PHIL 212 Existentialist Philosophy

Existentialist philosophy is primarily concerned with questions of authenticity, value choice, and freedom: What does it mean to live an authentic human life? Are we free to choose the kinds of people we are and the values we embrace? And what do such possibilities mean for our obligations to other people? In this class we will discuss the problems raised and solutions proposed by existentialist philosophers such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, Camus, and Beauvoir, through critical examination of their major writings. Our aims will be to understand the intellectual motivations for existentialist thinking and the relevance of their arguments and positions for contemporary philosophy and contemporary life.