Ethics in the World: Is the weight of being bearable? An introduction to Existentialism (Online)

Ethics in the World: Is the weight of being bearable? An introduction to Existentialism? (Online) - Monday 28 April to Monday 16 June 2025, 7-9pm (excluding Bank holidays on 05 and 26 May)

We very much look forward to welcoming both new and returning students to the University of Southampton. 

We would like to advise that you will need to have the appropriate technology and suitable internet connection in place, as we will be making use of online materials. At Southampton, we use a virtual learning environment (VLE) called Blackboard which is used to deliver learning materials and real-time online teaching for our students.

Ethics in the World: Is the weight of being bearable? Existentialism through the lens of Heidegger, Sartre and Camus (Online)

Does existence precede essence? Is there such a thing as human nature? Are we condemned to freedom? This course offers an overview of three 20th century philosophers in the European existentialist tradition. We will begin by exploring the cultural background through philosophers and writers including Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and Husserl. We will then explore the philosophy of Heidegger in his work ‘Being and Time’. Next we will explore Sartre’s existentialism including the ideas of ‘bad faith’, ‘anguish’ and ‘freedom'. Finally we will explore Albert Camus’ absurdism through the novella ‘The Stranger’ and the philosophical work ‘The myth of Sisyphus’.

This 6-week course will take place online from 7pm to 9pm on the following Monday evenings:-

28 April, 12 May, 19 May, 02 June, 9 June and 16 June 2025

Please see our price list below:

• Standard price - £115.00
• Staff/student/alumni price - £100.00

Please note: if you select the staff or student price option, you must use an online store account that has been set up with your University email address and fill out your University staff or student ID number when prompted as part of the questionnaire data section.

When booking a course please do consult our Terms and Conditions which set out our cancellation and refund policy. 

Payment using the Online Store can only be completed via Visa and Mastercard Credit/Debit Card or PayPal.  AMEX is not accepted.
If you have not previously created an account for the Online Store, you will need to create an account to make a booking.