The Existentialist Legacy and Other Essays on Philosophy and Religion

by James Woelfel

Overview

The Existentialistist Legacy and Other Essays on Philosophy and Religion is a collection of ten essays on topics in the two primary areas of the author's research and teaching: existentialist philosophy and the philosophy of religion. The common thread running through the essays is a way of approaching issues in philosophy and religion that reflects the author's career-long indebtedness to the methods and emphases of the existentialist movement in philosophy. Among the essay topics are studies of the existentialist legacy in the context of the contemporary situation in the sciences and humanities; Iris Murdoch's sympathetic but narrowly "Sartrian" interpretation of existentialism; the congeniality of existentialism and feminism; the problem with "high" existentialist doctrines of freedom; three philosophical autobiographies; a new look at Pascal's Wager as a description of the situation of the modern believer; theistic evolutionism including a Christian existentialism; and Walter Kaufmann as an existentialist manqué in his "heretical" approach to religion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761834090
Publisher:	University Press of America
Publication date:	04/05/2006
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	182
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.54(d)

About the Author

James Woelfel is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Humanities and Western Civilization Program at the University of Kansas. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of St. Andrews, an M.A. from Yale University, and M.Div. from the Episcopal Divinity School. In addition to this work, Dr. Woelfel has authored five other books on philosophy and religion and numerous scholarly articles.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 The Existentialist Legacy Chapter 3 Existentialism Today Chapter 4 Existentialist (Mis)Interpretation: Iris Murdoch Chapter 5 Existentialism and Feminism: Simone de Beauvoir and Mary Daly Chapter 6 Existentialism and the Problem of Freedom: Viktor Frankl Chapter 7 Three Philosophical Autobiographies: Rousseau, Mill, Camus Chapter 8 Pascal's Wager, Past and Present Chapter 9 Evolution, Theism, and Naturalism Chapter 10 The Faith of a Heretic: Walter Kaufmann Chapter 11 Two Types of Religious and Secular World-Orientation

Editorial Reviews

Woelfel provides a wonderful set of essays written in a clear and forceful style critiquing the existentialist legacy and the study of philosophy and religion. Some of the strongest work comes forth in a fair but withering critique of I. Murdoch...By illuminating some misinterpretations of existentialism that Murdoch perpetuated...the essays are very well written and come from many years of teaching, reading, and writing on the subject at the University of Kansas.

Eric B. Berg

Woelfel provides a wonderful set of essays written in a clear and forceful style critiquing the existentialist legacy and the study of philosophy and religion. Some of the strongest work comes forth in a fair but withering critique of I. Murdoch...By illuminating some misinterpretations of existentialism that Murdoch perpetuated...the essays are very well written and come from many years of teaching, reading, and writing on the subject at the University of Kansas.--Eric B. Berg, MacMurray College "Religious Studies Review "

From the Publisher

Woelfel provides a wonderful set of essays written in a clear and forceful style critiquing the existentialist legacy and the study of philosophy and religion. Some of the strongest work comes forth in a fair but withering critique of I. Murdoch...By illuminating some misinterpretations of existentialism that Murdoch perpetuated...the essays are very well written and come from many years of teaching, reading, and writing on the subject at the University of Kansas.
— Eric B. Berg, MacMurray College

Religious Studies Review