2021f-apphil4075a-03

AP/PHIL4075 3.0 A: Life, Death, Absurdity, and Meaning

Offered by: PHIL


 Session

Fall 2021

 Term

F

Format

ONLN (Fully Online)

Instructor

Calendar Description / Prerequisite / Co-Requisite

This course focuses on one of the fundamental questions in philosophy: What is the meaning of life?. The theories and supporting arguments of major philosophers in the past and present who have addressed this question are analyzed and critically evaluated. Prerequisite: At least nine credits in philosophy.


Course Start Up

Course Websites hosted on York's "eClass" are accessible to students during the first week of the term. It takes two business days from the time of your enrolment to access your course website. Course materials begin to be released on the course website during the first week. To log in to your eClass course visit the York U eClass Portal and login with your Student Passport York Account. If you are creating and participating in Zoom meetings you may also go directly to the York U Zoom Portal.

For further course Start Up details, review the Getting Started webpage.

For IT support, students may contact University Information Technology Client Services via askit@yorku.ca or (416) 736-5800. Please also visit Students Getting Started UIT or the Getting Help - UIT webpages.


    Additional Course Instructor/Contact Details

Professor David Jopling
jopling@yorku.ca

    Expanded Course Description

This course explores attempts by a handful of major (and some minor) philosophers, both ancient and modern, to answer the following questions: What is the meaning of life? What is the meaning of my life? Is there any meaning in (my) life that will not be destroyed by (my) death? Is it better to never have been born, as some claim? What is death, and should I be afraid of it? Would it be better to be immortal than mortal? How should I deal with suffering, pain, and loss? Major approaches to be discussed include stoicism, cynicism, hedonism, skepticism, pessimism, anti-natalism, existentialism, absurdism, and theism. Readings from: Epictetus, Epicurus, Aristippus, Diogenes the Dog, Schopenhauer, Spinoza, Tolstoy, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, Taylor, Nagel, Williams. Links to other relevant materials such as interviews, podcasts, websites, and videos will be posted on the Moodle site.

    Additional Requirements

Technical requirements for taking the course: You will need a computer (or tablet) and an internet connection. There is no video conferencing or live online interaction in this course. Office hours will be held via zoom (audio only), by phone, or by email exchange.

Here are some useful links for student computing information, resources and help:

Student Guide to Moodle

Zoom@YorkU Best Practices 

Zoom@YorkU User Reference Guide

Computing for Students Website

Student Guide to eLearning at York University

To determine Internet connection and speed, there are online tests, such as Speedtest, that can be run.]

Times and locations: The entire course, including lectures, quizzes, and the submission of assignments, will take place on the course’s Moodle site. Lectures will be pre-recorded and posted to the Moodle site at the start of each week. This course has no live virtual meetings, except for office hours. Like an online course, you can learn the course material at your own pace, following the schedule of readings and activities. There will be no in-person interactions or activities on campus. Discussion and Q&A will take place asynchronously on the moodle discussion board.

Virtual office hours: Virtual office hours by email exchanges Monday to Friday, or by zoom audio meeting, or by phone, two hours per week. Times and days TBA.

    Required Course Text / Readings

There is no course kit and no textbook. All texts used in the course are in the public domain and are found on the internet. URLs and links will be posted on the moodle website and in the syllabus.

    Weighting of Course

Two online quizzes (10% each); two essays, 40% each, dates TBA

    Organization of the Course

TBA

    Course Learning Objectives

After completing this course, students will be able to:

  1. understand and explain the main philosophical positions defended by Epictetus, Epicurus, Spinoza, Tolstoy, Schopenhauer, Sartre, Nagel, Camus, and others on the problem of the meaning of life;
  2. critically analyze and evaluate the arguments developed by these philosophers in defense of their respective positions;
  3. understand and explain the relevance of these philosophers to some ancient and contemporary debates in ethics and metaphysics.
    Additional Information / Notes

Course policies

 

  1. All audio recordings should be used for educational purposes only and as a means

for enhancing accessibility.

  1. Students do not have permission to duplicate, copy and/or distribute the recordings outside of the class (these acts can violate not only copyright laws but also FIPPA.
  2. All recordings will be destroyed after the end of the course.
  3. Please hand in all assignments on time. Extensions are allowed in the event of illness, bereavement, disabilities, or special needs. Work that is submitted late and that falls outside these conditions will incur a late penalty of 2% per day. Students with disabilities automatically receive extensions.
  4. Please refer to Senate Policy on Academic Honesty: http://www.yorku.ca/secretariat/legislation/senate/acadhone.htm.
  5. Please refer to The Academic Integrity Tutorial at: http://www.yorku.ca/tutorial/academic_integrity/
    Relevant Links / Resources