Paper #2
Guidelines
I’ve been arguing that authenticity is the central concept in existentialism. In this paper, I want you to examine this concept in detail. What exactly is it? In the process of discussing this, summarize both Heidegger and Sartre’s conceptions and the differences between them, as well as identifying what you take to be a concrete example of authenticity and examining it in detail.
Make sure to discuss the relation between authenticity and ethics, and what role, if any, creativity plays in authentic action. The conception of authenticity that you articulate and defend in your paper doesn’t have to be identical to Heidegger’s or Sartre’s, but it must be within the ballpark of what we discussed in class. The concrete example you consider can come from your life, the lives of others, or be an imaginary case. Describe what makes this action authentic as opposed to the other options the agent could have chosen. What are the features of the situation that the agent had to consider in order to authentically choose this option, and the features of the action that make it authentic? Clearly explain your views and justify them with arguments.
Sources and Citations – Use at least two quotations each from Heidegger and Sartre. Provide full citations for any quotations or paraphrases (not including class lectures), using any standard method that provides all of the relevant information (including exact page numbers). Keep in mind that many internet sources are unreliable.
Sample: Augustine, “On
the Free Choice of the Will,” in Medieval
Philosophy, 4th edition, ed. Forrest E. Baird and Walter
Kaufmann (
Place full citations in endnotes or a bibliography placed at the very end of the paper. Citations in the text or in footnotes should include only the author’s last name and the page numbers.
Length – Minimum 7 full pages, maximum 10 pages. If you use formatting or stylistic devices which artificially inflate the length of your writing – such as titles or headers, footnotes or citations within the text, or extra spaces between paragraphs – you will need to expand the length of your essay or essays to make up the difference.
Grammar, Spelling, Style, Organization – Please edit
and revise your papers before turning them in. If there is more than one error,
on average, per page, you will need to rewrite your paper. Students with
serious writing issues will be required to take drafts of each of their papers
to the
Formatting – Number pages and staple; 12 point type; Double-spaced; 1-1.5 inch margins