Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) was a writer and philosopher who rose to prominence in post-WWII era France to become one of the most influential intellectuals of the 20th century. Sartres most important philosophical works are BEING & NOTHINGNESS and CRITIQUE OF DIALECTICAL REASON, however it is in his book WHAT IS LITERATURE where Sartre develops his theory of the engaged intellectual who defends concrete, everyday freedom by taking sides in political and social struggles. Sartre was awarded the NOBEL PRIZE for LITERATURE in 1964 but rejected it on the principle that the writer must refuse to allow himself to be transformed into an institution, even under the most honorable circumstances. This excerpt was selected by the BROTHERWISE DISPATCH (brotherwise) editorial committee and is from the BBC documentary film series HUMAN, ALL TOO HUMAN.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 04:01:37 +0000