PHIL 307 Phenomenology
This course approaches phenomenology as a critique and alternative to the Cartesian conception of human beings and our relation to the world. The course considers the work of Locke, Berkeley, and Hume as the background against which phenomenology derives its philosophical force. The course focuses on the major figures in the phenomenological movement, including Husserl, Heidegger, and Merleau-Ponty. Within the Cartesian framework, several classical philosophical problems are sharpened, e.g., the relation between mind and body, the “reality” of the external world, and our relationship to others, including the existence of other minds. Phenomenologists argue for an alternative way to conceive of human beings and their relation to the world.
Prerequisite
WRIT 102 or 201 and one previous PHIL course