Existentialist history

Caterina Bettin

Chapter 55 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Historical Organisation Studies, 2026, pp 203-207 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This entry focuses on Jean-Paul Sartre's understanding of history, focusing on his Critique of Dialectical Reason. Moving beyond his early existentialism, here Sartre develops a dialectical account of history centered on the concepts of praxis, scarcity, seriality and totalisation. He conceives history as a contingent, unfinished process shaped by human action under constraint. Against structural determinism and postmodern relativism, Sartre emphasises the importance of the intelligibility of history and the centrality of freedom. His work offers valuable tools for historians of organisations seeking to engage with questions of collective agency and historical transformation.

Keywords: Sartre; Existentialism; Dialectical; Historical organisation studies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035332922
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