No comments about Wittgenstein in Vienna: A Biographical Excursion Through the City and its History.

No comments about Descartes: A Beginner's Guide.

No comments about Hume.

No comments about The Correspondence of Thomas Reid (Edinburgh Edition of Thomas Reid).

No comments about Moses Mendelssohn and the Religious Enlightenment.

No comments about Nietzsche.

3 comments about Simone De Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre: The Remaking of a Twentieth-Century Legend.

1. No book on Beauvoir or Sartre has led to so much discussion, provoked such consternation or so changed the way we see these cultural icons as has Kate and Edward Fullbrook's "Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre: The Remaking of a Twentieth-Century Legend". The basis of this recently republished book (which I had the pleasure of rereading last week) is disarmingly simple. The Fullbrooks checked out Beauvoir's and Sartre's newly-available letters and diaries and found that the traditional story that says the Beauvoir constructed her first novel "She Cme to Stay" on the basis of philosophical ideas she took from Sartre's essay "Being and Nothingness" is the exact opposite of the truth. Sartre only began, the Fullbrooks carefully document, to compile notes hor his philosophical treatise after studying the second draft of Beauvoir's novel. The Fullbrooks also, and again drawing on the letters, make the case that it was Beauvoir's sexual promiscuity, rather than Sartre's that initially dictated the famous open terms of their 50-year relationship. All this radical post-patriarchal revisionism, which the Fullbrooks refused to play down, was too much for many critcs when this book appeared in 1994. Some reviewers were apoplectic, others deeply sceptical, and the "New Yorl Times" twice ran long reviews warning their readers against this "feminist claptrap". But in fact the Fullbrooks, in claiming philosophical originality for Beauvoir, were themselves not so original as perhaps they and certainly their critics imagined. Margaret Simons, Linda Singer and Sonia Kruks had previously argued the case for Beauvoir as an innovative philosopher and the source of some of Sartre's later ideas. The Fullbrooks' discoveries gave new significance to this prior scholarship and inspired Simons to go off in search of Beauvoir's student diaries. (See Simons 1999) Simons's subsequent discoveries and the slow but continuing cultural shift away from presuming that women are never the source of original ideas has taken away some of the shock value of the Fullbrooks' first book. Indeed, seven years on and their impressive scholarship has never been seriously challanged. By now scores of Sartre scholars much have checked out the letters and diaries and found, to their dismay, that the Fullbrooks did not make any of it up. But although "Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre: The Remaking of a Twentieth-Century Legend" through its success no longer enjoys the controversy it once did, it remains, with its compelling narrative and writerly qualities, one of the best books evr written about either Beauvoir or Sartre. Even the "New York Times" had to admit that it was good read. For capturing the spirit of these twentieth-century giants and their extraordinary relationship, this book is yet to be beaten.



2. "Political correctness" has made it difficult to challenge even that part of the thesis of the Fullbrooks' book, Simone De Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre: The Remaking of a Twentieth-Century Legend, which relates strictly to the history of philosophy. Nevertheless, challenged it must be, and has been, contrary to the claims of Sharon Wright in her online review. What she calls their "impressive scholarship" has come under serious and precise attack from a number of quarters. What follows is simply the lead-in to an article that I myself published as early as 1995 ("Sartre and Beauvoir: Refining rather than 'Remaking' the Legend", Simone de Beauvoir Studies, vol. 12, 1995, pp. 91-99); the rest of that article goes on to justify my claims in detail.

   "The crux of their argument is the assertion that Sartre's reading of the draft of L'Invitée during his leave in Paris between 4 and 16 February 1940 was what provided him with all or most of the crucial ideas that were to form the substance of L'Etre et le Néant. [...] Now, there are least four MAJOR flaws in this line of argument: (i) we do not know with certainty exactly what was in the parts of L'Invitée that Sartre read in February 1940; (ii) the argument ignores completely Beauvoir's acquaintance with drafts of Sartre's L'Age de raison, and also seriously underplays the philosophical content of those of Sartre's Carnets de la drôle de guerre that Beauvoir had read before February 1940; (iii) we DO know that Sartre had been working since the mid-1930s on the ideas that were to be central to L'Etre et le Néant; (iv) the momentous philosophical system that the Fullbrooks ascribe to Beauvoir is simply not to be found in even the final version of L'Invitée."

   Since, as Sharon Wright points out, the Fullbrooks were far from the first to argue for the philosophical originality of Beauvoir, those of their claims that are demonstrably false have done nothing to promote this case. Rather, they have tended to obscure, and direct attention away from, many of the complex and fascinating questions concerning the relationship between the thought of Beauvoir and that of Sartre. What is more, some of the sensationalist, journalistic features of the style of the book have served to inflame sensitive issues that require particularly cool, rational treatment.




3. The surprise of this book is the extensive myth-making engaged in by Simone de Beauvoir in regard to the founding of French existentialist theory. It would seem that as school examiners noted, she was the better philosopher of the two, and it was she who devised existentialism in her novel SHE CAME TO STAY.

   The cat was out of the bag, so to speak, when the war journals of Sartre were published just after his death. Simone de Beauvoir did some fast jockeying of dates which was not totally convincing to her biographer, these authors write. It would seem that she had gotten so used to the falsities presented to the world she could not bear to have the truth revealed, even when the truth was complimentary to her.

   It is necessary to understand how revolutionary she was when she began writing in the 1930's and took the position that for the sake of freedom she must refuse the offer of marriage given to her by Sartre. It turns out that he was a very good at articulating the philosophy the couple devised. False stories did more than cover up de Beauvoir's evident orginality, they also covered up her sexual adventures which could have been misconstrued by the public in general.

   The book is a delight. The writers give full praise to previous biographers. It is comforting to learn some truths since the myth-making did strike this reader as far-fetched. Nonetheless, one is left with a nagging sense that surely if philosophers fail to tell the truth, should not this mean that their works be taken less seriously.

1 comments about Robert Burns: The Tinder Heart.

1. To say the least, THE TINDER HEART is the best biography of Robert Burns ever written. I have each page tagged with "Post-It's" in order NOT to turn down the corner of a single page. I have written; however, in every available space. This book covers the essence of whom and what Robert Burns was. Hugh Douglas took the years of Burns life, broke them down into the different periods of life as to where he lived, and explained each in great detail. Timelines, to me, are of great importance. Within this portrait of Burns, the "Clarinda/Jean Armour" time period is significant. "Ae Fond Farewell" has an entire new meaning to me. One needs to read THE TINDER HEART in order to understand my comment. This is only one instance where Mr. Douglas taught me more than I would have learned from anyone else!
   
   Not only did he do this but he also quoted from other Burns biographies. The full spectrum is awesome! I looked at some of the other authors' books but none can compare to the great writing ability of Mr. Douglas. He kept me reading from page to page without want to put this book down!
   
   I'm sure the fact that Hugh Douglas also hails from Aryshire has a lot to do with the brilliance behind his writing this particular biography. One of my wishes in life is to meet this writer of impeccable ability and talent to make one understand the true personality of the "ploughman poet." I have gone from a beginner in knowledge of Robert Burns to an American of Scot heritage that is proud of the fact that because of THE TINDER HEART, she knows much more about the National Bard (N with a capital N, and B with a capital B) of Scotland. Many of Burns escapades aren't boasted nor toasted on Burns Night. Mr. Douglas brought to life a real man whose realism got him into trouble a lot of times but who still wrote magnificent poetry. Robert Burns was passionate not only about his women but also his children, family and friends.
   
   If I were to choose one biography out of the lot written about Robert Burns then THE TINDER HEART by Hugh Douglas is the one to purchase! You need NOT spend your money elsewhere!
   
   Cheers! Janet "the Other Scot"

No comments about Aristoteles: Eine Einfuhrulng in Sein Philosophisches Werk.

No comments about Geoproperty: Foreign Affairs, National Security and Property Rights.