Metaphysics and Absurdity - by H Gene Blocker (Paperback)

About the Book

Blocker argues that the literary problem of absurdity is basically a metaphysical problem of being, focusing on the metaphysical distinction of being as essence and being as existence. This book compares philosophical prose with the fiction writing of four major absurdist writ...

Book Synopsis

The central concern of absurdist writers is the metaphysical distancing of word and object, thought and reality, essence and existence. In this book, Blocker argues that the literary problem of absurdity is basically a metaphysical problem of being, focusing on the metaphysical distinction of being as essence and being as existence. Each of the four central chapters of the book compares philosophical prose with the fiction writing of four major absurdist writers--Camus, Sartre, Ionesco, and Beckett. The book contrasts what Ionesco described as the "heavy" and "light" aspects of absurdity. This opposition is parallel to the contrast between the negative, pessimistic reading of Western writers--with their emphasis on "existence"--and the positive, optimistic view of Eastern, especially Buddhist authors, with their emphasis on "essence."

Review Quotes

"Metaphysics and Absurdity is a powerful reminder that the great metaphysical traditions are not merely abstract exercises the point of which is to scratch some perverse and intellectually rarified itch; rather, the traditions are themselves driven by a deep-seated and widely shared human longing to uncover meaning and value in a world in which they often feel out of place. Blocker's ability to strike this note and make this connection is reinforced dramatically by his fluency in a remarkably wide range of philosophical traditions, including both Eastern and Western Philosophy, and, within the latter, the analytic and continental traditions." --James Petrik, Philosophy Department, Ohio University

"H. Gene Blocker presents a fascinating study. Starting with an account of 'meaning, ' Blocker blends clarity and analysis with the power of examples from philosophers and literature. . . . It is nearly impossible to read this book without learning a great deal and being intellectually entertained with lucidity on a rich tour of basic metaphysical issues. The book is an opportunity for philosophers and students of philosophy to enhance philosophical understanding through, for example, Ionesco and Beckett, and for literary scholars to get to their philosophical base. Bottom line, it is a skilled philosophical and literary essay that should be widely read by all students of philosophy and literature from professionals to university students." --Joseph P. DeMarco, Ph.D., Philosophy Department, Cleveland State University

About the Author

A graduate of University of Chicago and University of California, Berkeley, H. Gene Blocker has taught philosophy in Scotland, West Africa, China, Japan, and the US. Blocker has written widely in aesthetics, non-western philosophy, ethics, and social and political philosophy.