The Good Life
Course content
The course is planned with physical attendance.
In this course, we examine the question of the good life as it surfaces in key texts from Continental philosophy, with particular focus on human freedom and the search for meaning, fulfilment, and happiness. Our course takes us into the works of European thinkers - such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Simone Weil, and Camus - who shared an insight into the existential conditions of despair, anxiety, and meaningless, seeing these trials as occasions to examine how we live. With them, we inquire into our relationships, activities, and commitments; we wonder about the importance of personal responsibility and active engagement; and we ask whether freedom is key to the good life, and, if so, the freedom to do what? We may not discover the secret to happiness in this course, but we do partake in an age-old pilgrimage in search of the good life.
Together, we will be aiming to: (1) enter into dialogue with European philosophical, literary, and artistic traditions that have grappled with existential questions; (2) acquire academic skills in navigating and interpreting philosophical works, novels, films, and artworks; (3) develop abilities in nuancing and articulating our own views and positions in dialogue with those of others; and (4) relate our particular lived experiences love to universal philosophical concepts that elucidate the human condition.
Class instruction. We will employ an array of short lectures, student presentations, dialogue between partners, small group activities, full-class discussions.
Full degree students enrolled in Study Programmes at UCPH departments: Send an e-mail to evu@teol.ku.dk to sign up. Remember to attach a pre-approval form your Study Board. Application deadline 1 June and 1 December.
Visiting exchange and guest students – send an e-mail to international@teol.ku.dk to sign up.
Creditstudents – follow link
Open University students – follow link
Professionel master students – follow link
- ECTS
- 15 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Written assignment
- Type of assessment details
- Undergraduate requirements (bachelor students):
Requirement to pass the course for undergraduate students (bachelor students) are: a) A syllabus of 1,200-1,500 pages. The syllabus includes both the course literature covered in connection with the course and the assignment literature on which the written homework assignment is based, which the student finds and has approved by the teacher. The syllabus (course and assignment literature combined) may not exceed 1,500 pages. b) Active participation (at least 75% of the hours attended documented by protocol) and preparation of a written home assignment with a scope of 24,000-28,800 characters, i.e. 10-12 pages, based on 600-800 pages of literature as agreed with the course teacher. The assignment is assessed by the teacher. The assessment is based on the 7-point grading scale.
Graduate requirements (kandidat/master students):
Requirement to pass the course for graduate students (kandidat/master students) are: a) A syllabus of 1,200-1,500 pages. The syllabus includes both the course literature covered in connection with the teaching and the assignment literature on which the written homework assignment is based, which the student finds and has approved by the teacher. The syllabus (course and assignment literature combined) may not exceed 1,500 pages. b) Active participation (at least 75% of the hours attended documented by protocol) and preparation of a written home assignment with a scope of 36,000-48,000 characters, i.e. 15-20 pages, based on 800-1,000 pages of literature as agreed with the teacher. The assignment is assessed by the teacher. The assessment is based on the 7-point grading scale. - Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Exam period
-
Winter and Summer Exam
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Class Instruction
- 28
- Preparation
- 122
- Exam Preparation
- 150
- Exam
- 120
- English
- 420
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- TTEASK033U
- ECTS
- 15 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
BachelorBachelor choiceFull Degree Master choicePart Time Master
- Duration
-
1 semester
- Placement
- Autumn And Spring
- Schedulegroup
-
Fridays 10:15-12:45
Autumn 2023
First day is Friday 25 August
Spring 2024
First day is Friday 19 January - Studyboard
- Study board of Theology
Contracting department
- Theology
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Theology
Course Coordinator
- Jakob Due Lorentzen (3-6c666e427667716e306d7730666d)
Teacher
Jakob Due Lorentzen
Se skema
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Kursusinformation for indskrevne studerende