August 26, 2013

The philosophical school and concept of existentialism is certainly not something that an average person may consider in their everyday life. Yet, it is certainly interesting how this is so following from the idea that existentialism has a central focus on existence on the individual level. While there are more than just a few ways to consider the challenging subject of existentialism, I found it extremely interesting as to how “every act and every attitude must be considered a choice. Yet, the existential attitude itself is apparently not chose. One finds oneself in it” (Solomon, XIV, 2005). So, every single one of us is to be considered a sovereign and freely-thinking agent that makes decisions according to our own choices, but our attitude concerning the existential philosophy is not. At this point in the semester of PHI 304, I find it hard to believe that I would be alone in scratching my head when contemplating what we can consider to be a good definition of existentialism. The definition that Thad had posted briefly on the screen did very little in terms of solidifying and single or coherent definition, but I am sure that as the semester progresses, so will my understanding of many difficult concepts within the school of existentialism and the concept of existentialism itself.

As many would have guessed, this blog is going to be dedicated to the course PHI 304 (Existentialism) that I am currently taking at Arizona State University. Speaking in terms of the course structure itself, I am definitely curious as to how this semester will play out. I have had the opportunity to take Thad before in PHI 101 and PHI 105. Phi 105 offered a class structure similar to this which turned out to be great for class participation and class discussion. While group work may not always be my favorite thing in a university, I still welcome the challenge of working with peers and seeing what everyone else can bring to the table from their own unique challenges and experiences. My group (group 3) will be presenting our topic of the Myth of Sisyphus on Sep. 16, which I have little prior knowledge on, but am extremely enthusiastic about and am very excited to hear where our discussion will go in the class.

            I truly believe that this class is going to be extremely different from any other course that I have taken at a university, both in content and in structure. While I have a bit of anxiety about getting in front of an entire room full of strangers who will be actively judging the merits of what I have to present to them, I am also aware of what this course has to offer in terms of how I perceive life and the choices that can be made in my life. Many of the philosophers that are on the assigned reading list I have not had a chance to read. However I have had the chance to read much of Friedrich Nietzsche’s work, and while I find much of it to be disturbing and disagreeable, I realize that these are the kind of readings that I most enjoy. These kinds of philosophical writers have a way to stimulate the reader, forcing them to constantly question their reality and what they hold to be true or real to them. This is what I look forward to most in this course. Any university can offer a course in which you learn material and later regurgitate said material later in the semester. This course and the material within this course offer a chance to grow and alter the way in which we perceive our everyday life, all while breaking the norm of examinations within a normal classroom structure, and because of this I am very excited.