2007 Handbooks

This unit introduces the big philosophical questions about human nature, mind and body, and the meaning of life. What is the fundamental nature of reality? Are human beings somehow unique in nature? Do we have distinct selves that endure through time? What is the relation between our identity and the things that matter to us?

We begin with the philosophers of Ancient Greece. We look at how they understood the relationship between the self and the cosmos, and the relation between body and soul. We also consider the metaphysical significance Plato attributed to love and beauty. We then turn to conceptions of the mind and of personal identity that first emerged at the dawn of the modern period but which are still very much with us. We consider whether mind and body should be conceived as distinct kinds of entity, and we explore the links between identity, time and memory. The third section of the unit provides an introduction to some key thinkers of the 20th century, including Freud, Heidegger, Sartre, and de Beauvoir. We explore their notions of the unconscious, 'being-in the-world', the 'other' and the 'feminine', and we assess their contemporary significance.