University of St Andrews

Key information

SCOTCAT credits : 30

ECTS credits : 15

Level : SCQF level 10

Semester: 1

Availability restrictions: Not automatically available to General Degree students

Planned timetable: To be confirmed.

The module provides an introduction to phenomenology and existentialist philosophy. We shall first examine four classic works in this tradition, namely, Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit, Heidegger’s Being and Time, Sartre’s Being and Nothingness, and Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology of Perception. We shall then explore the enduring influence of existentialism on post-colonial thinking, by focusing on two prominent Black philosophers, Lewis R. Gordon and Achille Mbembe, who have challenged and reshaped our understanding of existentialist philosophy and phenomenology. The topics to be discussed in the module include existentialist ethics, truth and normativity, perception, consciousness, and, last but not least, the distinctive account of the meaning of life given by existentialist philosophers.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisite(s): Before taking this module you must pass PY1012

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact: 1 x 2-hour lecture, 1 x 1-hour seminar

Assessment pattern

As used by St Andrews: Coursework = 100%


Re-assessment: 1 or more essays to a total of 7,000 words = 100%

Personnel

Module coordinator: Dr G W B Pedriali
Module teaching staff: Dr W Pedriali
Module coordinator email walter.pedriali@st-andrews.ac.uk

Intended learning outcomes

• Engage with some of the main themes of modern European philosophy in the existentialist tradition
• Critically evaluate central issues raised in philosophical theories of perception, consciousness, normativity, and value
• Present in a clear, analytical way topics and texts that are often formulated without sufficient clarity
• Consolidate further their ability to work together in seminars and lectures