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CS92PROD
Existentialism
PHIL 256
Fall 2020 not offered
Crosslisting: COL 253

This course is an introduction to 20th-century French existentialism. "Existentialism" is both a philosophical tradition and a term that is central to the intellectual history of Western thought. The term was explicitly adopted as a self-description by Jean-Paul Sartre and was widely disseminated both by his own literary and philosophical contributions and those of his associates--notably Simone de Beauvoir, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and Albert Camus. Existentialism became identified with a cultural movement that flourished in Europe in the 1940s and '50s. It also resonated widely with anti-colonial thinkers across the globe. Thus, through the work of Frantz Fanon, Richard Wright, and Sartre's own intellectual engagement with colonialism and oppression, we will also explore the ways in which existentialism gradually became an intellectual and political tool for contestation against racism and European imperialism.
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: SBS PHIL
Course Format: LectureGrading Mode: Graded
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Requirement for: (PHIL)(PHIL-Social Jus)

Last Updated on DEC-26-2024
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