Jean-Paul Sartre: Mystical Atheist or Mystical Anthipathist
Kate Kirkpatrick
European Journal for Philosophy of Religion June 21, 2013 DOI: 10.24204/ejpr.v5i2.239 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that there are strong biographical and philosophical reasons to disagree with Gellman's conclusion that Sartre was a 'mystical atheist,' and questions the likelihood of drawing any definitive conclusions regarding the sources of Sartre's ambiguous atheism. |
Abstract
Jean-Paul sartre is rarely discussed in the philosophy of religion. In 2009, however, Jerome Gellman broke the silence, publishing an article in this journal in which he argued that the source of sartre’s atheism was neither philosophical nor existential, but mystical. Drawing from several of sartre’s works – including Being and Nothingness, Words, and a 1943 review entitled ‘A New mystic’ – I argue that there are strong biographical and philosophical reasons to disagree with Gellman’s conclusion that sartre was a ‘mystical atheist’. moreover, I question the likelihood of drawing any definitive conclusions regarding the sources of sartre’s ambiguous atheism.