Philosophy 55: Existentialism

Curtis Bowman
Logan Hall 464
cubowman@nous.phil.upenn.edu
http://www.phil.upenn.edu/~cubowman

Course Description

The term 'existentialist' has been applied to so many thinkers that it has become virtually meaningless. Thus our first task will be to give content to the idea of existentialism, and one way to do this is to look at Hegel, the thinker who is lurking in the background, in one way or another, of much of existentialist thought.

Many of the themes of existentialism center around the notion of the individual. They include the following: the authentic individual, the relation of the individual to the divine, and the relation of the individual to society. Since existentialism considers the individual in the context of the notions of alienation and autonomy, these ideas shall be contrasted with the more frequently discussed notions of free will and determinism. Finally, existentialism also concerns itself with the ability of philosophy to promote or hinder the development of individuality.

Required Texts

G. W. F. Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of History, Introduction: Reason in History

Søren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling

Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals & Ecce Homo

Jean-Paul Sartre, Being and Nothingness

Jean-Paul Sartre, No Exit and Three Other Plays

There is also a bulkpack at the Campus Copy Center (3907 Walnut).

Readings

G. W. F. Hegel

Reason in History (pp. 25-151)

Søren Kierkegaard

(a) Fear and Trembling

(b) Existence and the Critique of Hegel:

• Background: G. E. Lessing's "On the Proof of the Spirit and of Power" (in bulkpack)
• Selections from Concluding Unscientific Postscript (in bulkpack)

Friedrich Nietzsche

(a) Beyond Good and Evil (in bulkpack):

• Freedom of the Will (§§18, 19, 21, 188)
• Independence and Dogmatism (§§29, 41-44, 221)
• Herd Morality (§§195-203, 212-213)
• Eternal Recurrence (§56)

(b) The Gay Science (in bulkpack):

• The Death of God (§§108, 124-125, 343-347)
• Freedom and Individuality (§§98, 117, 143, 289-290, 335)
• Eternal Recurrence (§§340-341)

(c) On the Genealogy of Morals

Jean-Paul Sartre

(a) Being and Nothingness

• The Problem of Nothingness (pp. 33-44, 56-85)
• Bad Faith (pp. 86-116); No Exit
• Being-for-Others: The Look (pp. 340-400); Concrete Relations with Others (pp. 471-556)
• Freedom (pp. 559-711)
• Conclusion (pp. 785-798)

(b) Freedom and Tyranny: The Flies

Course Requirements

Students will write two papers (ca. 10 pages each). There will also be a comprehensive exam at the end of the semester. Each assignment will count for 30% of the course grade. Participation in section will count for 10% of the course grade.