PHIL 215 Existentialist Philosophy

Existentialist philosophy is primarily concerned with the question of what it means to be human, and with how to live an authentic human life. In this class we will discuss the problems raised and solutions proposed by existentialist philosophers such as Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Sartre, Camus, and Heidegger, 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.