Hartwick college

Course Texts: Martin Heidegger, Being and Time, Harper Collins (Note: you must get the Macquerie/Robinson translation) Richard Polt, ed., Heidegger’s Being and Time: Critical Essays (Rowman and Littlefield) Emanuel Levinas, Time and the Other, (Duquesne)

Course Description: It is impossible to do any kind of justice to phenomenology in a single semester. Phenomenology was one of the most important movements in the 20th-century, and continues in a place of prominence in the 21st.. The phenomenological tradition exerted influence on existentialism, structuralism, poststructuralism, postmodernism, logical positivism and deconstructionism. In certain respects, we are still feeling the ripples of the most important phenomenologists in many of our current academic debates. To do anything of intellectual significance one simple must grapple with the ideas collected under the rubric of ‘phenomenology,’ even if only inchoately. This course is an introduction to some of these ideas. There are many phenomenologists, and not much time. We will concentrate the bulk of our efforts on a single book—arguably the most important book of the 20th-century—namely, Heidegger’s Being and Time. Although there are others who have had tremendous influence on the way we think about and perceive our existence in the world (Husserl, Sartre, Merleau-Ponty, Simone de Beauvoir, Scheler, Levinas), we will concentrate only on coming to terms with the thought of a single figure, albeit with reference to other figures of the tradition. Rather than acquiring a cursory glance of many philosophers, our concentration on a single text will allow us to develop a detailed and sophisticated familiarity with one of philosophy’s giants. We will supplement this understanding with a look at some of the major criticisms of Heidegger’s work both within and outside of the phenomenological tradition. This will culminate in a brief look at Levinas’ critique of Heideggerian phenomenology at the end of the course.

Course Requirements:

Two short papers (3-4 pages) (25% each)

One substantial term paper (8-10 pages) (50%)

WARNING: The reading in this class will be some of the most difficult you have ever done. Stick with it. Do not give up. It will get easier the more you do it. Doing well in this class requires struggling through the text.

Reading Schedule:

Introduction to the course

Heidegger, Being and Time, 21-64

Heidegger, Being and Time, 21-64 (continued)

Heidegger, Being and Time, 67-77

Heidegger, Being and Time, 77-90

Heidegger, Being and Time, 90-107

Heidegger, Being and Time, 107-122

Heidegger, Being and Time, 122-135

Heidegger, Being and Time, 135-148

Heidegger, Being and Time, 149-168

Heidegger, Being and Time, 149-168 (continued)

Heidegger, Being and Time, 169-182

Heidegger, Being and Time, 182-210

Heidegger, Being and Time, 182-210 (continued)

Heidegger, Being and Time, 210-224

Heidegger, Being and Time, 225-244

Heidegger, Being and Time, 244-256

Heidegger, Being and Time, 256-273

Heidegger, Being and Time, 273-285

Heidegger, Being and Time, 285-299

Heidegger, Being and Time, 299-311

Heidegger, Being and Time, 312-325

Heidegger, Being and Time, 325-348

Heidegger, Being and Time, 349-364

Heidegger, Being and Time, 364-382

Heidegger, Being and Time, 383-401

Heidegger, Being and Time, 401-423

Heidegger, Being and Time, 424-444

Heidegger, Being and Time, 444-464

Heidegger, Being and Time, 464-488

Levinas, Time and the Other, 39-57

Levinas, Time and the Other, 58-66

Scholarship day Note: Students are required to attend the philosophy mini-conference on this day.

Levinas, Time and the Other, 67-79

Levinas, Time and the Other, 80-94

Concluding Thoughts (the very idea!)