Existentialism and Humanism: An Introduction to Continental Philosophy

What makes us 'human'? Is our humanity something we 'do' or something we 'are'? Can we be more or less human? How do we give meaning to our human existence or is that existence ultimately meaningless? Are we now post-human? What is humanism and how has it affected our political and social structures? How do we treat others and how should we treat them? Are we ever really free? In this module we examine approaches to these and related questions from the European philosophical tradition. Thinkers we will read include: Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Marx, Beauvoir, Sartre, Fanon, Foucault and Braidotti. Our main themes will be: rationality, freedom, responsibility. Further details will be posted on Brightspace.