Phenomenology and Existentialism Syllabus

Course Description: In this course, we will examine two closely related movements in 20^th century European philosophy which attempt to uncover the concrete elements of human experience lost in the abstractness of the philosophical tradition. Phenomenology focuses on the richness and complexity of the phenomena in human experience, and Existentialism on the challenge of making proper decisions when confronted with an indeterminate future. In addition to studying the works of philosophers such as Husserl, Heidegger, Beauvoir, and Sartre, we will explore the issues they raise by examining concrete examples found in existentialist literature and film and in the biographies of these philosophers.

Texts: All readings will be available for printout on the SCSU Library Electronic Reserves, and will be posted at various points in the semester. To access them, click on the ‘Course Reserves’ link on the right hand side of the Library’s Consuls website and search by course or instructor name. When you locate the course, click on the reading you want to print out, and it will be downloaded as a PDF file. If you have trouble printing, it is probably due to the fact that the computer you are using doesn’t have the latest version of Adobe Reader. If not, please contact the Computer Helpdesk (392-5123) or talk to one of the assistants at the campus computer labs.

Grading: Attendance and

Class Participation 20%

Papers (4) 80%

A+ 97-100; A 93-96; A- 90-92; B+ 87-89; B 83-86; B-80-82; C+ 77-79; C 73-76; C- 70-72; D+ 67-69; D 63-66; D- 60-62; F 0-59

The majority of your grade will be based on 4 papers (minimum 7 full pages each). Topics will be chosen in consultation with the instructor. Prompt and consistent attendance and informed participation in class discussion is expected. You are required to do the reading before class and to bring it with you.

Learning philosophy requires the careful discussion of philosophical issues in class. As a result, I weigh attendance heavily when determining final grades in borderline cases. Also, students who miss ¼ of the class sessions (7 absences) or more for any reason (including illness) will not pass the class. If you miss a class, I recommend that you make arrangements in advance to copy the notes of another student. Frequent tardiness and leaving early without permission are rude and disruptive to the rest of the class. It is your responsibility to arrange your schedule so that you don’t have any other responsibilities during class time. After the second occurrence, tardies and leaving early will be counted as absences.

All cell phones, music players, ear pieces/headphones, and other electronic devices must be turned off and put away during class time. I will consider requests to record the class or take notes on a computer (as long as the devices are only used for these purposes).

I strongly encourage students with disabilities, including invisible disabilities such as chronic diseases and learning disabilities, to discuss with me outside of class appropriate accommodations that might be helpful to them. A student’s disabilities must first be documented by the campus Disability Resource Center.