I have been making a personal English translation of the book Le Choix, by Jean Grenier. Below, at the bottom of the page, you can find links to translations of each paragraph of the text of Jean Grenier’s book – The Choice. My progress in translating is slow, but still going strong. I add paragraphs occasionally.
A short introductory note: Jean Grenier was a French Philosopher working in Algiers. In his work he develops themes traditional for French philosophy, but also betraying an interest in the then new phenomenology. Furthermore, he had an interest in non-Western philosophy, although I’m not certain to which extend he intended to do more than just borrow what he found useful.
He is of interest for being the teacher of Albert Camus. Arguably, a proper understanding of Camus’ texts is not possible without noticing the occurrence of the exact same problematic and vocabulary in the work of Grenier. For instance, the words ‘absurd’ and ‘stranger’. Notably, in the work of the master, all these themes seem highly traditional, which makes one wonder in what respect putting Camus in the same group as authors like Sartre could ever be fair.
The translation is mine (HvS), but also a work in progress. It is provisional. Last update, January 2022.
— HvS
Introduction
Part I
- The Philosophical feeling: to go past each other
- Deviation from the Positivist Spirit?
- Philosophy is not a synthesis, but an appreciation
- Mankind is not a reality, but an evaluation
- The notion of contingency is essential: Spinoza
Pragmata 