Authenticity and Existentialism
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| PHIL3034 | Philosophy | 3 | 20 | Spring UK |
- Code
- PHIL3034
- School
- Philosophy
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
This module is about their the ideal of authenticity, roughly: The ideal of being true to oneself.
We will be asking questions like what authenticity is, what it requires of us, why it matters, whether being moved by it need be narcissistic, and what its connection is with other philosophically interesting concepts like free will, autonomy, morality, and self-creation. We will explore such questions a-historically, but we will also look at how they have been handled by certain historical thinkers and schools of thought, especially the 19th and 20th Century Existentialists. Philosophers liable to be on the agenda include: Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, and Beauvoir (from the Existentialist School); Frankfurt, Watson, and Wolff (from the Contemporary Compatibilist School); Kantians such as Korsgaard and Velleman; and contemporary theorists preoccupied with authenticity and self-expression, such as Bernard Williams. Specific questions on the agenda might include:
• What is it to display authenticity in one's actions and why think that authenticity is a virtue?
• What is it to act freely? Is this just the same thing as acting authentically, or are these different?
• How are we to square the possibility of free action with the truth of various determinist theses in metaphysics and also the obvious fact that we have no control over aspects of our lives which seem important from the point of view of responsibility? Does connecting freedom with authenticity help to solve these problems?
• What makes it the case that we have duties to other people and what is the content of these duties? Do any of these duties clash with the ideal of authenticity?
• Does one lead a life which is less free or less authentic to the extent that one fails to act on moral commitments, or are moral commitments an optional add-on to the life of the authentic agent?
• What impact might the view that value is constructed by the individual have on our answer to these questions?
Any reassessments will take the form of coursework.
Target Students
Third year single honours and joint honours Philosophy students. Also available to Liberal Arts students in their final year who have completed either PHIL1012 or PHIL1013. Also available to exchange students.
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 10 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 10 weeks
Assessment
- 50% Coursework 1: Mid Term - 2,500 word essay
- 50% EXAM 1 (3-hour): 3 hour online exam
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
This module aims to deepen students’ understanding of the nature of authenticity and its relation to other philosophically interesting categories like freedom, autonomy, morality, and self-creation. Since the mode of study of these topics is partly historical, students will also be provided with an in-depth understanding of certain historical debates about the nature of authenticity and of how those historical debates might inform our own thinking about these matters. By the end of the module, students will be able to articulate their own view of what authenticity consists in and how it is valuable (if at all); what freedom consists in and how it is connected with authenticity; and whether authenticity and freedom place limits on morality or vice-versa. They will also be able to relate their views to those of prominent Existentialists.Learning Outcomes
A. Knowledge & Understanding.
By the end of this module you should be able to understand, and demonstrate a clear grasp of, the main positions in the philosophical debates covered by the module.
B. Intellectual Skills.
By the end of this module you should be able to:
- B1. Identify the underlying issues in the debates discussed.
- B2. Analyse the structure of complex and controversial problems, with an understanding of major strategies of reasoning designed to solve such problems.
- B3. Read carefully and interpret texts drawn from a variety of traditions, with sensitivity to context.
- B4. Abstract, analyse and construct logical arguments, employing techniques of formal and informal methods of reasoning as appropriate, together with an ability to recognise any relevant fallacies.
- B5. Recognise and judge for yourself the strengths and weaknesses of arguments on both sides of each philosophical issue.
- B6. Appreciate and articulate how cultural context shapes philosophical thought and practice. B7. Understand how translation of terminology can affect philosophical understanding.
C. Practical Skills.
By the end of this module you should be able to
- C1. Identify textually-based arguments and subject their structure and implications to rigorous assessment.
- C2. Understand any relevant specialist philosophical terminology and be able to use it properly.
- C3. Review unfamiliar ideas with an open mind and a willingness to change one’s mind when appropriate.
- C4. Locate ideas and concerns within their historical and cultural context and explain this to others.
D. Transferable Skills.
By the end of this module you should be able to
- D1. Express views on (abstract) issues clearly and concisely in writing.
- D2. Participate effectively and appropriately in constructive debate on relevant issues.
- D3. Work autonomously and manage one’s own work to time limits.
- D4. Marshal a complex body of information, construct cogent arguments in the evaluation of this material, and present a clear and well-structured assessment of relevant considerations.
- D5. Think creatively, self-critically and independently about new and unfamiliar problems.
- D6. Explain ideas and terms from other cultures in a clear, concise, and philosophically precise manner.
- D7. Information Literacy: the ability to independently find and evaluate sources of information.