Course Syllabus
Welcome to PHIL304: Existentialism
Specific information about this course and its requirements can be found below. For more general information about taking Saylor Academy courses, including information about Community and Academic Codes of Conduct, please read the Student Handbook.
Course Description
Examine existence by studying the concrete reality of individual human beings via the works of Søren Kierkegaard, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Albert Camus.
Course Introduction
Existentialism is a philosophical and literary movement that emerged in France shortly after World War II, spearheaded by figures such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus. We can trace this movement back to the religious writings of Blaise Pascal in the 17th century and Søren Kierkegaard in the 19th century. The common thread that unites existentialists is the focus on existence, particularly the concrete existence of individual human beings.
Unlike rationalist thinkers such as René Descartes and G.W.F. Hegel, existentialists reject the idea that humans are fundamentally rational creatures living in an orderly, well-designed universe. They also do not believe that thoughtful consideration and reasoned deliberation can solve life's issues. Instead, existentialists view human beings as creatures whose reason is secondary to human passions and anxieties and who exist in an irrational, absurd, and insignificant universe. Existentialists claim that in such a cosmos, one strives to be the greatest person one can be given one's religious, historical, cultural, economic, and personal circumstances.
Existentialists emphasize the human being's place in a complicated set of circumstances to highlight the uniqueness and individuality that each of us possesses. They emphasize the importance of the human body in all of our actions and judgments, saying that the mind cannot exist apart from the body (in contrast to the majority of rationalists, who assert that the mind is separate from the body).
In addition, existentialists consider whether absolute individual freedom is attainable; and, if so, what this means for our sense of personal, social, and divine responsibility. They also consider the consequences of the existence or nonexistence of God and what each option entails for our sense of freedom and responsibility. More than anything, existentialists ponder the implications of accepting death's inevitability in our lives.
This course examines the major figures and works of the existentialist movement from a historical perspective. Søren Kierkegaard, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Albert Camus are among the authors you will examine. You will be able to identify, analyze, and differentiate among important themes and figures in existentialism history. Most importantly, you will comprehend the contributions existentialist thinkers have made to our present view of human existence and our role in the universe.
This course includes the following units:
- Unit 1: What is Existentialism?
- Unit 2: Søren Kierkegaard
- Unit 3: Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Unit 4: Friedrich Nietzsche
- Unit 5: W.E.B. Du Bois
- Unit 6: Martin Heidegger
- Unit 7: Jean-Paul Sartre
- Unit 8: Simone de Beauvoir
- Unit 9: Albert Camus
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
- define the term existentialism;
- identify the key existential figures in the history of existentialism;
- explain the basic themes of existentialist thought;
- distinguish the various existential approaches taken by figures;
- compare and contrast existentialist themes by different key figures;
- summarize each major figure's particular contributions to existential philosophy; and
- identify underrepresented existential perspectives, such as feminist and persons of color philosophical thought.
Throughout this course, you will also see learning outcomes in each unit. You can use those learning outcomes to help organize your studies and gauge your progress.
Course Materials
This course's primary learning materials are articles, lectures, and videos.
All course materials are free to access and can be found in each unit of the course. Pay close attention to the notes that accompany these course materials, as they will tell you what to focus on in each resource and will help you to understand how the learning materials fit into the course as a whole. You can also see a list of all the learning materials in this course by clicking on Resources in the navigation bar.
Evaluation and Minimum Passing Score
Only the final exam is considered when awarding you a grade for this course. To pass this course, you will need to earn a 70% or higher on the final exam. Your score on the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you may take it again as many times as you want, with a 7-day waiting period between each attempt. Once you have successfully passed the final exam, you will be awarded a free Course Completion Certificate.
There are also end-of-unit assessments in this course. These are designed to help you study and do not factor into your final course grade. You can take these as many times as you want until you understand the concepts and material covered. You can see all of these assessments by clicking on Quizzes in the course's navigation bar.
Tips for Success
PHIL304: Existentialism is a self-paced course, which means that you can decide when you will start and when you will complete the course. There is no instructor or an assigned schedule to follow. We estimate that the "average" student will take 32 hours to complete this course. We recommend that you work through the course at a comfortable pace that allows you to make regular progress. It's also a good idea to schedule your study time in advance and try to stick to that schedule as best as you can.
Learning new material can be challenging, so we've compiled a few study strategies to help you succeed:
- Take notes on the various terms, practices, and theories that you come across. This can help you put each concept into context and will create a refresher that you can use as you study later on.
- As you work through the materials, take some time to test yourself on what you remember and how well you understand the concepts. Reflecting on what you've learned is important for your long-term memory and will make you more likely to retain information over time.
Technical Requirements
This course is delivered entirely online. You will be required to have access to a computer or web-capable mobile device and have consistent access to the internet to either view or download the necessary course resources and attempt any auto-graded course assessments and the final exam.
- To access the full course, including assessments and the final exam, you will need to be logged into your Saylor Academy account and enrolled in the course. If you do not already have an account, you may create one for free here. Although you can access some of the course without logging in to your account, you should log in to maximize your course experience. For example, you cannot take assessments or track your progress unless you are logged in.
For additional guidance, check out Saylor Academy's FAQ.
Fees
This course is entirely free to enroll in and to access. Everything linked in the course, including textbooks, videos, webpages, and activities, is available for no charge. This course also contains a free final exam and course completion certificate.