“To philosophize is to learn to die.” [« Philosophiser c’est apprendre à mourir »]. These are the famous words declared by the French essayist and philosopher Michel de Montaigne (1533- 1592), echoing the ancient statesman Cicero (106 – 43 BCE). And in this proclamation is an invitation for one to reflect on what it means to truly live. What sorts of persons are we? How can and do we come to define ourselves? What is the nature of the relationship between the individual and society? And most importantly, how ought we to edify and conduct ourselves in our lives and in the world at large? This course will survey these themes from prominent thinkers throughout the 19th and 20th century.

“To philosophize is to learn to die.” [« Philosophiser c’est apprendre à mourir »]. These are the famous words declared by the French essayist and philosopher Michel de Montaigne (1533- 1592), echoing the ancient statesman Cicero (106 – 43 BCE). And in this proclamation is an invitation for one to reflect on what it means to truly live. What sorts of persons are we? How can and do we come to define ourselves? What is the nature of the relationship between the individual and society? And most importantly, how ought we to edify and conduct ourselves in our lives and in the world at large? This course will survey these themes from prominent thinkers throughout the 19th and 20th century.

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Identify and situate historical trends in the western philosophical canon.

• Explicate and critically analyze the complexities of primary sources.

• Synthesize and contextualize myriad and sometimes [seemingly] disparate ideas and

themes.

• Understand how to deconstruct and formulate philosophical arguments.

• Conduct sound academic research.

• Reflect upon the deeper meaning of texts and how they relate to subjects beyond

circumscribed fields.

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Identify and situate historical trends in the western philosophical canon.

• Explicate and critically analyze the complexities of primary sources.

• Synthesize and contextualize myriad and sometimes [seemingly] disparate ideas and

themes.

• Understand how to deconstruct and formulate philosophical arguments.

• Conduct sound academic research.

• Reflect upon the deeper meaning of texts and how they relate to subjects beyond

circumscribed fields.

This course will be taught by Shawn Christopher Vigil

Contact: 2quillswriting@gmail.com
Office Hours: TBD

Week I: General Introduction

Week II: Kant, “An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?” In Practical Philosophy,

pp. 11 - 22.

Week III: Schopenhauer, Ch. 2: “What a Man Is,” in Parerga and Paralipomena, pp. 323 - 345.

Week IV: Schopenhauer, Ch. 4: “What a Man Represents,” in Parerga and Paralipomena, pp.

535 - 403.

Week V: Nietzsche, “Schopenhauer as Educator,” in Untimely Meditations, pp. 127 - 130.

Week VI: Kierkegaard, “Either/Or, A Fragment of Life I,” in The Essential Kierkegaard, pp. 37 -

65.

Week VIII: Kierkegaard, “Either/Or, A Fragment of Life II,” in The Essential Kierkegaard, pp.

66- 85.

Week IX: Heidegger, “Building Dwelling, Thinking,” in Poetry, Language, Thought, pp. 141 -

160.

Week X: Heidegger, “Letter on Humanism,” in Basic Writings, pp. 213 - 266.

Week XI: Beauvoir, Ch. 1: “Ambiguity and Freedom,” in The Ethics of Ambiguity, pp. 7 - 32.

Week XII: Beauvoir, Ch. 3 “The Positive Aspects of Ambiguity,” in The Ethics of Ambiguity, §1,

2, 5.

This course will be taught by Shawn Christopher Vigil

Contact: 2quillswriting@gmail.com
Office Hours: TBD

Week I: General Introduction

Week II: Kant, “An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?” In Practical Philosophy,

pp. 11 - 22.

Week III: Schopenhauer, Ch. 2: “What a Man Is,” in Parerga and Paralipomena, pp. 323 - 345.

Week IV: Schopenhauer, Ch. 4: “What a Man Represents,” in Parerga and Paralipomena, pp.

535 - 403.

Week V: Nietzsche, “Schopenhauer as Educator,” in Untimely Meditations, pp. 127 - 130.

Week VI: Kierkegaard, “Either/Or, A Fragment of Life I,” in The Essential Kierkegaard, pp. 37 -

65.

Week VIII: Kierkegaard, “Either/Or, A Fragment of Life II,” in The Essential Kierkegaard, pp.

66- 85.

Week IX: Heidegger, “Building Dwelling, Thinking,” in Poetry, Language, Thought, pp. 141 -

160.

Week X: Heidegger, “Letter on Humanism,” in Basic Writings, pp. 213 - 266.

Week XI: Beauvoir, Ch. 1: “Ambiguity and Freedom,” in The Ethics of Ambiguity, pp. 7 - 32.

Week XII: Beauvoir, Ch. 3 “The Positive Aspects of Ambiguity,” in The Ethics of Ambiguity, §1,

2, 5.

Students will be assessed on a summative essay of approximately 3,000 words on a topic of their

choosing related to any of the themes or texts discussed throughout the course. An optional

formative essay (i.e., a working preliminary draft of the summative essay, typically of half the

length) will be welcomed at mid-term. While the formative is ungraded, it is strongly

recommended to submit some of the ideas you have in mind to receive feedback toward the

summative essay. The summative essay will be due at the end of the term.

Students will be assessed on a summative essay of approximately 3,000 words on a topic of their

choosing related to any of the themes or texts discussed throughout the course. An optional

formative essay (i.e., a working preliminary draft of the summative essay, typically of half the

length) will be welcomed at mid-term. While the formative is ungraded, it is strongly

recommended to submit some of the ideas you have in mind to receive feedback toward the

summative essay. The summative essay will be due at the end of the term.

Required texts:

Beauvoir, Simone de. The Ethics of Ambiguity. Translated by Bernard Frechtman. Secausus:

Citadel Press, 1948.

Heidegger, Martin. “Letter on Humanism.” In Basic Writings. Edited by David Farrell Krell. San

Francisco: HarperCollins Publishers, 1993.

• -----------. “Building, Dwelling, Thinking.” In Language, Poetry, Thought. Translated by Albert

Hofstadter. New York: HaperCollins Books, 2001.

Kant, Immanuel. “An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?” In Practical

Philosophy. Translated and edited by Mary J. Gregor. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press, 1999.

Kierkegaard, Søren. The Essential Kierkegaard. Edited by Howard A. Hong and Edna H Hong.

Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000.

Nietzsche, Friedrich. Untimely Meditations. Translated by R.J. Hollingdale. Edited by Daniel

Breazeale. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.

Schopenhauer, Arthur. Parerga and Paralipomena: Volume I. Translated by E.F.J. Payne.

Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2000.

All texts will be made available to students by the instructor.

Further Reading:

Heidegger, Martin. Being and Time. Translated by Joan Stambaugh. Albany: State University of

New York Press, 2010.

Kant, Immanuel. “Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals” In Practical Philosophy.

Translated and edited by Mary J. Gregor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Kierkegaard, Søren. Concluding Unscientific Postscript. Translated and edited by Alastair

Hannay. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Korsgaard, Christine M., Creating the Kingdom of Ends. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press, 1996.

Nietzsche, Friedrich. On Truth and Untruth. Translated and edited by Taylor Carmen. New

York: HarperCollins Books, 2010.

Reid, James. Heidegger’s Moral Ontology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019.

Sartre, Jean-Paul. Existentialism is a Humanism. Translated by Carol Macomber. New Haven:

Yale University Press, 2007.

Required texts:

Beauvoir, Simone de. The Ethics of Ambiguity. Translated by Bernard Frechtman. Secausus:

Citadel Press, 1948.

Heidegger, Martin. “Letter on Humanism.” In Basic Writings. Edited by David Farrell Krell. San

Francisco: HarperCollins Publishers, 1993.

• -----------. “Building, Dwelling, Thinking.” In Language, Poetry, Thought. Translated by Albert

Hofstadter. New York: HaperCollins Books, 2001.

Kant, Immanuel. “An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment?” In Practical

Philosophy. Translated and edited by Mary J. Gregor. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press, 1999.

Kierkegaard, Søren. The Essential Kierkegaard. Edited by Howard A. Hong and Edna H Hong.

Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000.

Nietzsche, Friedrich. Untimely Meditations. Translated by R.J. Hollingdale. Edited by Daniel

Breazeale. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.

Schopenhauer, Arthur. Parerga and Paralipomena: Volume I. Translated by E.F.J. Payne.

Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2000.

All texts will be made available to students by the instructor.

Further Reading:

Heidegger, Martin. Being and Time. Translated by Joan Stambaugh. Albany: State University of

New York Press, 2010.

Kant, Immanuel. “Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals” In Practical Philosophy.

Translated and edited by Mary J. Gregor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Kierkegaard, Søren. Concluding Unscientific Postscript. Translated and edited by Alastair

Hannay. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

Korsgaard, Christine M., Creating the Kingdom of Ends. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press, 1996.

Nietzsche, Friedrich. On Truth and Untruth. Translated and edited by Taylor Carmen. New

York: HarperCollins Books, 2010.

Reid, James. Heidegger’s Moral Ontology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019.

Sartre, Jean-Paul. Existentialism is a Humanism. Translated by Carol Macomber. New Haven:

Yale University Press, 2007.