Gabriel Marcel [1963 edition]

Seymour Cain

• Publisher: Bonhopai Books
• Year: 2025
• eBook ISBN: 9781779793263
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Ethics & Moral Philosophy

Gabriel Marcel by Seymour Cain is an accessible yet rigorous introduction to the thought of one of the 20th century's most influential existentialist philosophers. Part of the acclaimed "Makers of Contemporary Theology" series, the book examines Marcel's unique brand of Christian existentialism, which emphasized hope, fidelity, and the mystery of being in contrast to the despair often associated with existentialist thought.

Cain presents Marcel not just as a philosopher, but as a dramatist, critic, and man of faith whose ideas were expressed through both his plays and his philosophical writings. The book outlines Marcel's key concepts—such as the distinction between "being" and "having," the importance of availability to others, and the primacy of lived experience over abstract systems. Cain carefully situates Marcel's thought in the broader landscape of existentialism, noting both his affinities with and differences from figures like Sartre and Kierkegaard.

 Written with clarity and balance, the study highlights Marcel's conviction that philosophy must serve the human person and affirm the transcendent. For readers new to Marcel, Cain provides an excellent guide to his major works and ideas. For students of philosophy and theology, Gabriel Marcel offers a concise yet penetrating examination of a thinker who sought to reconcile modern existential anxiety with Christian hope. 

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• REFERENCES
• PREFACE
• I — Marcel’s Way
• II — The Sand Castle and the World
• III — Thou
• IV — Being: Mystery and Exigence
• V — Being and Having
• VI — Existence: Person and Community
• VII — Religious Experience
• VIII — The Phenomenological Way
• IX — L’ Envoi
• Appendix
• Biographical Note
• MARCEL’S WORKS