Exploring Existential Texts: Sartre's 'Being and Nothingness.'



Overview

Widely regarded as the most important philosopher of the existentialist movement, Jean-Paul Sartre's work turned a loosely established set of philosophical ideas concerning human nature into a fully-fledged school of thought coined 'existentialism' by Gabriel Marcel. Sartre's magnum opus, the weighty 'Being and Nothingness', reimagined the Fichtean notions of objective (in-itself) and subjective (for-itself) modes of being before adding a third 'being-for-others.'

This course seeks to examine this vital, but sometimes intimidating, text in an easy and approachable manner, situating it in the context of influences from Heidegger and Freud. By studying Sartre's engagement with subjects like self-consciousness, subjectivity, nothingness and self-deception, one finds a subtle and nuanced view of human nature which offers a fascinating vision of the self in philosophical and psychological terms.

Programme details

Course begins: 28th Sept 2023

Week 1: Influences on Sartre

Week 2: Negation and nothingness

Week 3: 'Bad faith'

Week 4: Being-for-itself

Week 5: Temporality

Week 6: Being-for-others

Week 7: The body

Week 8: Being and doing

Week 9: Doing and having

Week 10: Sartre's influence

Certification

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £257.00
Take this course for CATS points £10.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Magnus Moar

Tutor

Magnus Moar is a graduate of Oxford and Sussex Universities with a doctoral thesis focussing on the work of Kierkegaard.  Magnus has a published article on Kierkegaard and Levinas and has been teaching undergraduates for fifteen years.

Course aims

The aim of this course is to provide students with a sound knowledge of the key concepts and ideas within Sartre's great work, 'Being and Nothingness'.

Course Objectives:

  • Enable students to develop a good understanding of Sartre's philosophical concerns.
  • Develop a keen insight into the text and appreciate the implications of its themes.
  • Situate Sartre within the context of Twentieth Century philosophical thinking.

Teaching methods

The sessions will be in a seminar format including both presentation of the key ideas and open discussion based around short extracts and articles. Students will have the opportunity, if they wish, to give a short presentation as a part of their portfolio assessment.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • be able to discuss some of the major concerns within the texts studied.
  • improve their critical and analytical skills within philosophical thinking more generally.
  • develop a keener sense of inter-communication through group discussion.

Assessment methods

The assessment will follow option A with three short assignments over the course, though students are also welcome to follow option B and submit a single longer assignment with an earlier draft.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support