PHIL 224.001 – Existential Philosophy

Instructor: Enoch Lambert. This course meets MWF 1:25 – 2:15 p.m. in CW 105.

The vastness and seemingly impersonal nature of the universe, as well as the sheer number of people in the world can prompt wonder and anxiety about the significance of our individual lives. What kind of meaning, if any, do our lives have? Is the source of meaning to be found outside of ourselves (God, society, relationships), or from within? How is one to fit together competing demands of reason, society, conscience, and one’s deepest passions and concerns in building a life? We will examine these and like questions through classic works of thinkers like Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, and Beauvoir. We will also read contemporary thinkers, e.g., Thomas Nagel, Susan Wolf, L. A. Paul, on these and similar topics.