EXISTENTIALISM
 

Required Texts:

 Robert C. Solomon, ed., Existentialism (E)
 Walter Kaufmann, ed., The Portable Nietzsche
 Robert D. Cumming, ed., The Philosophy of J.-P. Sartre
 Jean-Paul Sartre, No Exit and Three Other Plays
 Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem
 

Course Outline:

August 29 Course Introduction

August 31 Dostoevsky, from Notes from Underground (E), pp. 33-42

Sept. 2 Nietzsche, from Beyond Good and Evil (E), pp. 52-56

Sept. 7 Nietzsche, from The Genealogy of Morals (E), pp. 56-69

Sept. 9 Nietzsche, from The Gay Science (N Reader), pp. 93-102

Sept. 12 Kierkegaard, selections (E), pp. 3-14

Sept. 14 Kierkegaard, pp. 14-28

Sept. 16 Kierkegaard, review

Sept. 19 Sartre, "Existentialism is a Humanism" (E), pp. 196-205

Sept. 21 Sartre, "Freedom and Responsibility" (E), pp. 229-32

Sept. 23 Sartre, "The Respectful Prostitute"

Sept. 26  De Beauvoir, from The Second Sex (E), pp. 285-96

Sept. 28 De Beauvoir and Sartre, review.

Sept. 30 Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, pp. 463-79

                         ------  First Take-Home Exam due October 3  ------

Oct. 3 Nietzsche, pp. 479-501

Oct. 5 Nietzsche, pp. 501-27

Oct. 7 Nietzsche, pp. 527-63

Oct. 10 Nietzsche, The AntiChrist, pp. 565-92

Oct. 12 Nietzsche, pp. 592-628

Oct. 14 Nietzsche, pp. 628-56

Oct. 17 Nietzsche, review

Oct. 19 Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem, pp. 3-35

Oct. 21 Arendt, pp. 36-67

Oct. 24 Arendt, pp. 68-134

Oct. 26 Arendt, pp. 135-80

Oct. 28 Arendt, pp. 181-205

Oct. 31 Arendt, pp. 206-32

Nov. 2 Arendt, pp. 233-79

Nov. 4 Arendt, pp. 280-98

                     ------  Second Take-Home Exam due Nov. 7  ------

Nov. 7 Nietzsche, from Thus Spoke Zarathustra, First Part, "Prologue," sections 1,2,4,7,9,10,11,12,15,16,22 (see "Contents," p. 112)

Nov. 9 Nietzsche, from Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Second Part, sections 3,6,12,13,16

Nov. 11 Nietzsche, from Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Third Part, sections 2, 10, 11, 12

Nov. 14 Sartre, from Being and Nothingness, analysis of the person via phenomenology, pp. 101-23

Nov. 16 Sartre, pp. 123-36

Nov. 18 Sartre, self-knowledge, bad faith; the unconscious, pp. 137-55

Nov. 21 Sartre, pp. 156-66

Nov. 23 Sartre, facticity, value, transcendence, pp. 167-84

Nov. 28 Sartre, relations to others, pp. 185-208

Nov. 30 Sartre, the body, pp. 209-30

Dec. 2 Sartre, No Exit, pp. 1-47

Dec. 5 Sartre, No Exit

Dec. 7 Sartre, review

Dec. 9 Course review
 

Course Requirements:

Everyone is expected to attend all classes, to read the assignments on schedule, and to be ready to contribute to class discussion.  A "contribution to class discussion" could be a question about a specific term or argument in the text as well as a more general point, argument, or question about themes under discussion.

There will be three take-home exams and perhaps classroom quizes.  Each exam will count roughly 30% of the grade, with attendance and participation making up the rest.  The exams will be due at the beginning of class on Oct. 3 and Nov. 7 and by 5 pm on Dec. 12.

Office Hours

If scheduled office hours are not convenient, make an appointment to discuss course themes or assignments.  If you wish to contact me by E-mail, feel free to do so.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1:45 to 2:45, and by appointment.

512 S.Kedzie,  353-9378  (messages: 355-4490)