PHIL 104 | Existentialism

Existentialism comprises an influential set of views that stress radical human freedom and possibility, as well as concomitant responsibility and anxiety, in a world bereft of transcendent significance. The course starts by examining the nineteenth century philosophical roots of existentialism in Kierkegaard and Nietzsche before exploring the development of existentialist views in philosophers such as Camus, Dostoevsky, Sartre, Beauvoir, Ellison, Fanon, and Uranga. Themes discussed include the human search for meaning; the nature of freedom and the ways it may be limited by social structures; the transformative power of the human valuing capacity and alternative ways of seeing the world; the relation between consciousness and the world; the possibility of overcoming alienation from our own lives; and the ways in which our connections with others shape who we are. The course will emphasize critical analysis of primary texts, in-class discussion of the relevant philosophical views, and the relevance of existentialism to contemporary philosophical concerns.