The Transcendence of the Ego：A Sketch for a Phenomenological Description

FirstpublishedinFrancein1936asajournalarticle,TheTranscendenceoftheEgowasoneofJean-PaulSartre'searliestphilosophicalpublications.Whenitappeared,Sartrewasstilllargelyunknown,workingasaschoolteacherinprovincialFranceandstrugglingtofindapublisherforhismostfamousfictionalwork,Nausea.TheTranscendenceoftheEgoistheoutcomeofSartre'sintenseengagementwiththephilosophyofEdmundHusserl,thefounderofphenomenology.Here,asinmanysubsequentwritings,SartreembracesHusserl'svisionofphenomenologyasthepropermethodforphilosophy.ButhearguesthatHusserl'sconceptionoftheselfasaninnerentity,'behind'consciousexperienceismistakenandphenomenologicallyunfounded.TheTranscendenceoftheEgooffersabrilliantdiagnosisofwhereHusserlwentwrong,andaradicalalternativeaccountoftheselfasaproductofconsciousness,situatedintheworld.ThisessayintroducesmanyofthethemescentraltoSartre'smajorwork,BeingandNothingness:thenatureofconsciousness,theproblemofself-knowledge,otherminds,anguish.ItdemonstratestheirpresenceandimportanceinSartre'sthinkingfromtheveryoutsetofhiscareer.ThisfreshtranslationmakesthisclassicworkavailableagaintostudentsofSartre,phenomenology,existentialism,andtwentiethcenturyphilosophy.ItincludesathoroughandilluminatingintroductionbySarahRichmond,placingSartre'sessayinitsphilosophicalandhistoricalcontext.