Admission requirements
Admission to this course is restricted to:
BA students in Philosophy: Global and Comparative Perspectives, who have successfully completed at least 70 ECTS credits of the mandatory components of the first and second year of their bachelor’s programme, including Philosophical Skills and one of the following courses: Continental Philosophy from a Global perspective OR World Philsophies: Greek and Roman Antiquity.
BA students in Filosofie, who have successfully completed at least 70 ECTS credits of the mandatory components of the first and second year of their bachelor’s programme, including Filosofische vaardigheden and one of the following courses: Continentale filosofie: de vraag naar het heden OR Griekse en Romeinse filosofie.
Description
This course focus on the history of existential thought which includes: the forerunners (Søren Kierkegaard and Fyodor Dostoevsky), German existentialist thought (Friedrich Nietzsche and Martin Buber), French existentialists (Simone de Beauvoir, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Albert Camus), Spanish quixotism (Miguel de Unamuno), black existentialism (Frantz Fanon, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Ralph Ellison), and the Japanese existentialism of the Kyoto School. Pascal’s two lines of inquiry provide a starting point for understanding the history of existentialist thought. Our exploration begins with Blaise Pascal’s early articulation of what might be termed a philosophy of choice, which anticipates the development of a philosophical analysis that takes 'existence' as its foundational premise. This exploration uncovers two lines of inquiry that will offer us a critical framework for examining thinkers within the history of existentialist thought proper.
The first lien of inquiry begins with Pascal’s view that individuals must choose between incompatible modes of existence, necessitating subjective choice. This explains why existentialist philosophers combined philosophy and literature. Philosophically, they create existential categories to provide coherence to various modes of existence. Through literature, they develop communication forms that keep existential categories open-ended and maintain tension between incompatible modes without imposing them on readers. In our readings, we will explore the inrinsic relationship between existentialist thought and literature by pairing philosophical texts employing literary techniques with literary texts presenting existential dilemmas in concrete contexts, from authors including Franz Kafka, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Herman Hesse, Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Clarice Lispector, Miguel Cervantes, Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, Kobo Abe.
The second line of inquiry concerns the contrast between authentic existence—characterized by willingness to choose—and inauthentic existence—marked by refusal to choose. Existentialist philosophers agree that authentic existence centers on the act of choosing itself, while inauthentic existence avoids choice. Pascal calls this avoidance diversion, Sartre terms it bad faith, and Kierkegaard uses various names, including the demonic. Although not all existentialist philosophers place equal emphasis on the significance of choice, they all grapple with philosophical questions about human existence, freedom, otherness, and responsibility to varying degrees. Moreover, they commonly identify specific affective states associated with these concerns, such as anxiety, despair, anger, and resentment. Other themes include: the absurd, double-consciousness, and nihilism.
Course objectives
This course is structured to provide students with the opportunity to:
conduct an analysis of the central questions and key figures of existentialist thought within their historical context;
assess the contemporary relevance of these existential texts;
identify the intrinsic connection between philosophical and artistic forms of expression within the history of existentialist thought;
critically evaluate the underlying reasons for this intrinsic connection;
Upon successful completion of the course, students will possess a comprehensive understanding of
the principal questions and key authors associated with existentialist thought;
the various developments and transformations within the history of existentialist philosophies;
the existentialist imperative to develop alternative forms of expression;
the close relationship between philosophy and literature within existentialist thought.
Students who successfully complete the course will be able to:
critically evaluate and synthesize a diverse range of philosophical and literary texts that establish philosophical categories for the analysis of human existence;
engage in the exchange and assimilation of constructive peer feedback on written work that explores fundamental questions of existentialist thought;
formulate an original and pertinent research question addressing key issues within the history of existential thought;
develop this inquiry into a coherent and well-structured argument.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Assessment method
Assessment
Graded assessments
Personal reflection on the themes that are pominent within the history of existentialist thought.
Final paper.
Non-graded exercises
Research project in preparation of the final essay;
Proposal for the final paper;
Peer review of the proposal of other students;
Each student has to present a reading of the literature and discuss it with the group.
The non-graded exercises are required for getting admission to the final exam (paper) and the resit.
Weighing
Personal reflection (20%)
Final paper (80%)
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
Students can resit both the personal reflection (20%) and the final paper (80%). Satisfactory completion of practical assignments (presentation, proposal) is a prerequisite for taking the resit. Students who have obtained a satisfactory grade for the first examination cannot take the resit.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Selections from the works of the authors mentioned in the course description will be read. These texts will be accessible through the library or Brightspace. The course will be conducted in English, utilizing English translations. Students who speak the original language (German, French, Russian, etc.) are encouraged to read the original texts, which are often freely available on the Internet.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Huizinga
Remarks
Not applicable.