Unit Guide PHL 238 2012 D2

PHL 238Existential QuestionsD2 2012

Philosophy

ContentsMacquarie University has taken all reasonablemeasures to ensure the information in thispublication is accurate and up-to-date. However, theinformation may change or become out-dated as aresult of change in University policies, procedures orrules. The University reserves the right to makechanges to any information in this publicationwithout notice. Users of this publication are advisedto check the website version of this publication [orthe relevant faculty or department] before acting onany information in this publication.

General Information 2

Learning Outcomes 2

Assessment Tasks 3

Delivery and Resources 4

Unit Schedule 16

Policies and Procedures 19

Graduate Capabilities 20

Changes since First Published 26

Disclaimer

http://unitguides.mq.edu.au/unit_offerings/3783/unit_guide/print 1

General Information

Learning Outcomes1. An understanding of core concepts in phenomenology and existentialism

2. An understanding of how the core concepts of phenomenology and existentialism can be

applied to problems of intersubjectivity, identity, embodiment and freedom

3. An ability to critically consider and analyse philosophical arguments and theories with

imagination

Unit convenor and teaching staffUnit ConvenorDamion [email protected] via [email protected]

Credit points3

Prerequisites12cp or admission to GDipArts or permission of Executive Dean of Faculty

Corequisites

Co-badged status

Unit descriptionAt the beginning of the 20th century, a new philosophical method emerged, devised by EdmundHusserl, which had a profound impact on the discipline and continues to thrive to this day. The aimof phenomenology is to return to the things themselves, to describe the multiple ways in whichthe world is accessed by humans in different forms of experience. Phenomenology thus studies theforms of experience making possible, for example, the perception of objects in space, theconsciousness of time, the relationship of the self to its own body and to other bodies. The unitbegins with an examination of Husserls initial characterisation of phenomenology. We then studythe thoughts of his most influential heirs: Heidegger's turn towards everyday experience and thefundamental question of Being; Sartre's existentialist modification of phenomenology,emphasising its implications for human freedom; and Merleau-Ponty's focus on the body, as theorigin of meaningful interactions with the world. We consider phenomenological and existentialistapproaches to ethics and aesthetics, as well as the growing interest in phenomenologyscontribution to cognitive science.

Unit convenor and teaching staffCredit pointsPrerequisitesCorequisitesCo-badged statusUnit description

Unit guide PHL 238 Existential Questions


mailto:[email protected]

4. Present and explain, in a clear, coherent and logical way, philosophical arguments and theories

in written form

5. Express and defend your own ideas with clarity and rigour

6. Engage constructively and respectfully with the view of peers, as well as actively participate in

group discussions

Assessment TasksName Weighting Due

Reading Exercise 20% 4pm Thursday 23 August

Essay 1 35% 4pm Thursday 27 September

Essay 2 35% 4pm Thursday 15 November

Tutorials / Online Discussion 10% Throughout semester

Reading ExerciseDue: 4pm Thursday 23 AugustWeighting: 20%

This Assessment Task relates to the following Learning Outcomes:

An understanding of core concepts in phenomenology and existentialism

An understanding of how the core concepts of phenomenology and existentialism can be


An ability to critically consider and analyse philosophical arguments and theories with

imagination

Present and explain, in a clear, coherent and logical way, philosophical arguments and theories

in written form

Express and defend your own ideas with clarity and rigour

Essay 1Due: 4pm Thursday 27 SeptemberWeighting: 35%








imagination


in written form


Essay 2Due: 4pm Thursday 15 NovemberWeighting: 35%






imagination


in written form


Tutorials / Online DiscussionDue: Throughout semesterWeighting: 10%






imagination


Engage constructively and respectfully with the view of peers, as well as actively participate in

group discussions

Delivery and ResourcesDELIVERY AND TECHNOLOGYDelivery:



Day, External

Technology used:

iLecture, iLearn

Unit web page:

The web page for this unit can be found at the MQ iLearn website:

https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/

Lectures will be recorded using the iLecture/Echo system, and can be downloaded from the link on thePHL238 iLearn web page.

TIMES AND LOCATIONS FOR LECTURES AND TUTORIALSFor current updates, lecture times and classrooms, please consult the MQ Timetables website:

http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au

Lecture 1: Thursday 09:00am, E5A 180

Lecture 2: Friday 11:00am, W5A 101

Tutorial 1: Thursday 10:00am, W5A 201

Tutorial 2: Friday 12:00am, X5B 138

Internal students must enrol in one of the two allocated tutorials. Note that turorials commence inweek 2.

Locations are subject to change at the start of semester, so please ensure that you check your tutorialvenue prior to attending your first tutorial in week 2.

REQUIRED READINGUnit Reader: PHL238 Existential Questions

This is compulsory reading, and will be extensively used in lectures and tutorials. It can be purchasedfrom the Co-op Bookshop, and should be available in the first week of lectures. It is compulsory topurchase a copy of the Unit Reader. Bring it to all lecture and tutorials.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATIONThe reading exercise and essays:The reading exercise is designed to assist you to read a philosophical text and analyse a philosophcialargument. You will be asked to comment on the ideas contained in a short passage from a text andconnect them with the rest of the text. You are not expected to consult any sources outside thereadings in the Unit Reader. The reading exercise will be handed out in class and posted on the unitweb page in week 2. They will be returned, with written comments and a marking rubric, to internalstudents in tutorials and to external students via the Centre for Open Education no later than week 6.

The two essays are designed to test the depth of your understanding of a particular topic, yourcapacity to understand and analyse philosophical arguments, to structure a logical argument and to



develop your own point of view, informed by the relevant literature. For essays you are expected toread beyond the Unit Reader. You should consult the list of additional references included in this UnitOutline. The essays will be handed out in class and posted on the unit web page at least 4 weeks beforethe due date. They will be returned, with written comments and a marking rubric, to internal studentsin tutorials and to external students via the Centre for Open Education no later than 3 weeks aftersubmission. The second essay and any other written work not collected by internal students in tutorialswill be available for collection from the Faculty of Arts Student Enquiry Office on the ground floor ofbuilding W6A.

Internal students should submit their reading exercises and essays via the locked boxes (marked'Philosophy') on the ground floor of building W6A. External students should submit their readingexercises and essays via the Centre for Open Education. It is important that you keep a copy of yourreading exercises and essays, just in case they are needed.

Requests for extensions for the reading exercise and essays should be made at least 3 days before thedue date. Reading exercises and essays submitted after the due date, or after the approved extensiondate, will lose 1 mark per day, including weekends and public holidays (e.g. an essay awarded 23/35, but submitted three days late, would receive 20/35). Note that work done concurrently in otherunits or time taken up due to extra-curricular activities are not legitimate reasons for an extension. Youwill be asked to supply documentation from a doctor, counsellor or other appropriate person forextension requests of one week or more.

All reading exercises and essays must be submitted within 14 days of the due date. No writtenassignment will be accepted after this time unless there are very special circumstances and, preferably,a Special Consideration application has been submitted and approved. Contact the Faculty of ArtsEnquiry Office on the gorund floor of building W6A for information about Special Considerationapplications.

Tutorial attendance and participation (internal students):It is mandatory for internal students to attend turorials. They will be assessed on their attendance andcontribution to tutorial discussions. Tutorial participation requires more than just showing up for class.Students are expected to have done the required readings for each week, and to be prepared to discussand debate issues arising from the readings. Marks will be awarded according to the record ofattendance, the quality of participation, the frequency of active involvement and the ability to engagein discussion with others. Attendance at a minimum of 75% of tutorials is a requirement for passingthe unit. If you are unable to attend a turtorial, please let the unit convenor know beforehand.

Online participation (external students):External students will be assessed on their contribution to ongoing online discussions throughoutthe semester. They are expected to have done the required readings for each week, and to be preparedto discuss and debate issues arising from the readings on a fairly regular basis. Marks will be awardedaccording to the regularity of participation, the quality of participation, the frequency of activeinvolvement and the ability to engage in discussion with others. Failure to participate in onlinediscussions will mean that you will not get a better overall mark for the unit.



WRITING PHILOSOPHY ESSAYSWriting a philosophy essay provides you with the chance to work out what you think about animportant philosophical question. You will sometimes already know what you think (at least, you willthink that you know). In this case, working on the essay will provide you with the opportunity to reflecton and clarify your thinking - and perhaps to change your mind. Writing a philosophy essay alsoprovides you with the opportunity to learn about the views of significant philosophers and to developyour own views in critical relation with theirs. Finally, writing a philosophy essay provides you with theopportunity to present your views in a form appropriate for public discussion. It requires you to providereasons why others should accept your views; it also means that your views are subject to the criticalscrutiny of others.

Before you start writing, draw up a rough plan of your projected essay, covering all the relevant issues.As you write, you will find that issues that originally seemed easy are more difficult than you hadthought, and sometimes you will find that you want to change direction, or even your mind, as youwrite. It is not uncommon to discover that you need to do more reading. So it is very important to leaveyourself enough time to do this. When you have completed your first draft, you need to make sure thatyou have covered all the issues, and that it develops in a coherent fashion from beginning to end.(Often you will find that you have changed course half way through and that the early material may nolonger be relevant to your conclusion).

It is important to give yourself enough time to think about your first draft, and then to rewrite it forsubmission. Your final aim must be to present your views so that they are comprehensible andplausible to your reader. Your marker will more often than not be less concerned about the positionsyou adopt than with your ability to provide reasons for them. (Of course, there are some positions thatare more difficult to support than others.) So whatever view you argue for, make sure that you haveprovided reasons why the reader should take it seriously and that you have taken into account possibleobjections to it. That you believe it is not a reason for your reader to believe it. Use argument ratherthan assertion, and reason rather than rhetoric.

Things to bear in mind:

Give yourself time to think about your essay. Good philosophy cannot be done in a hurry or at

the last minute.

Have a plan, but be flexible about it.

Give yourself time to rewrite.

Provide reasons that will persuade others that your views are correct or plausible.

Show that you have read and understood the views of the main philosophers who have

contributed to the debate (i.e. those who appear on the reading list).

Show that you have considered the main alternatives to your position and can criticise them

effectively.

Make sure that you have covered all the required aspects of the essay topic. If there are specific

questions asked, make sure that you have answered them all.



Avoid pretentiousness. Try to write as simply as is compatible with what you are trying to say.

Do not try to impress your reader with inflated language and terminology.

Most branches of philosophy have their own technical terms (jargon). So before you use these

terms, make sure that you understand them and show that you underatand them.

If possible, do not sit on the fence. Try to argue for a position, though taking into account its

problems and the criticisms that have been made of it.

Do not assume that your reader already knows what you are talking about. If you are talking

about an author or an example, provide enough detail for someone who does not know your

source to understand what you are talking about (and, incidentally, to show that you know

what you are talking about).

Quote sparingly. Use quotation to illustrate your argument, not to replace it.

Do not simply reproduce lecture notes. Where you make use of lecture notes, provide a

reference. If you use lecture material without acknowledgement, you will be guilty of

plagiarism (see below).

If possible, ask someone else to read the first draft of your essay, to help identify areas where

your essay may need to be clarified or expanded.

OTHER ADVICE ON WRITING ESSAYSMacquarie University provides a number of excellent services intended to provide support to studentsand to help with academic writing in general.

For general student study support information see:

http://www.futurestudent.mq.edu.au/undergraduate/AccessingStudentSupport/StudySupport/index.html#WritingHelp

Additional writing skills information is also available at:

http://www.sss.mq.edu.au/learning/undergrad/writing.htm

The university also provides brief Writing Skills courses. These are designed for Australian and Englishspeaking students. For details see:

http://www.ling.mq.edu.au/support/writing_skills/brochure.htm

Or contact Sue Spinks, Department of Linguistics. Email: [email protected], phone 9850 8770,room C5A 531.

There is also a Writing Skills Advisory Service which offers individual help. For details see:

http://www.coe.mq.edu.au/writing.html

Appointments can also be made in person through the Centre for Open Education in X5B, or by phoneon 9850 7470.

Online support is available through the Writing Gateway, via the MQ online learning website.



PLAGIARISMThe Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1971; republished 1987) definesPlagiarism as:

[T]he wrongful appropriation or purloining, and publication as ones own, of the ideas, or theexpression of the ideas (literary, artistic, musical, mechanical, etc.) of another.

If in writing an essay, you present material taken - either directly of indirectly - from the work ofsomeone else and do not acknowledge this, you will be guilty of plagiarism. Deliberate plagiarism isdishonest. It is a form of cheating and will be heavily penalised. Normally, when an essay is found tocontain deliberate plagiarism it is given no marks without the opportunity to resubmit. If there isevidence of systematic plagiarism, more severe disciplinary action will be taken.

Inadvertent plagiarism is more common. Often students do not realise that they have to acknowledgematerial they have taken from others or do not know how to do so. However, even inadvertentplagiarism allows the plagiarist an advantage over fellow students. It also shows that a student doesnot know how to go about writing academic essays. It will always be heavily penalised. The only way toavoid plagiarism is to acknowledge your sources.

A statement of the Universitys Academic Honesty policy is available at:

http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

REFERENCINGThe main point of referencing is to satisfy the requirement of academic honesty and courtesy to theauthor of the ideas you are using (see PLAGIARISM above). It is also necessary to make it easy for yourreader to locate and check your sources. There are various conventional ways of doing this, and somedisciplines show a marked preference for one convention over others. In philosophy, there is no oneestablished convention. If you have had to learn a method of citation for some other discipline, thenyou are welcome to use it in philosophy. The main thing is to learn one method and stick to it. Do nottry to make up your own. If you have not already adopted a referencing convention, then you could usethe following one, which is widely used in the humanities.

Indicate direct quotation in one of two ways:

for relatively short passage, use quotation marks;

for longer passages display the quote in an indented and separate paragraph. Do not use

quotation marks.

Provide the source of the passage in an endnote or footnote. For paraphrased material, or where yourarguments draw on the work of another, you should cite the source in the same way. At the end of thequotation or paraphrased material, put a number (superscript preferably, otherwise in brackets) afterthe relevant text. Usually this will be at the end of the sentence (after the full stop). This number willrefer to an endnote or a footnote. Use whichever suits you (but not both). Most word processingprogrammes make this easy.



In the first reference to a particular work, give full details. There are different conventions as to how thisshould be done for monographs (i.e. books on a single theme, usually - though not always - singleauthored); for chapters in edited collections; and for journal articles.

The following illustrate the relevant conventions:

1. Thomas Nagel, What Does it All Mean?: A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy (New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 1987), p. 44.

2. Amelie O. Rorty, The Place of Contemplation in Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics, in Amelie Rorty (ed.),Essays on Aristotles Ethics, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1980): 377-394, see p. 380

3. Will Kymlicka, Liberal Individualism and Liberal Neutrality, Ethics 99 (4), 1989: 883- 905, see p. 883.

Please follow these examples precisely (down to punctuation marks, their position, etc.).

If you refer to material contained in lectures, do so as follows:

4. Robert Sinnerbrink, Lecture on Epicureanism, Macquarie University, Lecture 4, March 2010.

In subsequent references, cut out the publisher details, name of collection, journal details, etc., and ifyou like, give an abbreviated version of the title. Thus:

5. Nagel, What Does it All Mean?, p. 49.

6. Rorty, The Place of Contemplation in Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics, p. 381.

7. Kymlicka, Liberal Individualism and Liberal Neutrality, p. 884.

8. Sinnerbrink, Lecture 4, March 2010.

Avoid Latin abbreviations such as ibid., op.cit., loc.cit., etc.

At the end of the essay, provide a bibliography containing all and only those works you have referred toin the body of the essay. Do not include work you should have used, but have not. The bibliography willreproduce the information contained in the first reference, with the following differences:

the surname will now come first, followed by the given name(s) - reversing the order in the

notes;

there will be no brackets around the publication details for monographs and collections (these

were in brackets in the notes).

The list will be in alphabetical order. Thus:

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kymlicka, Will: Liberal Individualism and Liberal Neutrality, Ethics 99 (4), 1989: 883-905.

Nagel, Thomas: What Does it All Mean?: A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy (New York: OxfordUniversity Press, 1987).

Rorty, Amelie O: The Place of Contemplation in Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics, in Amelie Rorty (ed.)Essays on Aristotles Ethics (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1980): 377-394.



Note that reference to material provided in Unit Readers should proceed as above, but you may add thenote: Accessed in PHL238 Unit Reader, Semester 2, 2012. In other words, you should get in the habit ofalways citing the original publication details of the material you are using. This will always be providedfor you in the Unit Reader, and also in the Unit Guide.

If you have problems not covered by these examples, use your common sense or consult your teacher.Alternatively, you may wish to consult one of the various Style Manuals available in bookshops or theMacquarie Library, e.g. The Chicago Manual of Style.

STANDARDS FOR ESSAY ASSESSMENTYour mark for essays will reflect the following standards.

Pass (50%-64%): work of this standard is competent and proficient. It

demonstrates a sufficient level of knowledge and understanding, but at a basic level, and there

may be inaccuracies;

refers to appropriate concepts and ideas, but lacks sufficient explanation or detail;

mostly focuses on relevant material, but engages at a relatively elementary level;

presents a very descriptive account of the topic and displays limited critical analysis of

arguments;

presents an argument which isnt very well structured, lacks clarity or isnt well defended with

evidence and argumentation;

references sources appropriately and thoroughly, though there may be minor errors;

uses largely satisfactory expression, though there may be minor spelling or grammatical errors;

has satisfactory structure and presentation.

Work that receives a pass ranges from minimally satisfactory work that just meets the requirements(marks closer to 50%) to work that is good in some areas, but weak or unsatisfactory in others. Workbelow 50% (fail) is generally unsatisfactory on most or all criteria.

Credit (65%-74%): work of this standard is consistently good or very good. It

demonstrates a sufficient level of knowledge and understanding;

focuses on relevant material;

presents a clearly structured argument;

demonstrates good synthesis, analysis, reflection and evaluation of arguments;

considers an adequate range of sources;

defends the authors own position with adequate argumentation and evidence;

has, where appropriate, complete and correct referencing of sources;

shows a good standard of grammar and spelling;

has satisfactory structure and presentation.



Distinction (75%-100%): excellent (marks 85%-100% are classed as High Distinction). Work of thisstandard is outstanding in some (and for a HD in all) respects. It

demonstrates thorough knowledge and understanding of the topic and relevant literature;

shows original, independent thinking about concepts and ideas;

presents a well-developed critical analysis of sources;

sustains clarity and focus throughout a subtle and complex discussion;

displays effective synthesis and analysis of a range of literature;

presents a good case for the authors own position;

references sources appropriately and thoroughly;\

presents a good standard of academic writing, free of errors.

High distinction work is well beyond the standard expected of undergraduate study at this level. Itsurpasses all these standards with exceptional flair.

ADDITIONAL REFERENCESThe following list of references will come in handy when researching for and writing your essays.

General:Barnes, H., Existentialist Ethics (University of Chicago Press, 1978).

Barrett, W., What is Existentialism? (Grove Press, 1964).

Cooper, D., Existentialism: A Reconstruction (Blackwell, 1990).

Crowel, S., The Cambridge Companion to Existentialism (Cambridge University Press, 2012).

Dreyfus, H. L. & Wrathall, M. A., A Companion to Phenomenology and Existentialism (Blackwell, 2006).

Grene, M., Introduction to Existentialism (University of Chicago Press, 1959).

Grossman, R., Phenomenology and Existentialism: An Introduction (Routledge, 1984).

Guignon, C. & Pereboom, C. (eds.), Existentialism: Basic Writings (Hackett, 1995).

Kaufmann, W., Existentialism: From Dostoievski to Sartre (New American Library, 1975).

Hammond, M., et al. (eds.), Understanding Phenomenology (Blackwell, 1991).

Macann, C., Four Phenomenological Philosophers (Routledge, 1993).

Macquarie, J., Existentialism (Penguin, 1972).

Moran, D., Introduction to Phenomenology (Routledge, 2000).

Olson, R., An Introduction to Existentialism (Dover Publications, 1962).

Patka, F., Existentialist Thinkers and Thought (Citadel Press, 1962).

Silverman, H. (ed.), The Horizons of Continental Philosophy (Kluwer, 1988).

Spiegelberg, H., The Phenomenological Movement (Martin Nijhoof, 1982).



Theunissen, M., The Other (MIT Press, 1984). Warnock, M., Existentialism (Oxford University Press, 1970).

Edmund Husserl:Moran, D., Edmund Husserl: Founder of Phenomenology (Polity, 2005).

Smith, B. & Woodruff Smith, D. (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Husserl (Cambridge University Press,1995).

Woodruff Smith, D., Husserl (Routledge, 2007).

Zahavi, D., Husserls Phenomenology (Stanford University Press, 2003).

Martin Heidegger:Blattner, W., Heideggers Being and Time: A Readers Guide (Continuum, 2006).

Caputo, J., Demythologizing Heidegger (Indiana University Press, 1993).

Chanter, T., Time, Death and the Feminine: Levinas with Heidegger (Stanford University Press, 2001).

Cooper, D., Heidegger (Claridge Press, 1996).

Critchley, S. Post-Deconstructive Subjectivity? Ethics, Politics, Subjectivity (Verso, 1999).

Dastur, F., Heidegger and the Question of Time (Humanities Press, 1995).

Dreyfus, H. L., Being-in-the-World: A Commentary on Hiedgerrs Being and Time (The MIT Press, 1991).

Dreyfus, H. L. & Wrathall, M. A. (eds.), A Companion to Heidegger (Blackwell, 2005).

Faulconer, J. E. & Wrathall, M. A. (eds.), Appropriating Heidegger (Cambridge University Press, 2000).

Guignon, C. (ed), The Cambridge Companion to Heidegger (Cambridge University Press, 2007).

King, M., Heideggers Philosophy: A Guide to His Basic Thought (Oxford University Press, 1964).

Kockelmans, J., Heideggers Being and Time: The Analytic of Dasein as Fundamental Ontology (UniversityPress of America, 1989).

Levinas, E., Martin Heidegger and Ontology, Diacritics 26:1 (1996).

Marion, J-L., Reduction and Givenness: Investigations of Husserl, Heidegger and Phenomenology(Northwestern University Press, 1998).

Mulhall, S., Routledge Philosophy Guidebook to Heidegger and Being and Time (Routledge, 1996).

Philipse, H., Heideggers Philosophy of Being (Princeton University Press, 1998).

Raffoul, F., Otherness and Individuation in Heidegger, Man and World 28 (1995).

Richardson, J. Existential Epistemology (Clarendon Press, 1986).

Scott, C. E., Heidegger and the Question of Ethics, Research in Phenomenology 18 (1988).

Steiner, G., Martin Heidegger (University of Chicago Press, 1978).

Taminiaux, J., Heidegger and the Project of Fundamental Ontology (SUNY, 1991).



Maurice Merleau-Ponty:Bernasconi, R., One-Way Traffic: The Ontology of Decolonization and its Ethics, in: Johnson, G. A. &Smith, M. B. (eds.), Ontology and Alterity in Merleau-Ponty (Northwestern University Press, 1990).

Busch, T. W., Ethics and Ontology: Levinas and Merleau-Ponty, Man and World 25:2 (1992).

Compton, J., Sartre, Merleau-Ponty and Human Freedom, The Journal of Philosophy LXXIX: 10 (1982).

Crossley, N., The Politics of Subjectivity: Between Foucault and Merleau-Ponty (Avebury, 1994).

Dillon, M. C., Merleau-Pontys Ontology (Indiana University Press, 1988).

Dillon, M. C., Sartre on the Phenomenal Body and Merleau-Pontys Critique, Journal of the BritishSociety for Phenomenology 5 (1974).

Dillon, M. C., Merleau-Ponty and the Psychogenesis of the Self, Journal of Phenomenological Psychology9 (1978).

Diprose, R, Corporeal Generosity: On Giving with Nietzsche, Merleau-Ponty, and Levinas (SUNY, 2002).

Johnson, G. A. & Smith, M. B. (eds.), Ontology and Alterity in Merleau-Ponty (Northwestern UniversityPress, 1990).

Langer, M., Merleau-Pontys Phenomenology of Perception: A Guide and Commentary (Macmillan, 1989).

Lefort, C., Flesh and Otherness, in: Johnson, G. A. & Smith, M. B. (eds.), Ontology and Alterity in Merleau-Ponty (Northwestern University Press, 1990).

Levin, D. M., Justice in the Flesh, in: Johnson, G. A. & Smith, M. B. (eds.), Ontology and Alterity in Merleau-Ponty (Northwestern University Press, 1990).

Low, D., Merleau-Ponty on Subjectivity and Intersubjectivity, International Studies in Philosophy 24: 3(1992).

Matustik, M. J., Merleau-Ponty on Taking the Attitude of the Other, The Journal of the British Society forPhenomenology 44-52 (1991).

Siegel, J., A Unique Way of Existing: Merleau-Ponty and the Subject, Journal of the History of Philosophy29 (1991).

Smith, M. B., Two Texts on Merleau-Ponty by Emmanuel Levinas Intersubjectivity: Notes on Merleau-Ponty and Sensibility, in: Johnson, G. A. & Smith, M. B. (eds.), Ontology and Alterity in Merleau-Ponty(Northwestern University Press, 1990).

Stenstad, G., Merleau-Pontys Logos: The Sens-ing of Flesh, Philosophy Today 37 (1993).

Taylor, C. and Hansen, M. B. N., The Cambridge Companion to Merleau-Ponty (Cambridge University Press,2006).

Jean-Paul Sartre:Anderson, T. C., Freedom as Supreme Value: The Ethics of Sartre and De Beauvoir, Proceedings of theAmerican Catholic Philosophical Association 50 (1976).



Anderson, T. C., Sartres Early Ethics and the Ontology of Being and Nothingness, in: Aronson, R. & VanDen Hoven, A. (eds.), Sartre Alive (Wayne State University Press, 1991).

Andrews, C., Jean-Paul Sartre and the Problem of the Other, Dialogue (PST) 27 (1984).

Aronson, R. & Van Den Hoven, A. (eds.), Sartre Alive (Wayne State University Press, 1991).

Barnes, H. E., Sartres Ontology: The Revealing and Making of Being, in: Howells, C. (ed.), The CambridgeCompanion to Sartre (Cambridge University Press, 1992).

Barnes, H. E., The Role of the Ego in Reciprocity, in: Aronson, R. & Van Den Hoven, A. (eds.), Sartre Alive(Wayne State University Press, 1991).

Bergoffen, D. B., The Look As Bad Faith, Philosophy Today 36 (1992).

Catalano, J. S., A Commentary on Jean-Paul Sartres Being and Nothingness (University of Chicago Press,1974). Danto, A. C., Sartre (Fontana Press, 1991).

Deutscher, M., Genre and Void: Looking Back at Sartre and de Beauvoir (Ashgate, 2003).

Fretz, L., Individuality in Sartres Philosophy, in: Howells, C. (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Sartre(Cambridge University Press, 1992).

Howells, C. (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Sartre (Cambridge University Press, 1992).

Howells, C., Sartre: The Necessity of Freedom (Cambridge University Press, 1988).

Jopling, D. A., Sartres Moral Psychology, in: Howells, C. (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Sartre(Cambridge University Press, 1992).

Jopling, D. A., Levinas, Sartre and Understanding the Other, The Journal of the British Society forPhenomenology 24:3 (1993).

Kruks, S., Situation and Human Existence (Unwin Hyman, 1990).

Levy, N., Sartre (Oneworld Publications, 2006).

McCulloch, G., Sartre: An Analytic Introduction to Early Satrean Themes (Routledge, 1994).

Mirvish, A., Bad Faith, Good Faith, and the Faith of Faith, in: Aronson, R. & Van Den Hoven, A. (eds.),Sartre Alive (Wayne State University Press, 1991).

Monasterio, X. O., The body in Being and Nothingness, in: Silverman, H. & Elliston, F. (eds.), Jean-PaulSartre: Contemporary Approaches to His Philosophy (Harvester Press, 1980).

Murphy, J. S., The Look in Sartre and Rich, Hypatia 2 (1987).

Silverman, H. & Elliston, F. (eds.), Jean-Paul Sartre: Contemporary Approaches to His Philosophy (HarvesterPress, 1980).

Simone de Beauvoir:Allen, J. & Young, I. M. (eds.), The Thinking Muse: Feminism and Modern French Philosophy (IndianaUniversity Press, 1989).

Bergoffen, D. B., The Philosophy of Simone de Beauvoir: Gendered Phenomenologies, Erotic Generosities(SUNY, 1997).



Unit Schedule

Kruks, S., Simone de Beauvoir: Teaching Sartre About Freedom, in: Aronson, R. & Van Den Hoven, A.(eds.) Sartre Alive (Wayne State University Press, 1991).

Langer, M., A Philosophical Retrieval of Simone de Beauvoirs Pour une Morale de Lambiguite,Philosophy Today 36 (1994).

Emmanuel Levinas:Bernasconi, R. & Critchley, S. (eds.), Re-reading Levinas (Indiana University Press, 1991).

Bernasconi, R. & Wood, D. (eds.), The Provocation of Levinas: Re-thinking the Other (Routledge, 1998).

Critchley, S. & Bernasconi, R. (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Levinas (Cambridge University Press,2002).

Davis, C., Levinas: An Introduction (University of Notre Dame Press, 1996).

WEEKLY LECTURE SCHEDULEIt is essential that you consult this Unit Outline regularly, especially prior to doing the readings inpreparation for class. The following schedule of lecture topics provides instructions on what readingsare relevant to each weeks lectures. It is your responsibility to make sure you do the correct readings. Itis also important that you attend lectures and tutorials each week because you may easily fall behind ifyou miss a class. Note that the page numbers below refer to those in the original texts, followed bypage numbers in the Unit Reader. Note also that the date for each week represents the beginning ofthe working week for second semester classes (Mondays).

Wk. 1: Husserl on phenomenological psychology (30 July)Confronting the natural attitude; from pure psychology to phenomenology; intentionality andconsciousness-of.

Required reading:

Edmund Husserl, Phenomenology article for the Encyclopaedia Britannica [1927], in: Shorter

Works, eds. Peter McCormick & Frederick A. Elliston (University of Notre Dame Press, 1981), pp.

21-35 / 2-16.

Additional reading:

Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Preface, Phenomenology of Perception [1945], trans. Colin Smith

(London: Routledge, 1962), pp. vii-xxi / 96-106.

Wk. 2: Husserl on the phenomenological method (6 August)The phenomenological reduction; noesis and noema; the eidetic reduction; overcoming psychologism;the transcendental reduction and ontology; intersubjectivity and empathy.

Required reading:



Edmund Husserl, Phenomenology article for the Encyclopaedia Britannica [1927], in: Shorter

Works, eds. Peter McCormick & Frederick A. Elliston (University of Notre Dame Press, 1981), pp.

21-35 / 2-16.

Additional reading:

Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Preface, Phenomenology of Perception [1945], trans. Colin Smith

(London: Routledge, 1962), pp. vii-xxi / 96-106.

Wk. 3: Heidegger on the question of Being (13 August)The meaning of Being; the forgetfulness of Being; formulating the question of Being; Dasein as theexemplary being; the ontic-ontological character of Dasein; the Dasein-world relation.

Required reading:

Martin Heidegger, Introduction to Being and Time [1927], trans. Joan Stambaugh, in: Basic

Writings, ed. David Farrell Krell (London: Routledge, 1978), pp. 38-63 / 17-29.

Wk. 4: Heidegger on being-in-the-world and being-with (20 August)The showing-itself of the thing; Dasein as being-in-the-world; ready-to-hand, unready-to-hand andpresent-at-hand; existential understanding; being-in-the-world as being-with; being-with as solicitude;the they.

Required reading:

Martin Heidegger, Introduction to Being and Time [1927], trans. Joan Stambaugh, in: Basic

Writings, ed. David Farrell Krell (London: Routledge, 1978), pp. 80-85 / 30-32.

Martin Heidegger, The Worldhood of the World & Being-in-the-world as Being-with and

Being Oneself. The They, Being and Time [1927], trans. John Macquarie & Edward Robinson

(Oxford: Blackwell, 1962), pp. 91-125, 149-168 / 33-62.

NB. The reading exercise is due in week 4 (Thursday, 23 August by 4pm)

Wk. 5: Heidegger on being-in, anxiety-care and being-towards-death (27August)The being-in of Dasein; the existential structure of Dasein; the discourse of the they; the falling ofDasein; anxiety and care; temporality and being-towards-death.

Required reading:

Martin Heidegger, Being-In As Such, Care as the Being of Dasein & Daseins Possibility of

Being-a-Whole, and Being-Towards-Death, Being and Time [1927], trans. John Macquarie &

Edward Robinson (Oxford: Blackwell, 1962), pp. 169-173, 182-203, 210-241, 304-311 / 62-95.



Wk. 6: Merleau-Ponty on perception and the body (3 September)Towards a phenomenology of incarnation; the primacy of perception; sensation, the body andintercommunication; bodily space; the body and intentionality.

Required reading:

Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Preface, Sense Experience & The Spatiality of Ones Own Body and

Motility, Phenomenology of Perception [1945], trans. Colin Smith (London: Routledge, 1962), pp.

vii-xxiv, 240-251, 112-131, 140-170 / 96-137.

Wk. 7: Merleau-Ponty on embodiment and intersubjectivity (10September)Classical philosophical psychology; the corporeal schema and other-experience; bodily self-experienceand the other; self-perception and other-perception; language and intersubjectivity.

Required reading:

Maurice Merleau-Ponty, The Childs Relations With Others, The Primacy of Perception [1960],

trans. William Cobb (Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1964), pp. 96-155 / 138-168.

Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Dialogue and Perception of the Other, The Prose of the World [1969],

ed. Claude Lefort, trans. John ONeill (Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1973), pp.

131-146 / 170-178.

MID-SEMESTER BREAK 17-28 September

NB. The first essay is due in the second week of the mid-semester break (Thursday, 27 Septemberby 4pm)

Wk. 8: Sartre on being-in-itself and being-for-itself (1 October)The Being of phenomena; thetic and non-thetic consciousness; being as being-in-itself; consciousnessas negation and nihilation; the origins of nothingness as freedom.

Required reading:

Jean-Paul Sartre, The Pursuit of Being & The Origin of Negation, Being and Nothingness

[1943], trans. Hazel E. Barnes (New York: Philosophical Library, 1956), 8-17, 20-30, 40-43, 56-65 /

180-200.

Wk. 9: Sartre on bad faith and the other (8 October)Consciousness as self-negation; bad faith as inauthenticity and self-negating transcendence; the unityof being-in-itself and being-for-itself; the other, situation and disintegration; being-for-the-other.

Required reading:



Policies and Procedures

Jean-Paul Sartre, Bad Faith, Immediate Structures of the For-Itself & The Existence of

Others, Being and Nothingness [1943], trans. Hazel E. Barnes (New York: Philosophical Library,

1956), pp. 86-113, 119-133, 340-347 / 201-226.

Wk. 10: Sartre on intersubjectivity, freedom and the situation (15October)Intentional purposiveness and possibility; the other and consciousness modified; freedom and theother; intersubjectivity as conflict; resistance and the situation.

Required reading:

Jean-Paul Sartre, The Existence of Others & Being and Doing: Freedom, Being and

Nothingness [1943], trans. Hazel E. Barnes (New York: Philosophical Library, 1956), pp. 347-400,

619-629 / 226-259.

Wk. 11: De Beauvoir on ambiguity, freedom and the other (22 October)The concept of ambiguity; freedom denied and self-denied; the situation, freedom and joy; freedom asintersubjectivity; the infantile world and the sub-man; freedom, moral choice and the past.

Required reading:

Simone de Beauvoir, Personal Freedom and Others & The Positive Aspect of Freedom, The

Ethics of Ambiguity [1947], trans. Bernard Frechtmen (New York: Citadel Press, 1948), pp. 35-49,

78-83, 86-95, 134-135 / 260-276.

Wk. 12: Merleau-Ponty on freedom, embodiment and the situation;Levinas on critiquing phenomenology (29 October)Critiquing abstract freedom; action and temporality; the body and intersubjectivity; history, thesituation and lived freedom. Critiquing fundamental ontology; responsibility to being; the irreducibilityof the other; ethics as fundamental.

Required reading:

Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Freedom, trans. Colin Smith, in: Basic Writings, ed. Thomas Baldwin

(London: Routledge, 2004), pp. 209-233 / 277-290.

Emmanuel Levinas, Is Ontology Fundamental? [1951], trans. Peter Atterton, Philosophy Today

33:2 (Summer, 1989), pp. 121-129 / 291-299.

NB. There are no classes in week 13.

NB. The second essay is due in the first week of the exam period (Thursday, 15 November by 4pm)

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should beaware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:



http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/

Student Support

Student Enquiry Service

Equity Support

IT Help

Graduate CapabilitiesDiscipline Specific Knowledge and SkillsOur graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge,scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competentand confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant,professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate thestructure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novelsituations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Academic Honesty Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/special_consideration/policy.html

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of PolicyCentral.

Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these servicescan be accessed at: http://students.mq.edu.au/support/.

UniWISE provides:

Online learning resources and academic skills workshops http://www.mq.edu.au/

learning_skills/

Personal assistance with your learning & study related questions.

The Learning Help Desk is located in the Library foyer (level 2).

Online and on-campus orientation events run by Mentors@Macquarie.

Details of these services can be accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au/ses/.

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Support Unit who can provideappropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

If you wish to receive IT help, we would be glad to assist you at http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/.

When using the university's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to allwho connect to the MQ network including students and it outlines what can be done.



http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.htmlhttp://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.htmlhttp://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.htmlhttp://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/special_consideration/policy.htmlhttp://www.mq.edu.au/policy/category.html#l_thttp://students.mq.edu.au/support/http://www.mq.edu.au/learning_skills/http://www.mq.edu.au/learning_skills/http://www.student.mq.edu.au/ses/http://students.mq.edu.au/campus_life/wellbeing/disability_support_unit/http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/acceptable_use/policy.html

Learning outcomes





imagination


in written form


Assessment tasks

Reading Exercise

Essay 1

Essay 2

Tutorials / Online Discussion

Critical, Analytical and Integrative ThinkingWe want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate andsynthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critiqueconstraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relationto scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific andinformation technology literacy.


Learning outcomes





imagination


in written form



group discussions

Assessment tasks

Reading Exercise



Essay 1

Essay 2


Problem Solving and Research CapabilityOur graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data andinformation in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should beable to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose andsolve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within anawareness of their own limitations.


Learning outcomes





imagination


in written form



group discussions

Assessment tasks

Essay 1

Essay 2


Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizensAs local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historicalcontext. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge andideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others andinclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of culturalliteracy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participateto help create a wiser and better society.




Learning outcomes





imagination



group discussions

Assessment tasks

Essay 1

Essay 2


Commitment to Continuous LearningOur graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursueknowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as theyparticipate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships withothers and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.


Learning outcomes





imagination


in written form



group discussions

Assessment tasks

Reading Exercise

Essay 1



Essay 2


Creative and InnovativeOur graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will beimaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We wantthem to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.


Learning outcomes





imagination


in written form



group discussions

Assessment tasks

Reading Exercise

Essay 1

Essay 2


Effective CommunicationWe want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in formseffective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read,listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly,speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.


Learning outcomes







imagination


in written form



group discussions

Assessment tasks

Reading Exercise

Essay 1

Essay 2


Socially and Environmentally Active and ResponsibleWe want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work withothers as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and tohave a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in movingsociety towards sustainability.


Learning outcomes





imagination



group discussions

Assessment task


Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and InitiativeWe want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and todemonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They willexercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguityand complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.




Learning outcomes





imagination


in written form



group discussions

Assessment tasks

Reading Exercise

Essay 1

Essay 2


Changes since First PublishedDate Description

13/07/2012 The Description and Prerequisites were updated.

30/01/2012 The Description was updated.

30/01/2012 The Description was updated.



PHL 238Existential QuestionsD22012Philosophy

General InformationLearning OutcomesAssessment TasksReading ExerciseEssay 1Essay 2Tutorials / Online Discussion

Delivery and ResourcesDELIVERY AND TECHNOLOGYTIMES AND LOCATIONS FOR LECTURES AND TUTORIALSREQUIRED READINGIMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATIONThe reading exercise and essays:Tutorial attendance and participation (internal students):Online participation (external students):

WRITING PHILOSOPHY ESSAYSOTHER ADVICE ON WRITING ESSAYSPLAGIARISMREFERENCINGSTANDARDS FOR ESSAY ASSESSMENTADDITIONAL REFERENCESGeneral:Edmund Husserl:Martin Heidegger:Maurice Merleau-Ponty:Jean-Paul Sartre:Simone de Beauvoir:Emmanuel Levinas:

Unit ScheduleWEEKLY LECTURE SCHEDULEWk. 1: Husserl on phenomenological psychology (30 July)Wk. 2: Husserl on the phenomenological method (6 August)Wk. 3: Heidegger on the question of Being (13 August)Wk. 4: Heidegger on being-in-the-world and being-with (20 August)Wk. 5: Heidegger on being-in, anxiety-care and being-towards-death (27 August)Wk. 6: Merleau-Ponty on perception and the body (3 September)Wk. 7: Merleau-Ponty on embodiment and intersubjectivity (10 September)Wk. 8: Sartre on being-in-itself and being-for-itself (1 October)Wk. 9: Sartre on bad faith and the other (8 October)Wk. 10: Sartre on intersubjectivity, freedom and the situation (15 October)Wk. 11: De Beauvoir on ambiguity, freedom and the other (22 October)Wk. 12: Merleau-Ponty on freedom, embodiment and the situation; Levinas on critiquing phenomenology (29 October)

Policies and ProceduresStudent SupportUniWISE provides:

Student Enquiry ServiceEquity SupportIT Help

Graduate CapabilitiesDiscipline Specific Knowledge and SkillsLearning outcomesAssessment tasks

Critical, Analytical and Integrative ThinkingLearning outcomesAssessment tasks

Problem Solving and Research CapabilityLearning outcomesAssessment tasks

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizensLearning outcomesAssessment tasks

Commitment to Continuous LearningLearning outcomesAssessment tasks

Creative and InnovativeLearning outcomesAssessment tasks

Effective CommunicationLearning outcomesAssessment tasks

Socially and Environmentally Active and ResponsibleLearning outcomesAssessment task

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and InitiativeLearning outcomesAssessment tasks

Changes since First Published

Documents

Unit Guide PHL 238 2012 D2