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2015/16 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

FREN3555 Existentialism(s): Sartre, Beauvoir and Camus

20 creditsClass Size: 12

Module manager: Professor Atack
Email: m.k.atack@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2015/16

Pre-requisite qualifications

Ability to study a module taught in French, usually evidenced by having successfully completed level 2 of a degree programme including French.

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This course studies key texts by three of France's major 20th century philosophers and writers, assessing the nature of existentialism, the absurd and revolt, the French tradition of the 'roman philosophique', the links between literature and society, and the contribution made by Sartre, Beauvoir and Camus, as writers, thinkers, and publicly engaged intellectuals, to the cultural history of France in the 20th century.

Objectives

On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- analyse key writings of Simone de Beauvoir, Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre, three of France's major intellectuals in the 20th century;
- assess the similarities and differences between them: Camus's theories of the absurd and revolt have often been read as a kind of existentialism; recent feminist critiques have sought to differentiate Beauvoir's philosophy from Sartre's;
- analyse and understand the main concepts of existentialism, broadly understood as covering philosophical writing in France that sought to link philosophical reflection on the nature of existence to the major social and political issues of the day, reaching out through novels, plays, and essays, to a very wide audience;
- assess the relations between philosophy and literature in their writings.

This module arises directly from the tutor's own research.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to demonstrate:
- specialist knowledge and understanding of existentialism, broadly defined, its key concepts, its varieties, its place and importance in 20th century cultural history of France, and its evolution from the 1930s to the 1960s;
- advanced critical analysis, informed by this knowledge and understanding, of the set texts;
- the ability to use written and oral communication effectively;
- the capacity for independent thought and judgement;
- critical reasoning.

Skills outcomes
On completion of this module students should have developed:
- advanced level skills of cultural and historical analysis through broad secondary reading and close textual study;
- advanced level written and oral skills in French in the.language of intellectual analysis, debate, and formal presentation;
- research skills, including the retrieval of information, the organisation of material and the evaluation of its importance;
- efficient time management and organisation skills;
- the skills supporting the ability to learn independently.

Syllabus

Programme of Study
Week 1: Introduction to key concepts, biographies, chronologies
Weeks 2-3: Beginnings: detailed study of Le Mur, L'Etranger, L'Invitée
Weeks 4-6: Bociety and Politics: Le Sang des autres, La Peste, les Séquestrés d'Altona
Weeks 7-8: Taking stock: Les Mots, Les Mémoires d'une jeune fille rangée, La Chute.
Week 9: Comparative analysis of the three writers.
Week 10: Formative assessment: exam essay preparation and dissertation consultation.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	9	1.00	9.00
Seminar	1	2.00	2.00
Seminar	9	1.00	9.00
Private study hours			180.00
Total Contact hours			20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

- Students will need to read/view all the texts on the syllabus, as well as a selection of secondary texts (historical and critical) from the reading list.
- They will devote time to preparing seminar themes each week, and will make a formal seminar presentation.
- They will research and write a dissertation.

- Seminar preparation: 50 hours
- Seminar presentation: 15 hours
- Essay preparation (research and writing): 115 hours.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

For the dissertation, there will be individual consultations on the student’s choice of topic, and written feedback on the draft plan.

For the examination, there will be group discussion of sample questions, and the opportunity to submit draft exam answer plans for written feedback.

Written comments will be given on the student presentations, handed in at the end of the relevant seminar.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	3,000 words	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		50.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc)	2 hr	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		50.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 17/04/2014

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