a genuine self-help book offering clear advice on how to live according to the principles of existentialism formulated by Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, and the other great existentialist philosophers.

An attack on contemporary excuse culture, the book urges us to face the hard existential truths of the human condition. By revealing that we are all inescapably free and responsible - 'condemned to be free, ' as Sartre says - the book aims to empower the reader with a sharp sense that we are each the master of our own destiny. Cox makes fun of the reputation existentialism has for being gloomy and pessimistic, exposing it for what it really is - an honest, uplifting, and potentially life changing philosophy!

This striking 10th anniversary edition with a substantial new preface includes more pointers on how to be a true existentialist, including how to be an existentialist at a time when environmental issues are becoming ever more pressing and our 'post-truth' world increasingly subjects us to the politically polarising power of simplistic social media.

Review Quotes

An instructive, witty and entertaining guide to existentialism

Evangelises eloquently for a slightly revised version of Sartrean existentialism, nicely explaining much-worried about notions such as "authenticity" and "bad faith". Thus armed, one may face down absurdity and the inevitability of death in all those locations that irresistibly evoke them.

Think of it as a serious self-help book for the perplexed ... an absorbing book ... I found it a stimulating read, which forced me to re-think some of my current perceptions.

About the Author

Gary Cox has a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Birmingham, UK, where he is also an Honorary Research Fellow. He is author of How to Be a Philosopher (2010), The God Confusion (2014), Deep Thought (2015), a biography of Sartre, Existentialism and Excess (2016) and Cricket Ball: The Heart of the Game (2018)- all published by Bloomsbury.