Northwestern University

PHIL 219-0 Intro to Existentialism

Fall 2013: TuTh 9:30am-10:50am
Leverone Auditorium
Prof. Mark Alznauer
m-alznauer@northwestern.edu
My office hours are Thursday from 12-2pm in Crowe 3-167

CLASS DESCRIPTION: This class is an introduction to existentialism through a study
of five of its principal philosophic sources: Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre
and Beauvoir. We will focus on existentialist theories of value. With respect to this
problem, we will explore existentialist conceptions of absurdity, alienation, anxiety,
authenticity, and responsibility.

TEACHING ASSISTANTS:
Morganna Lambeth: morganna.lambeth@gmail.com
Seth Mayer: sethmayer2014@u.northwestern.edu

TEACHING METHOD: Lectures with weekly discussion sections. Attendance at both is
important; attendance at the sections is mandatory.
Note 1: Computers and other electronic devices should be off during class time.
Note 2: There will be no section meetings during the first week.

EVALUATION: Assessment is divided into five components.
1.) Section Attendance and Participation: 20% (10% each)
2.) First paper (1000-1500 words): 15%
3.) Midterm 15%
4.) Second paper (1500-2000 words): 25%
5.) Final exam: 25%

PAPERS: Paper topics will be given in class. Papers are expected to be double-spaced,
in the font style of Times New Roman. Papers should not exceed the maximum length
indicated. Please record the word count at the end of the essay.

All papers require a separate cover page. On the cover page, you need to include your
name, your student ID number, the title of your paper, the date, and the name of your
section leader. On the first page of your paper, both the title of the paper and your
student ID number should be included at the top of the page. It is important that you do
not include your name anywhere in the body of the paper. This is to ensure the
anonymity of the grading process.

Extensions for papers are not available in this course except in extraordinary
circumstances (contact your T.A. ahead of time should you think that your circumstances
fit this description). Late papers are penalized 1/2 a grade for every 12 hour delay. No
papers will be accepted that are more than 3 days late. Stapled hard copies of all papers
should be submitted in class or enclosed in opaque envelopes and delivered to the
mailbox of your section leader at the office of the Department of Philosophy, 1880
Campus Drive (Kresge Hall), 2-335. Electronic copies of every paper also need to be
submitted to SafeAssign through the course blackboard site. There will be strict
enforcement of NUs guidelines for academically honest research (for details, see
http://www.northwestern.edu/uacc/uniprin.html).

REQUIRED TEXTS: The following texts are available in the bookstore. (All of the
Sartre readings will be made available to you on blackboard.)
1.) Fear and Trembling/Repetition : Kierkegaard's Writings, Vol. 6 (Paperback)
Sren Kierkegaard
Princeton University Press (9780691020266)
2.) The Gay Science: With a Prelude in German Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs
(Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy)
Friedrich Nietzsche
Cambridge (9780521636452)
3.) Being and Time (paperback)
Martin Heidegger
Harper (9780061575594)
4.) Existentialism is a Humanism (paperback)
Jean Paul Sartre
Yale University Press (9780300115468)
5.) The Ethics Of Ambiguity (Paperback)
Simone de Beauvoir
Citadel (978-0806501604)

COURSE SCHEDULE: This schedule is subject to change.

Week 1
1. Introduction (no reading)
2. Sartre, Existentialism is a Humanism, pp. 17-54.

Week 2
1. Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling (Preliminary Expectoration, pp. 27-53)
2. CONT.

Week 3
1. Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling (Problema I, pp. 54-67)
2. Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling (Preface, pp. 5-8; Problema II, pp. 68-81; Epilogue
pp. 121-23)

Week 4
1. Nietzsche, The Gay Science, Preface and Sections 1-21, FIRST PAPER DUE.
2. Nietzsche, The Gay Science, Sections 108-143, 276-277, 283-290.

Week 5
1. Nietzsche, The Gay Science, Sections 319, 335, 354, 370-383.
2. MIDTERM

Week 6
1. Heidegger, Being and Time, 54-56 (pp. 312-319)Conscience
2. Heidegger, Being and Time, 57-58 (pp. 319-335) Guilt

Week 7
1. Heidegger, Being and Time, 59-60 (pp. 335-348) Resoluteness
2. Sartre, Being and Nothingness, Bad Faith (pp. 47-70).

Week 8
1. Sartre, Being and Nothingness, The Look (pp. 252-273)
2. Sartre, Being and Nothingness, Freedom and Responsibility, Existential
Psychoanalysis, and Ethical Implications (blackboard) Skim: pp. 557-568.

Week 9
1. Beauvoir, Ethics of Ambiguity (Chapter I, pp. 7-34)
SECOND PAPER DUE
2. Beauvoir, Ethics of Ambiguity (Chapter II, pp. 35-73).

Week 10
1. Conclusion (TBD)


Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013


WCAS Reading Period begins

Note: The date of the final exam is posted at the Office of the Registrars
website.