Existentialism (PHIL*2170)
Code and section: PHIL*2170*01
Term: Fall 2019
Instructor: John Russon
Details
In the 19th and 20th Centuries, a tradition of philosophy grew up in Europe that emphasized the creative role people play in determining the terms in which their lives are meaningful. Their works ranged from provocative discussions of the importance of taking responsibility for one's life choices to rigorous and complicated analyses of the mechanisms by which any experience--from simple sensation to romantic life to political involvement--functions. We will study writings from Sartre, Heidegger and other figures, supplemented by reflection on various works of literature and visual art. We will investigate such themes as the relation between lived experience and self-conscious reflection, the relation between choice and commitment, the status of morality, forms of oppression, and the nature and role of artistic expression in human life. In all of our studies, we will be especially interested in the nature of the past and future in the context of freedom.