Overview

Widely thought to have originated in the 19th Century with Kierkegaard’s refutation of organised religion and systematic philosophies and the need to focus on individual experience as the principal source of meaning, Existentialism has blossomed into one of the most vibrant philosophical and cultural movements to explore the fundamental meanings and experiences of life and human existence. Its impact on other disciplines—such as literature, art, theatre, cinema, and psychology—has been huge since its heyday in Europe immediately after the second world war. By examining philosophical prose, literature, and contemporary films, this module we demonstrate how existentialism is as much a viable outlook on life today for all of us, as it was to those darkly-dressed caricatures who debated existential theories passionately in the cafés of post-war Paris. Ideas such as the meaning of existence, consciousness, the burden of freedom, anxiety, finitude, the absurd, the existence of others, and authenticity will be explored in light of such thinkers as Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, José Ortega y Gasset, Franz Kafka, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Søren Kierkegaard. Students will develop an understanding of the fundamental unity that underlies the different theories of existentialism, before subjecting them to critique.

The module will begin with an overview of the meaning of existentialism, its key themes and thinkers. The module is then divided into six parts. In part one we examine the philosophical groundwork that underpins existentialism as a theory. Here students will be introduced to such ideas as Sartre’s concepts of consciousness, being, nothingness, facticity and transcendence. In part two we explore the importance of freedom to the human condition, and the meaning behind Sartre’s famous slogans, ‘we are condemned to be free’, and ‘existence precedes essence’. Part three then surveys the notion of the ‘absurd’ as a philosophical concept and identifies its trace in literature, art, and film. Students will examine a variety of responses to the absurd, including those outlined by Kafka, Camus, and Kierkegaard. Part four examines Sartre’s notion of bad faith, and the ease in which we fail to respond adequately to the demands of existentialism. Part five considers the effect that others have on our existence and in our capacity to engage our lives authentically. Finally, part six will discuss oppression and the need to eliminate oppressive structures.

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -D- - D +. Submitted work is adequate and shows an acceptable level of competence as follows:- Generally accurate but with omissions and errors.- Assertions are made without clear supporting evidence or reasoning.- Has structure but is lacking in clarity and therefore relies on the reader to make links and assumptions.- Draws on a relatively narrow range of material.

-good -Good C- - C +. Submitted work is competent throughout and occasionally distinguished by superior style, approach and choice of supporting materials. It demonstrates:- Good structure and logically developed arguments.- At least in parts draws on material that has been sourced and assessed as a result of independent study, or in a way unique to the student.- Assertions are, in the main, backed by evidence and sound reasoning.- Accuracy and presentation in an appropriate academic style.Very Good B- - B+. Submitted work is competent throughout and distinguished by superior style, approach and choice of supporting materials. It demonstrates:- Very good structure and logically developed arguments.- Draws on material that has been sourced and assessed as a result of independent study, or in a way unique to the student.- Assertions are backed by evidence and sound reasoning.- Accuracy and presentation in an appropriate academic style.

-excellent -A - - A*. Submitted work is of an outstanding quality and excellent in one or more of the following ways:- Has originality of exposition with the student’s own thinking being readily apparent.- Provides clear evidence of extensive and relevant independent study.- Arguments are laid down with clarity and provide the reader with successive stages of consideration to reach conclusions.

Learning Outcomes

• Describe the guiding themes, and the range of perspectives in which the existentialist tradition expresses its ideas and arguments.

• Display detailed knowledge of major texts that comprise the existentialist tradition.

• Display some knowledge of the ways in which these texts have been variously interpreted and developed by existential thinkers.

• Understand the cultural contexts in which existentialism developed in order to appreciate ways in which they reflect those contexts or add new perspectives to them.