At the Existentialist Café
"At the Existentialist Café" by Sarah Bakewell explores the lives and ideas of key existentialist thinkers, including Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Martin Heidegger. The book intertwines philosophical concepts with personal anecdotes and historical context, illustrating how existentialism emerged in the tumultuous landscape of 20th-century Europe. Through engaging storytelling, Bakewell invites readers to reflect on the nature of existence, choice, and freedom.
10 curated highlights from this book
Key Insights & Memorable Quotes
Below are the most impactful passages and quotes from At the Existentialist Café, carefully selected to capture the essence of the book.
We are condemned to be free.
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
The only way to deal with the future is to function in the present.
Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself.
To be is to be perceived.
Hell is other people.
Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you.
We must choose ourselves.
There is no reality except the one contained within us.
Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.