Abstract

The title of this book may be misleading if it leads one to expect a study of Sartre's writings that primarily stresses Sartre's own interpretation of Marxism. There is certainly an attempt to explain Sartre's existentialist interpretation of Marxism, and to provide a presentation which is as accurate as possible. The title, however, is mean to suggest a question. Is the combination of existentialism and Marxism a valid one from the point of view of Marxism? Is "existentialist Marxism" a real unity or is it a false juxtaposition of antagonistic theories? The title should perhaps be followed by a question mark. And yet if this question is to be answered another question must be asked. What is Marxism? Does it have a definite reality, or is Marxism something that only exists in the eye of the beholder? The aim of this study is to answer both of these sets of questions.