CSP 50 Existentialism: Literature and Philosophy

Existentialism is a philosophy that affirms human freedom and ethical choice in a world that often seems devoid of transcendent meaning.  This course will focus on the fiction, philosophical writings, and autobiographies of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone deBeauvoir.  We will also explore existential themes and ethics in novels by Albert Camus, Kamel Daoud, Franz Kafka, Kazuo Ishiguro, Anne Tyler, and Leo Tolstoy.  Throughout, the course will combine existential perspectives with a focus on gender.