Hans Pedersen, Department of History, Political Science, Philosophy, and Religious Studies, recently published The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Existentialism (co-edited with Kevin Aho and Megan Altman).
Of the philosophical movements of the twentieth century, existentialism is one of the most powerful and thought-provoking. Its engagement with the themes of authenticity, freedom, bad faith, nihilism, and the death of God captured the imagination of millions. However, in the twenty-first century, existentialism is grappling with fresh questions and debates that move far beyond traditional existential preoccupations, ranging from the lived experience of the embodied self, intersectionality, and feminist theory to comparative philosophy, digital existentialism, disability studies, and philosophy of race.
The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary Existentialism explores these topics and more, connecting the ideas and insights of existentialism with some of the most urgent debates and challenges in philosophy today. Eight clear sections explore the following topics:
- methodology and technology
- social and political perspectives
- environment and place
- affectivity and emotion
- death and freedom
- value
- existentialism and Asian philosophy
- aging and disability
In addition to chapters on key figures such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, and Beauvoir, the Handbook includes chapters on topics as diverse as Chicana feminism, ecophilosophy and the environment, Latina existentialism, Black nihilism, the Kyoto school and southeast Asian existentialism, and the experiences of aging, disability, and death.
Pedersen's article "Existentialism and AI in the 21st-Century: Thoughts on the Control Problem" is included in the Handbook.