| CODE | PHI2101 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Life, Death, and Passion | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | Not Applicable | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Philosophy | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The themes of life, death, and passion have long been central to philosophy, and reflect some of the most pressing and fundamental questions about human existence. Life raises questions about meaning, while death frames these questions against the background of our inevitable mortality and finitude. Between these two poles lies passion, a fundamental human experience that allows us to better understand who we are and what to value. In this study-unit, we will examine the themes of mortality, the meaning of life in the face of death, the transformative power of passion, and the ethical obligations that arise through human (and non-human) relations. Students shall be challenged to reevaluate some of the most deeply entrenched views concerning the human condition by integrating classic phenomenological and existential philosophy with themes of ethics, embodiment, experience, meaning, and transformation. These themes shall in turn be explored through a close reading of the work of Alphonso Lingis, a contemporary philosopher known for his vibrant and expressive approach to human existence and experience. Study-Unit Aims: - Facilitate the exploration of questions related to existential and phenomenological philosophy, with a focus on life, death, and passion; - Familiarise themselves with the central concepts shaping the contemporary human condition through a critical engagement with the philosophical texts of Alphonso Lingis; - Critically examine the relation between mortality, ethics, and passion in shaping human experience; - Encourage students to engage with philosophical texts on both a practical and theoretical level; - Encourage students to critically evaluate philosophical arguments and respond to them. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Identify and reflect on the central concepts shaping Lingis鈥� thought; - Evaluate the philosophical significance of the themes of life, death, and passion both within Alphonso Lingis鈥� body of work, and in philosophy more generally; - Interpret the manner in which Lingis鈥� phenomenological approach to the body, emotion, and subjectivity intersects with classical themes in existential philosophy; - Examine how themes of mortality and finitude influence philosophical questions about the meaning of life; - Synthesise Lingis鈥� philosophical ideas with broader existential and phenomenological traditions to form nuanced critiques of contemporary philosophical issues. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Critically engage with philosophical texts and commentaries; - Construct clear and cogent philosophical arguments by drawing on Lingis鈥� works and integrating them with broader philosophical literature; - Write a critical essay on specific themes broadly related to life, death, and passion; - Discuss and critically assess existential and phenomenological topics; - Develop greater emotional intelligence by evaluating complex philosophical ideas; - Improve communication skills by articulating complex thoughts and ideas clearly in both oral and written forms. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Lingis, Alphonso. 1994. The Community of Those who Have Nothing in Common. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. - Lingis, Alphonso. 1994. Foreign Bodies. New York: Routedge. - Lingis, Alphonso. 1998. The Imperative. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. - Lingis, Alphonso. 2000. Dangerous Emotions. California: University of California Press. - Lingis, Alphonso. 2007. The First Person Singular. Evanston: Northwestern University Press. - A selection of readings shall be posted on the VLE. Supplementary Readings: - Heidegger, Martin. 2000. Being and Time, trans. John Macquarrie and Edward Robinson. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Limited. - Levinas, Emmanuel. 1969. Totality and Infinity: An Essay on Exteriority, trans. A. Lingis. Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press. - Lingis, Alphonso. 2018. The Alphonso Lingis Reader, ed. Tom Sparrow. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. - George, Bobby and Sparrow, Tom (eds). 2014. Itinerant Philosophy, California, Punctum Books. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Niki Young |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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