“The Case of Ellen West” was published by the Swiss psychiatrist, Ludwig Binswanger, in 1944–1945 and (as far as I can tell) appeared in English translation in 1958. Anyone know where I can get a copy? Usual search suspects are turning up only the Carl Rogers article, "Ellen West and Loneliness", in the Review of Existential Psychology and Psychiatry (which I've requested via interlibrary loan) and some other scholarly pubs on Rogers (behind the usual pay walls).
posted by crush-onastick on Nov 20, 2009 - 4 answers

What is a classic, perhaps philosophical, novel about individual freedom to choose? So that no matter how desperate the situation you find yourself in, you always have choices about what to do, how to feel and how to think about your situation. [more inside]
posted by zaebiz on Mar 10, 2009 - 23 answers

Can someone explain why despite the fact that every one of these incidents occurs at a unique time and place, each involves a complex history of events and personal decisions leading to its very unlikely outcome, that the death toll on the roads year-on-year is so predictable? See here and here. [more inside]
posted by zaebiz on Dec 28, 2008 - 47 answers

I was thinking today about the idea of choice. The existentialists talked about choice all the time- How every human has the "burden of choice". In other words, we all have the "burden" of free will, the choice to do something or to not do something. I know my philosophy knowledge is rudimentary at best, but I guess my question is: when did this idea of choice emerge? Primitive man had no luxury of choice, everything was about survival- So at what point did humans develop the idea of having a choice?
posted by ISeemToBeAVerb on Jul 22, 2008 - 22 answers

I am looking for a quote that I heard or read recently, something along the lines of "It is pointless to struggle against overwhelming injustice; it is worse not to struggle against it" or "You ask how it is that I can expend effort fighting against an unchangeable, unjust system? I ask how it is that you can live with not doing so." I'm looking for the exact quote, and the book or essay or what-have-you in which it originally appeared that I can read for some context. [more inside]
posted by mistersix on Jan 25, 2008 - 9 answers

I need suggestions for a snappy comeback involving existentialism. [more inside]
posted by Totally Zanzibarin' Ya on Nov 27, 2007 - 38 answers

I am a woman, 49 years old. I am not depressed - my general emotional tone is usually positive and from day to day I move along with energy and interest - but I am having trouble feeling that there's anything to look forward to. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 17, 2007 - 35 answers

What books are similar in attitude and environment to Bonjour Tristesse (Françoise Sagan)? [more inside]
posted by cowbellemoo on Jun 8, 2007 - 3 answers

I'm about a year off from Grad school, and I'm beginning to look around for good places to go. I'm a bit of a dinosaur, however, and am very interested in existential religion and am interested in studying a kind of... ontological foundationalism whereas the focus will be how man establishes and functions through his sense of being/meaning in the world. [more inside]
posted by Gideon on May 12, 2007 - 14 answers

Is there an Islamic equivalent to the existential precursors in Judeo-Christianity.? For example, I am mainly thinking of an Islamic equivalent to Ecclesiastes, which is seen as a precursor to Existentialism. Also, are there any writers from Islamic cultures that have existentialist leanings (i.e. versions of Emile Cioran or Paul Tillich) ?.
posted by Gnostic Novelist on Mar 10, 2007 - 6 answers

Does loneliness have any value? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Mar 28, 2006 - 27 answers

What non-standard texts would you recommend for a community reading group on Existentialism? I am hoping to volunteer as a coordinator of a discussion group on Existentialism, part of a program in the humanities for people without higher education. I would like to hear your suggestions for readings, aside from the obvious canon of excerpts from Kierkegaard, Sartre, Pascal, Dostoevsky, Nietzsche, Jaspers &co. The readings should not be too technical, be literature or philosophy, and ideally 50 pages or less. They don't even have to represent "Existentialism" proper (whatever that is!); anything that explores themes of subjectivity is welcome.
posted by ori on Jul 11, 2005 - 21 answers

What makes the job title of 'Existential Detective' from 'I Heart Huckabees' so funny? [more inside]
posted by whatitis on Jun 9, 2005 - 12 answers