Aesthetics in Sartre and Camus. The Challenge of Freedom

Aesthetics in Sartre and Camus examines the ideas on aesthetics expressed in the oeuvres of the two French authors. The dispute that arose following the publication of Camus' L'homme révolté and Sartre's criticism of Camus' book culminated in the break up of their friendship in 1952, thereby underlining the differences in the authors' thinking. But by observing the function and significance of art and freedom in their works, fundamental correspondences and areas of agreement are revealed in Sartre's and Camus' writings and are analysed in the present study.

Autorentext

The Author: Heiner Wittmann, born in 1955, studied Romance Studies, History and Politics in Paris (Paris III Sorbonne-Nouvelle and Institut d Études Politiques) and Bonn. After taking a teacher training degree, he was awarded a doctoral degree at Bonn University in 1987 for his work on the aesthetics in the oeuvre of Jean-Paul Sartre. Between 1996 and 2002 he taught at the Institut für Linguistik/Romanistik at Stuttgart University. In 2002 he published Albert Camus. Kunst und Moral. Wittmann has held numerous lectures in Germany and abroad. Since 1989 he has worked for various publishing companies within the Klett Group (Stuttgart). His website is www.romanistik.info. In recognition of his contributions to French culture, on 8th February 2012 the author has been nominated Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the French Prime Minister.

Inhalt

Contents : Sartre and the arts: Wols and the blue phantom - From the portrait studies to theory - The method of portraiture - Sculptures and mobiles: From Giacometti to Calder - Tintoretto and the «school of vision» - The intellectual is a suspicious person - Albert Camus. Art and Morals: Albert Camus: In search of morals - Art as an answer to the absurd - Morals and revolt - Art as a moral obligation - Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre.