Modern French Philosophy. From Existentialism to Postmodernism

This is a thorough and balanced guide to modern French philosophical thought, providing lucid, authoritative accounts of famous philosophers whilst also highlighting lesser-known figures. Author Robert Wicks introduces the major works of each philosopher, explaining their impact on their peers and on the wider world. Covering such major movements as Existentialism, Surrealism, Structuralism and Postmodernism, this handbook is a useful resource for Francophiles, students of philosophy and all those interested in the intellectual landscape of 20th- and 21st-century France.The book includes detailed coverage of such philosophers as Henri Bergson, Beauvoir, Sarte, Camus, Barthes, Derrida, Foucault, Deleuze and Levi-Strauss, among others.
Contents: Part 1 Surrealism, Existentialism and Vitalism: the Surrealistic setting - 1916-1938; Henri Bergson, philosopher (1859-1941); Jean-Paul Sartre, Existentialist (1905-1980); Albert Camus, Absurdist and novelist (1913-1960); E.M. Cioran, nihilist and ecstatic (1911-1995); Pierre Teilhard deChardin, priest and paleontologist (1881-1955). Part 2 Structuralism: Ferdinand de Saussure, linguist (1857-1913); Claude Levi-Strauss, anthropologist (1908-); Jacques Lacan, psychoanalyst (1901-1981); Roland Barthes, literary critic (1915-1980) - 1950´s-1960´s Structuralist view. Part 3 Poststructuralism and Postmodernism: Roland Barthes, literary critic (1915-1980) - 1968-1980 Poststructuralist views; Jacques Derrida, linguist and literary theorist (1930-); Michel Foucault, historian and social theorist (1926-1984); Jean-Fran ois Lyotard, activist and social theorist (1925-1998); Luce Irigaray, feminist and psycholinguist (1930-); Gilles Deleuze, philosopher and social psychologist (1925-1995); Jean Baudrillard, sociologist (1929-); conclusion - freedom, language and existence.