Why Study This Course?
We will explore the key themes raised in William Barrett?s ?Irrational Man, a book freely available on the internet.
Barrett discusses existentialism and its background, including the philosophical tradition to which existentialism was a reaction. He outlines the views of philosophers from Plato to Hegel, tracing the development of ideas about being, ontology, and metaphysics.
Themes include:
The Advent of Existentialism
The Encounter with Nothingness and the decline of Religion
Alienation and the Rational Ordering of Society
Science and Finitude
And an overview of the views of the foremost existentialists--Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Sartre.
On this programme of learning you have an opportunity to develop confidence in reading a range of primary texts and secondary interpretations.
You will able to develop an overview of key concepts and have the opportunity to apply them to current situations
An open mind and a willingness to read and discuss is all that is required.
You will be given an opportunity to assess your own progress and review your studies