This one is without a doubt one of the most important philosophical texts of the twentieth century. Sartre was a French philosopher, playwright, novelist, activist, and one of the key figures of Existentialism. Being and Nothingness is his principal philosophical work and is often called the "Bible of Existentialism." A dense and complex work, its impact on culture and literature was immediate and felt worldwide, from the absurd drama of Samuel Beckett to the soul-searching cries of the Beat poets. Originally published in France in 1943, this is the first American edition from 1956:
The man himself:
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