William A. Earle | |
|---|---|
 Earle in 1974 | |
| Born | 1919 |
| Died | October 16, 1988 |
| Era | 20th-century philosophy |
| Region | Western Philosophy |
| School | Existentialism, Phenomenology |
Main interests | Contemporary continental philosophy, History of ideas, Rationalism, Irrationalism, Cultural criticism, Surrealism |
Notable ideas | Singularity of each human existence, intuitive basis of knowledge |
William A. Earle (1919 – October 16, 1988) was a twentieth-century American philosopher.
Earle was an important figure within the movements of existentialism and phenomenology. He had particular expertise in the thought of Karl Jaspers and Georg W. F. Hegel and was an authority on surrealism. His interests included cultural criticism, the history of ideas, aesthetics, film, filmmaking, and mysticism. Students and colleagues regarded him as a strikingly independent, richly provocative educator and thinker.