Existentialism: Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, and Beyond

What unites the diverse movement of Existentialism is a focus on concrete human existence. While other schools of art and thought often distract one from personal existence, Existentialism forces one to grapple personally with life's big questions. Franz Kafka puts it well: 'A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us' Topics include desire, grief, deception, anxiety, despair, nihilism, authenticity, freedom, responsibility, guilt, the leap of faith, the absurd, the problem of evil, death, and the meaningful life. With focus on Kierkegaard and Dostoevsky, readings also include Nietzsche, Tolstoy, Heidegger, Sartre, Camus, and Kafka.