BETHEL COLLEGE
Department of Philosophy
Fall, 2003
Topics in Philosophy: Existentialism.
(PHI 361: T-Th; 2:30-3:45PM; KSC 121)
Paul T. Lewis, Instructor
Course Description
Introductory Remarks
This is a course about the meaning of human existence,
the meaning of human life. But more than that,* it is a course about
a couple of fundamental questions which are precursors to that school of
philosophy, that intellectual discipline known as existentialism: what does
it mean to acknowledge the human condition as absurd, but nonetheless to
still find meaning? Such questions make possible that discipline and
the issues with which it is concerned. Of course, such questions presuppose
some answers that not all of us may agree with, e.g., that the human condition
is absurd.
The “absurd” has a long and storied history. * Depending
upon how you define the absurd, one could trace its origins back to St. Augustine,
certainly to Socrates: The world as we know it gives us little, if any warrant
for acting in one way rather than another way. Indeed, consider for
a moment those things that we think we understand: the fact that we
need to eat, drink, sleep to survive; the joys and sorrows we experience;
the reason our parents love us or do not; the reason why we are here (in
this room, at this college, on this planet, a part of this galaxy, expanding
along with this expanding universe). If we, by chance just deign to think
about any and all of these questions a little more deeply, things can get
incredibly murky, incredibly fast. And paradoxically, in the moments
of our greatest freedom in action and insight may we be mired deep in the
abyss of meaninglessness!* Perhaps we need to rethink the meaning of
“meaningfulness”.
Alasdair MacIntyre, a contemporary British philosopher,
in commenting on existentialism and existentialist authors, contends that
existentialists may well be best characterized in the end as “disappointed
rationalists”: try as they might, every attempt to ground a way of viewing
the world and acting within it in a set of incontrovertible foundational
axioms, has met with complete failure time and time again: A total
system which orients the vagaries of the world into a pleasing whole?
Preposterous! Utter rubbish! A Creator God who has made the world in
His image? Come-come! The belief that one has in an all knowing
Creator God presiding over the universe in power and glory as codified in
the stories of the Hebrew bible, the Koran, the Hindu Vedic scripture, is
an unfortunate fairy tale by which unsuspecting individuals are led down
the primrose path to abject disillusionment!* It is no wonder that some existential
philosophers have become a-theists (as opposed to deists or theists).
Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Friedrich Nietzsche are three that come
to mind. And the works of two out of these three we will be examining
quite closely in this course.
But an intellectual, much less a philosopher, who appreciates
if not adores existentialism, need not embrace a-theism to continue his or
her love affair with the discipline. Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish
philosopher and Christian theologian, was and continues to be one of the
more powerful voices of reapproachment between existentialism and theology.
While not primarily the work of a philosopher Christian theologian Paul Tillich’s
three volume Systematic Theology fairly rings with numerous existential concepts
and themes. Relationship and hope in the midst of despair!
Some philosophers might contend that the intellectual marriage of existentialism
and Christianity was one made in heaven while others would suggest that such
a marriage (made down here in the dirt) demonstrates in a way no other can,
the ultimate meaninglessness of the human condition.*
While I could go on, I shall stop here. I hope that
I have whetted your intellectual appetite for some of the fascinating questions
and issues, but just some, that we will be getting into as we make our way
through the varied philosophical terrain of this course. May we together
savor our precious time. I think we will all be surprised as to how
quickly it disappears.
*Could there be an irony here? If so, what might it be?
Class Format
My intention is to lecture in this course probably about
30% of the time, and then we shall discuss issues that my lecture raises
in regards to the readings about 30% of the time. The other 40% will
consist of paper presentations and responses, free discussion about issues
in the readings, or about the philosophy of everyday existence. We
may simply engage in exegesis of the texts before discussing them, or just
jump in and discuss them. We may purposely prepare comments and questions
in advance, or on the spot. Above all, I ask that we abide by a covenant
to come to class having read, thought about, and taken notes on the material.
Surely then we shall have a grand time!
Learning Objectives
1. Become acquainted with the foundational concepts of
the philosophical school of existentialism.
2. Develop a rudimentary understanding of several original
and classic philosophical authors and works in existentialism.
3. Learn to appreciate a modernist (e.g., rational) critique,
and postmodernist (e.g., relativistic) extension, of the classic theories
and perspectives in existentialism.
4. Develop a working knowledge of some of the fundamental
philosophical problems and issues in existential philosophy.
5. Take advantage of an opportunity to start to define
and/or redefine skills of doing existential philosophy in everyday life.
Required Texts and Readings
Kaufmann, W. (1975). Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre.
New York: Meridian.
Camus, A. (1991). The myth of Sisyphus and other essays.
New York: Random House.
Kafka, F. (1972). The penal colony: Stories and short pieces.
New York: Shocken Books.
Nietzsche, F. (1989). On the genealogy of morals and ecce homo.
New York: Random House.
Flew, A. (1999). A dictionary of philosophy. New York:
Gramercy Books.
The above should be available for sale at ecampus.com, or other internet
booksellers. Other required readings may be placed on reserve from
time to time.
Recommended Readings
General references
Cahoone, L. (Editor). (1996). From modernism to postmodernism: An
anthology. Cambridge: Blackwell.
Copleston, F.C. (1966). History of Philosophy. Westminster,
MD:
Newman Press.
Edwards, P. (Editor) (1967). Encyclopedia of Philosophy. New
York:
Macmillan.
Flew, A. (1989). An introduction to western philosophy: Ideas and
argument from Plato to Popper. New York: Thames
and Hudson.
Honderich, T. (Editor) (1995). The oxford companion to philosophy.
Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Runes, D.D. (Editor) (1964). Dictionary of Philosophy. Paterson, NJ:
Littlefield Adams.
Russell, B. (1945). A history of western philosophy.
New York: Clarion
Solomon, R.C. & Higgins, K.M. ((1996). A short history of philosophy.
New York: Oxford University Press.
Existential authors
Camus, A. (1958). Exile and the kingdom. New York: Vintage
Camus, A. (1946). The stranger. New York: Vintage.
Camus, A. (1956). The rebel. New York: Vintage.
Kfka, F. (1956). The trial. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Kierkegaard, S. (1959). Either/or. New York: Doubleday.
Kierkegaard, S. (1941). Repetition: An essay in experimental
psychology. New York: Harper and Row
Kierkegaard, S. (1954). Fear and Trembling, and The sickness
unto death. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Kaufmann, W.. (1954). The portable Nietzsche. New York:
Viking.
Kaufmann, W.. (1968). Nietzsche: Philosopher, psychologist, antichrist.
New York: Vintage
Tillich, P. (1951). Systematic theology (Volume 1). Chicago:
University of Chicago Press.
Tillich, P. (1952). The courage to be. New Haven:
Yale University Press.
Tillich, P. (1957). Systematic theology (Volume 1I). Chicago:
University of Chicago Press.
Tillich, P. (1963). Systematic theology (Volume 1II).
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Sartre, J-P.. (1953). Being and nothingness. New York:
Philosophical Library
Sartre, J-P.. (1953). Nausea. New York: New Directions
Publishing.
Notes:
Course Requirements and Evaluation
1. Class attendance, participation,
taking reading quizzes, doing exercises, leading discussions, meeting deadlines,
and so on; miss 3 class sessions with discretion, no penalty; miss more than
3 and this part of your grade may suffer: Worth 25% of the total grade.
2. One 6-7 page double-spaced typewritten proofread paper:
Worth 25% of the total grade. Papers will be delivered orally (see
asterisked * dates below), a presentation lasting about 10 minutes.
Details will be forthcoming.
3. Two 2-3 page double-spaced typewritten proofread critiques:
Worth 15% each, 30% total of the grade. Critiques will be delivered
orally (see asterisked * dates below), a presentation lasting about 5 minutes.
Details will be forthcoming.
4. One collective, oral comprehensive final: Worth 20%
of the total grade. Details will be forthcoming.
Class Itinerary
9/2- Overview of the course
via the syllabus.
9/4 First Lecture: Existentialism;
Kaufmann’s view of Existentialism
Readings
- Kaufmann’s introduction
9/9- Lecture & Discussion: The different
Treatments of Existentialism
9/11 Readings - Selections from
Kaufmann.
9/16- Lecture & Discussion: The
Existentialism of Franz Kafka
10/2 Readings: Selections
from Kafka
10/7* Kafka’s Existentialism: Papers
and Responses.
10/9 Special Topics
10/14- Lecture and Discussion: The Existentialism
of Albert Camus.
10/23 Readings: Selections
from Camus
10/28 FALL BREAK
10/30- Lecture and Discussion: The Existentialism
of Albert Camus.
11/4 Readings: Selections
from Camus
11/6* Camus’ Existentialism: Papers
and Responses
11/11 Special Topics
11/13- Lecture & Discussion: The
Existentialism of Friedrich Nietzsche
11/25 Readings: Selections from
Nietzsche
11/26- THANKSGIVING BREAK
11/30
12/2- Lecture & Discussion: The
Existentialism of Friedrich Nietzsche
12/4 Readings: Selections from
Nietzsche
T 12/9* Nietzsche’s Existentialism: Papers and Responses.
Th 12/11 Catch-up and Recapitulate
Wk of 12/15 Collective oral comprehensive final: TBA
* Papers and critiques will be delivered on extended class periods lasting
from 2:30 to 4:00. Please see the Instructor in advance if there are
unavoidable conflicts in staying until 4:00.
N.B. I shall reserve the right to alter the above itinerary in any
way I see fit in consultation with the class . . .
Concluding Comments
If you are a student who has a physical
or learning disability and wish to request accommodations or services to
support your efforts in this course, you must notify the instructor and Dan
Quinlin in the CAD by the end of the second week of classes. I would
also appreciate it if athletes, music and forensic and other students who
may be missing classes due to these activities get a list of the dates of
these misses to me by the second week of classes. If there are too
many misses, you might not be able to stay in this course! And, if
you are able to stay, you will be responsible for whatever is covered on
the day that is missed.
If ever you have any questions, please do not hesitate
to either see me during scheduled office hours or by appointment, or to call
me at the office or at home.
Office: KSC 104. Office Phone: x292, or 316-284-5292. Office
Hours:
Home: 925 Emmaline Lane, Newton. Home Phone: 316-283-8135.
Here's to a good course!
Paul T. Lewis
Instructor
Notes: