`Author:` `Availability:` > [!info] > ## Summary The Outsider by [[Colin Wilson]] (1956) is a work of existentialist [[Philosophy]] and cultural criticism that explores the figure of the Outsider—a person who feels alienated, dissatisfied, and disillusioned with conventional [[Society]] and its values. Wilson examines how certain individuals throughout [[History]]—writers, artists, and thinkers—have struggled with a sense of estrangement from the world around them. These Outsiders often see deeper truths and question the meaning of existence, yet they are plagued by despair, nihilism, or a crisis of purpose. Rather than being maladjusted or pathological, Wilson argues that the Outsider is often more awake, sensitive, and spiritually serious than the average person. He draws on the lives and works of figures such as: • Dostoevsky’s Underground Man • [[Friedrich Nietzsche|Nietzsche]] • [[Kafka]] • Sartre • T.S. Eliot • Van Gogh • [[H.G. Wells]] • [[Hermann Hesse]] Wilson sees the Outsider not merely as a tragic figure but as one who, through inner struggle, can potentially break through to a higher level of consciousness—what he terms a “new existentialism.” The goal is not resignation or nihilism but a reintegration of the self with [[Meaning]], vitality, and spiritual purpose. The book struck a chord in post-war Britain and made Wilson briefly famous, particularly among young intellectuals. It framed existential anxiety as a serious philosophical issue but also as a personal and cultural challenge that could lead to transcendence, not just despair. ## Key Takeaways ## Quotes - ## Notes `Concepts:` `Knowledge Base:` [[Books index]]