PROFESSOR: Chris Latiolais
Humphrey House #201
Phone # 337-7076
latiolai@kzoo.edu
Offices Hours:

1) Mon. 9:30 - 11:30
2) Tue. 10:30 - 11:30
3) By Appointment.

LECTURE NOTES:

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).

SECONDARY LITERATURE:
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).

FILMS: (Shown on Wednesday Evenings, 8:00 PM, Recital Hall):

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

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.

EVALUATION:
Students will be evaluated on the basis of class participation, quizzes, two midterm examinations, and a final paper.

POLICIES:
Students are expected to follow the reading schedule and to come to class prepared to actively discuss the texts they have read. More specifically, students must bring their texts to class with marginal notes, highlighted or underlined passages of particular importance, and pages marked where they have encountered difficulties in understanding the material. Quizzes offer students the opportunity to identify and to clarify central terms and concepts. The midterm assignments allow student to write essays on key philosophical issues and arguments, and the final paper offers 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 grade reduction. Late papers will be marked down a half grade for the first day and a full grade for the second day. All work must be turned in at the end of term, unless alternative assignments have been given by the instructor.

WEEK ONE

1. HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION: EXISTENTIALISM AS A CRITIQUE OF INTELLECTUALISM:

TUESDAY: COURSE MECHANICS

THURSDAY: THE VOLUNTARIST CRITIQUE OF INTELLECTUALISM & THE 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

WEEK TWO

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

1. Kierkegaard Introduction (Guignon, pp. 1-18).
2. FEAR AND TREMBLING, Preface, "A Panegyric Upon Abraham" &
"Problemata: Preliminary Expectoration" (Guignon pp. 26-55).

THURSDAY: KNIGHTS OF FAITH; KNIGHTS OF RESIGNATION.

1. FEAR AND TREMBLING, Preface, "A Panegyric Upon Abraham" & "Problemata:
Preliminary Expectoration" (Guignon pp. 26-55) [Continued].
2. Discussion of Babette's Feast.

WEEK THREE

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

1. "Problem 1" & "Problem 2" (Guignon, pp. 55-77).

WEDNESDAY: FILM #2: The Hairdresser's Husband (Recital Hall, 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. 78-85).
2. Concluding Unscientific Postscript (Guignon, pp. 85-92).
3. Discussion of The Hairdresser's Husband.
4. Midterm Assignment #1

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

WEEK FOUR

TUESDAY: THE APOLLONIAN AND DIONYSIAN

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

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

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

THURSDAY: THE OVERMAN

1. The Gay Science (Guignon, pp. 123-177).
2. Twilight of the Idols (Guignon, pp. 172-181).
3. "Women's Situation and Character," Simon de Beauvoir.

WEEK FIVE

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

1. "Circuits of Bad Conscience" [hand out].
2. "Women's Situation and Character" (Continued).
3. Husserl's Phenomenology and Anthropology (Guignon, 276-289).

WEDNESDAY: FILM #4: The Conversation (Recital Hall, 8:00 PM).

5. HEIDEGGER'S CONCEPT OF BEING IN THE WORLD>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.

WEEK SIX

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

1. Heidegger Introduction (Guignon, pp. 183-211).
2. Being and Time (Guignon, pp. 211-254).

WEDNESDAY: 1. FILM #5: Ikiru (Recital Hall, 8:00 PM).

THURSDAY: HEIDEGGER'S CRITIQUE OF MODERN PHILOSOPHY.

1. Being and Time (Continued).
2. Discussion of The Conversation.
3. Discussion of Ikiru.

WEEK SEVEN

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

1. Being and Time (End).
2. Midterm Assignment #2.

WEDNESDAY: 1. FILM # 6: The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Recital Hall, 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.

WEEK EIGHT

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

1. The Philosophy of the Act.

WEDNESDAY: 1. FILM #7: Nobody's Fool (Recital Hall, 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

WEEK NINE

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

1. Sartre Introduction (Guignon, pp. 255-276).
2. The Humanism of Existentialism (Guignon, pp. 290-308).
3. Being and Nothingness (309-359).

WEDNESDAY: 1. FILM #8: The Passenger (Recital Hall, 8:00 PM).

THURSDAY: SARTRE'S CONCEPT OF EXISTENTIALISM.

1. Discussion of The Passenger.

WEEK TEN

TUESDAY: BAD FAITH, FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY.

1. Review.

THURSDAY: REVIEW & COURSE EVALUATIONS

FINALS WEEK: