| Unit name | Existentialism |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHIL20135 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Seiriol Morgan |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Philosophy |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The wide range of thinkers to whom the label $?existentialist&? has been applied have in common the view that human existence has a distinctive character that cannot be adequately captured using the conceptual resources articulated by the mainstream philosophical tradition, since these embody metaphysical assumptions that distort and falsify our $?being&?. Consequently in their view philosophy has failed to capture what it is to be a human being. Prominent features of this special character include our self-consciousness and our experience of our freedom, which seem to allow us the unique ability to transcend the nature of our present selves through our future actions; or as Sartre puts it, in human beings &?existence precedes essence&?. This unit examines the ideas of some of the most important existentialist philosophers, focusing on their views about human existence.
