ASP211 - Freedom and Power: Existentialism and Beyond
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 1: Jack Reynolds |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | ASP109 |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour on-campus lecture per week 1 x 1-hour on-campus seminar per week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour online lecture per week (recordings provided) 1 x 1-hour online seminar per week |
Content
Over the course of this unit, students will develop a critical understanding of key ideas in existentialist philosophy and debates over power and freedom in 19th and 20th century European thought. Influential accounts of themes such as freedom, anguish (or anxiety), mortality, authenticity, and value will be discussed, as well as philosophical and political critiques of existentialism offered by major thinkers.
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Understand, compare, and critically evaluate key ideas in 19th and 20th-century French European philosophy concerning the nature of subjectivity and freedom from a range of philosophers | GLO1: Discipline specific GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO8: Global citizenship |
| ULO2 | Critically apply a number of key ideas from 19th and 20th-century European thinkers to practical examples, and understand and evaluate how these ideas relate to current views about subjectivity and the social order. | GLO1: Discipline specific GLO2: Communication GLO5: Problem solving GLO8: Global citizenship |
| ULO3 | Construct and evaluate philosophical arguments, backed by relevant evidence, and present competing claims in the context of philosophical dialogue. | GLO2: Communication GLO5: Problem solving |
These Unit Learning Outcomes are applicable for all teaching periods throughout the year.
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Quizzes | 400 words or equivalent | 10% | Information not yet available |
| Assessment 2: Essay | 1800 words or equivalent | 45% | Information not yet available |
| Assessment 3: Essay | 1800 words or equivalent | 45% | Information not yet available |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for ASP211 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.