Philosophy

The popular view of the “existentialist” owes much to Jean-Paul Sartre–the most well known philosopher of post WW II Europe. Having studied with Edmund Husserl, who exposed him to the method of “pure phenomenology,” Sartre would apply this method in his descriptions of human freedom as “dread,” “bad-faith,” “the look,” and “desire,” to mention just a few of the themes found in his philosophical texts, plays, and novels. The course will concentrate primarily on his Being and Nothingness, to explore how Sartre recognizes the intentional structure of human consciousness in relation to ourselves, our bodies, human relationships, atheism, and the world.