Authenticity and the Good Life

Today, common sense tells us that a good life is one lived authentically. Though it seems simple, this idea rests upon a complex and controversial philosophical framework with a dynamic and surprising history. In this course, we will analyze and evaluate the call to live authentically by locating it within the history of Western views of the good life. We will trace the idea of authenticity's roots in ancient virtue ethics and the Enlightenment's ethics of autonomy. Then, we examine authenticity's full emergence in Romantic and existential philosophy. Throughout, we will discuss the lifestyle that each worldview instructs us to live and how each is reflected in popular culture. Philosophers we will read or discuss include Charles Guignon, Charles Taylor, Aristotle, St. Augustine, John Stuart Mill, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Jean-Paul Sartre.

Session One
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Application Now Closed
Grade(s)
9-11
at the time of application
Scheduled Class Time*

04:00 PM - 07:00 PM (PDT)

*The course will meet for two hours daily (Monday–Friday) for a live online class during this window of time. The third hour is used for online office hours. Students will be admitted to and attend just one course section and time. The exact course time and office hour schedule will be set closer to the start of the program. In addition to the live meeting times, students complete out-of-class learning assignments such as assigned readings, group work, pre-recorded online lectures, and more.