“Human life is like a bird that flies out over the ocean not knowing if it will find a place to rest before it falls exhausted into the sea.” Uncertainty is the foundation of human existence, and yet, at every moment we must choose, not knowing if it is the right choice or how it will play out in our lives. How do we find meaning? In this course we will read and discuss some key texts of existentialist philosophers in Western Philosophy. Existentialism asks fundamental questions of meaning and choice as they affect each person as an individual. Existentialist thinkers often reject objective science or rationalistic philosophy as neither can come to grips with the real problems of human existence because they trade in abstract definitions that cannot comprehend the concrete, living human being. They seek to understand the conscious presence of the human being in the world. In this course we will read and discuss some key ideas of existentialist philosophers in Western Philosophy. How can a reflection on these ideas aid us as we navigate the world we are living in right now? The philosophers we will study include: Soren Kierkegaard, Frederich Nietzsche, Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Albert Camus.

Dr. Amy Whitworth has 30 years experience teaching philosophy and ethics. She earned her BA in philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin and her MA and PhD in philosophy from Marquette University. She has participated in two NEH seminars, one in Oxford and one in Athens, Greece. She has a passion for the study and teaching of philosophy, guiding students through the complex and subtle arguments and texts.

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