EXISTENTIALISM AND FILM

WINTER 2001

PROFESSOR: Chris Latiolais
Humphrey House #202
Phone # 337-7076
latiolai@kzoo.edu
Offices Hours:
 1) Mon. 2:00 - 3:45
 2) Tue. 10:30 - 11:30
 3) By Appointment.
 

REQUIRED TEXTS:
 

 1.  Guignon, Charles & Pereboom, Derek: Existentialism Basic Writings: Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre (Hackett Publishing Company, Indianapolis/Cambridge, 1993).

 2.  Bakhtin, M. M. [1981]:  The Philosophy of the Act (University of Texas Press, Austin 1981).

 1.  Dreyfus, Hubert: Being In The World: A Commentary on Division One of Being and Time. (Massachussets: The MIT Press, 1991).

 2.  Olafson, Frederick:
  a)  Principles and Persons: An Ethical Interpretation of Existentialism (John Hopkins Press, Baltimore 1967).
  b)  What is A Human Being?  A Heideggerian View (Cambridge University Press, 1995).

 3.  Beauvoir, Simone de, The Second Sex (New York, Vintage Books, 1989).

 4.  Butler, Judith.  "Circuits of Bad Conscience," Chapter Two, The Psychic Life of Power: Theories in Subjection (California: Stanford University Press, 1997).

 1.  Babette's Feast.
 2.  The Hairdresser's Husband.
 3.  The Conversation.
 4.  Ikuru (To Live).
 5.  Nobody's Fool.
 6.  The Passenger.
 7.  The Unbearable Lightness of Being.

    The primary goal of this course is to introduce students to existentialism as a philosophical movement critical of the predominance of Graeco-Hellenic philosophy within the Western tradition (See detailed course description after Reading Schedule).  Films are used as cinematographic artworks that raise important issues associated with particular existentialist figures.  Paper assignments allow students to offer philosophical interpretations of such artworks.

1. Class Participation Seminar presentations and discussion 20%
2. Midterm examinations 2 @ 15% each 30%
3. E-mail Correspondence & Quizzes 4 @ 5% =  20%
4. Final Paper 10-15 pages 30%

    Open, respectful and critical discussion is crucial to this course.  E-mail correspondence provides students with lecture materials important for our interpretation and criticism of texts, which prepares students for participation in classroom discussions.  Quizzes allow students to evaluate their comprehension of basic terms, positions and arguments.  Midterm assignments and the final paper offer students the opportunity to respond in depth to a single topic.  The final paper is due on the day scheduled for the final examination.  3 unexcused absences will result in a full point reduction of the course grade, and late papers may be accepted with full point reduction for each day after the deadline.  Attendance at movies in required.

1.  HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION: EXISTENTIALISM AS A CRITIQUE OF
TRADITIONAL WESTERN PHILOSOPHY.
 

TUESDAY:  COURSE MECHANICS
                                                                                                                                                     WEEK ONE

WEDNESDAY:

          1. FILM #1: Babette's Feast  (OU 103, 8:00 PM).
 

THURSDAY: THE VOLUNTARIST CRITIQUE OF INTELLECTUALISM & THE EXISTENTIALISM
ETHIC OF AUTHENTIC INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS:

          1.  Guignon, Introduction (pp. X111-XXXV111).

          2.  Handout.

2.  KIERKEGAARD'S ANALYSIS OF DEFINING RELATIONS: LOVE OF ANOTHER
AS ANALOGY FOR FAITH

TUESDAY: THE DEMANDS OF PSEUDONYMOUS AUTHORSHIP UPON THE READER & JOHANNES
DE SILENTIO'S ADMIRATION OF ABRAHAM
                                                                                                                                                  WEEK TWO

          1.  Kierkegaard Introduction (Guignon, pp. 1-18).

          2.  FEAR AND TREMBLING, Preface, "A Panegyric Upon Abraham" &
          "Problemata: Preliminary Expectoration" (Guignon pp. 18-48).

THURSDAY: KNIGHTS OF FAITH; KNIGHTS OF RESIGNATION.

          1.  FEAR AND TREMBLING, Preface, "A Panegyric Upon Abraham" & "Problemata:
          Preliminary Expectoration" (Guignon pp. 18-48) [Continued].

          2.  Discussion of Babette's Feast.
 

TUESDAY: THE TELEOLOGICAL SUSPENSION OF THE ETHICAL & RELIGIOUS ABSOLUTION.

                                                                                                                                                 WEEK THREE

          2.  "Problem 1" & "Problem 2" (Guignon, pp. 48-70).

WEDNESDAY: THE TELEOLOGICAL SUSPENSION OF THE ETHICAL & RELIGIOUS ABSOLUTION.

          1.  FILM #2: The Hairdresser's Husband (OU 103, 8:00 PM).
 

THURSDAY: ANTI-CLIMACUS'S DEFINITION OF THE SELF AND JOHANNES CLIMACUS'S
CONCEPT OF SUBJECTIVE TRUTH.
          1.  Sickness Unto Death (Guignon, pp. 70-77).

          2.  Concluding Unscientific Postscript (Guignon, pp. 77-85).

          3.  Discussion of The Hairdresser's Husband.

          4.  Midterm Assignment #1.
 

3.  NIETZSCHE'S EARLY DUALISM AND LATER CONCEPT OF THE WILL TO
POWER:

TUESDAY: THE APOLLONIAN AND DIONYSIAN                                                       WEEK FOUR

          2.  Nietzsche Introduction (Guignon, pp. 85-111).

          3.  The Birth of Tragedy (Guignon pp. 111-115).

WEDNESDAY:

          1. FILM #3: The Bacchae (OU 103, 8:00 PM).

4.  SIMONE DE BEAUVOIR'S AND JUDITH BUTLER'S CRITIQUES OF ESSENTIALISM:

THURSDAY:  THE OVERMAN

          1.  The Gay Science (Guignon, pp. 115-164).

          2.  Twilight of the Idols (Guignon, pp. 164-175).

          3.  "Women's Situation and Character," Simon de Beauvoir.

TUESDAY: CONSCIENCE AS INTERNALIZED REGULATIVE NORMS: NIETZSCHE AND MODERN
GENDER STUDIES:                                                                                                          WEEK FIVE

          1.  "Circuits of Bad Conscience" [hand out].

          2.  "Women's Situation and Character" (Continued).

          3.   Distribute Handout: Husserl's Cartesian Meditations (Excerpt).
 

WEDNESDAY:

  1.  FILM #4: The Conversation (OU 103, 8:00 PM).

5.  HEIDEGGER'S CONCEPT OF BEING IN THE WORLD: CARE, CONSCIENCE
AND AUTHENTICITY

THURSDAY: HUSSERL'S PHENOMENOLOGY: PHILOSOPHY AS CONTEMPLATIVE REFLECTION

          1.  "Women's Situation and Character" (Continued).

          2.  Lecture: Philosophy as Conceptual Analysis: The Phenomenological Reduction.

3.  Dicussion of The Conversation.

TUESDAY: THE EXPERIENCE OF DISRUPTION REVEALS OUR SITUATION & HEIDEGGER'S
CRITIQUE OF TRANSCENDENTAL REFLECTION                                                       WEEK SIX

          1.  Heidegger Introduction (Guignon, pp. 175-203).

          2.  Being and Time (Guignon, pp. 203-247).
 

WEDNESDAY:
          1.  FILM #5: Ikiru (OU 103, 8:00 PM).
 

THURSDAY: HEIDEGGER'S CRITIQUE OF MODERN PHILOSOPHY.

          1.  Being and Time (Continued).

          2.  Discussion of The Conversation.

3.  Discussion of Ikiru.

TUESDAY:  HEIDEGGER'S CONCEPTS OF AUTHENTICITY: THE "CONCRETE SITUATION"
                                                                                                                                                      WEEK SEVEN

          1.  Being and Time (End).

          2.  Midterm Assignment #2.

WEDNESDAY:
    1.  FILM # 6: The Unbearable Lightness of Being (OU 103, 8:00 PM).
 
 

6.  BAKHTIN'S EARLY WORKS: THE EXISTENCE OF THE ACT

THURSDAY: ONCE-OCCURRENT BEING AND THE TIME OF OUR LIVES.

          1.  Discussion of The Unbearable Lightness of Being.

          2.  The Philosophy of the Act.

TUESDAY: ONCE-OCCURRENT BEING AND THE TIME OF OUR LIVES.
                                                                                                                                                         WEEK EIGHT
          1.  The Philosophy of the Act.

WEDNESDAY:
          1.  FILM #7: Nobody's Fool (OU 103, 8:00 PM).
 

THURSDAY: MORAL UNIVERSALITY AND AESTHETIC INDIVIDUALISM

          1.   The Philosophy of the Act.
 

7.  SARTRE'S REINTERPRETATION OF AUTHENTICITY: RADICAL CHOICE AND
BAD FAITH

TUESDAY:  FACTICITY AND FREEDOM: SARTRE'S INTERPRETATION OF Being and Time.
                                                                                                                                                          WEEK NINE

          1.  Sartre Introduction (Guignon, pp. 247-268).

          2.  The Humanism of Existentialism (Guignon, pp. 268-287).

          3.  Being and Nothingness.

WEDNESDAY:
          1.  FILM #8: The Passenger (OU 103, 8:00 PM).
 

THURSDAY: SARTRE'S CONCEPT OF EXISTENTIALISM.

          1.  Discussion of The Passenger.

TUESDAY: BAD FAITH, FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY.                                                     WEEK TEN

          1.  Review.
 

THURSDAY: REVIEW & COURSE EVALUATIONS
 

FINALS WEEK: