Twentieth-century existential thinkers, critical of traditional, overly rationalistic approaches to ethics, sought to provide a better account of what it means to be human in the world. They articulated ethical views that respected the individual yet were fundamentally concerned with the Other and the ethical value of an authentic life. Their philosophy has often been dismissed as unsuccessful.

Through examination of the thought of eight key figures in existentialism - Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Arendt, Camus, Sartre, Beauvoir, and Merleau-Ponty - this collection demonstrates that such dismissals are unfounded. Contributors tackle the difficulties raised by an existentialist ethics and show how each thinker successfully elaborated an ethics that provides a viable alternative to traditional ethical views.

Contributors include Glenn Braddock (Skidmore College), Christine Daigle (Brock University), Dominic Desroches (Collège Rosemont), David W. Goldberg (Westminster College), Philip Knee (University of Ottawa), Todd Lavin (Clarion University), Kym MacLaren (North Arizona University), and Stephen Schulman (Elon University).