PHIL 224.001 – Existentialism
Instructor: Vida Yao. This course meets MWF 10:00 – 10:50 a.m. in CW 105.
Existentialist philosophy can be understood as a reaction to, and a grappling with, particular features of the human condition. What is the meaning of life, if it is true (as a modern understanding of the world suggests), that the universe was not made for us, nor we for it? How are we to live, if science and reason cannot provide us with the answers? What are the essential features of human subjectivity and individuality?
We will read several works on the standard existentialist canon, as well as the historical influences of, and particular applications of, existentialist philosophy.