Admission requirements
Admission to this course is restricted to:
BA students in Philosophy, who have successfully completed their first year, and who have also completed at least 10 EC’s of the mandatory components of their second year, including Philosophy of Mind or Concepts of Selfhood.
Pre-master’s students in Philosophy who are in possession of an admission statement, and for whom this course is part of their programme.
Description
‘Manifestly, you have long been aware of what you mean when you use the expression “being”. We, however, who used to think we understood it, have now become perplexed.’
With this famous line, Martin Heidegger opens his investigation into the meaning of Being in his seminal work Being and Time. In this course, we will undertake a close reading of a substantial part of this work to help us understand the enormous influence Heidegger has had on contemporary philosophy.
We will look at, among other topics, the transformation of the modern notion of objectivity in Heidegger’s analysis of ‘equipment’ or tools; the radical reinterpretation of the subject as inherently marked by finitude and being-towards-death; Heidegger’s critique of modern culture as the domination of ‘the “they”’; and authenticity and inauthenticity as possible modes of existence.
In addition to Being and Time we will also consult other influential texts by Heidegger as well as responses and criticisms by other thinkers.
Course objectives
This course aims to provide students not only with an understanding of Heidegger’s thought, but also with knowledge of his place witin the history of philosophy and his questioning of this very history.
Students who successfully complete the course will have a good understanding of:
Heidegger’s thought in Being and Time and other important works;
Heidegger’s influence on later developments in philosophical thinking
Heidegger’s position in the history of philosophy.
Students who successfully complete the course will be able to:
- interpret and criticize Heidegger's thinking both in writing and orally.
Timetable
Visit MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
- Seminars
Class attendance is required.
Assessment method
Assessment
Preparing questions for seminars and attendance: 10%
Class presentation: 20%
Mid-term paper: 20%
Final paper: 50%
Weighting
The final mark for the course is established by determination of the weighted average of several subtests (see above).
Resit
The resit covers the entire exam and consists of of paper. The mark for the resit will replace all previously earned marks for subtests. No separate resits will be offered for subtest.
Attendance and active participation in class is required for admission to the resit. Students who have obtained a satisfactory grade for the first examination cannot take the resit.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Students are requested to purchase a copy of Martin Heidegger, Being and Time (in the translation by John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson, available in paperback published by HarpersCollins).
Purchasing Martin Heidegger, Basic Writings, ed. David Farell Krell is recommended.
Other literature will be made available during the course.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available on the website
Students are strongly advised to register in uSis through the activity number which can be found in the timetables for courses and exams.
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable.
Contact
Remarks
Not applicable.