Existentialism
Calendar of Readings
PHIL 339:01
Dr. McWhorter
Fall, 2007

Hegel, Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit (Miller translation)
Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death
Nietzsche, The Gay Science
Sartre, Being and Nothingness
Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity
Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus

Students must also choose and read one of the following books for the Existentialist Literature Assignment. These books are available in the UR library, in local bookstores off-campus, and online. Each student is responsible for securing a copy of the book of choice.

Simone de Beauvoir, All Men Are Mortal
Albert Camus, The Plague
Jean Genet, Our Lady of the Flowers
Kenzaburo Oe, A Personal Matter
Jean-Paul Sartre, Nausea
Leo Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Students who want a head start on understanding some basic themes in 20th-century Existentialism may want to read Jean-Paul Sartre's essay "Existentialism is a Humanism" and Martin Heidegger's "Letter on Humanism" online. These texts are not required but are offered here for students' personal edification only.

August 28:
Introduction to the course and to Hegel. You can learn more about Hegel and his works at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy online.

August 30:
Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit, 46-79.

September 4:
Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit, 104-138.

September 6:
Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit, 211-262.

September 11:
Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit, 263-66, 294-321, 364-409, 479-493.

September 13:
Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death, 1-28. Learn more about Kierkegaard online.

September 18:
Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death, 29-74.

September 20:
Kierkegaard, The Sickness Unto Death, 77-131.

September 25:
No Class; Reading Day for Nietzsche assignments.

September 27:
Nietzsche, The Gay Science, Prelude, Book One, and sections of 57 & 58 of Book Two. Check out the activities of the Nietzsche Society.

October 2:
Nietzsche, The Gay Science, Books Three and Four.

October 4:
Nietzsche, The Gay Science, Book V and Appendix. Take home exam questions will be distributed on this day.

II. Existential Ontology

October 9:
Introduction to Sartre and Being and Nothingness, 3-44 and 56-85.

October 11:
Sartre, Being and Nothingness, 86-146. Take Home Exam Due!

October 16:
NO CLASS - FALL BREAK!

October 18:
Sartre, Being and Nothingness, 159-202, 279-85. Dr. Richard Lynch of Wabash College will speak at 5:15 on "Foucault and Political Spirituality."

October 23:
Sartre, Being and Nothingness, 294-330, 340-400. Group 1 Reaction Papers Due!

October 25:
Sartre, Being and Nothingness, 401-470. Group 2 Reaction Papers Due!

October 30:
Sartre, Being and Nothingness, 473 (second paragraph)-486, 489-512, 516-537. Group 3 Reaction Papers Due!

November 1:
Sartre, Being and Nothingness, 557-595, 596-601, 612-619. Group 4 Reaction Papers Due!

November 6:
Sartre, Being and Nothingness, 619-641, 654-656, 670-711. Group 5 Reaction Papers Due!

November 8:
NO CLASS--Students should spend this day working on the Existentialist Literature Assignment, which is due November 15.

November 13:
Sartre, Being and Nothingness, 712-743, 747-798. Group 6 Reaction Papers Due!

III. Existentialism in Action

November 15:
Discussion of Existentialist Literature. Book Review Due! Term Paper Topic Due!

November 20:
Bibliography Skills Class - the class will meet in the Boatwright Computer Classroom and will be led by Research Librarian Marcia Whitehead.

November 22:
NO CLASS: Thanksgiving.

November 27:
Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity, 7-96. Bibliography Due!

November 29:
Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity, 96-159.

December 4:
Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus, 1-48 ("An Absurd Reasoning"). Outline Due!

December 6:
Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus, 49-91 ("The Absurd Man," "Absurd Creation," and "The Myth of Sisyphus").

Scheduled Exam Date:
Term Paper Due by noon!

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