Existentialism as a Practice: Close Reading, Reflection, and Applying Existentialist Concepts to Real Life

Existentialism is most alive when it refuses to remain abstract. Sartre wrote plays as well as treatises; Camus wrote novels alongside philosophical essays; de Beauvoir embedded philosophical analysis in memoir and fiction. These thinkers believed that philosophical ideas should transform how you see yourself and how you live — not just how you pass examinations. This workbook course develops the skill of reading existentialist texts closely and applying their insights to genuinely personal and practical questions. By the end of this course you will be able to read a primary existentialist text with comprehension and critical engagement, identify specific examples of bad faith, authenticity, absurd rebellion, and related concepts in literary, cultural, and personal contexts, construct a reflective analysis connecting an existentialist concept to a real personal or professional situation, and write clearly about philosophical ideas in plain, precise language. What you will learn: - Close reading techniques for philosophical prose: how to work through dense primary texts step by step - Identifying bad faith in everyday life: self-deception, role identification, and excuse-making - Authenticity without nostalgia: what it means to own your choices under Sartre's framework - The Other as philosophical problem: applying Sartre and de Beauvoir to interpersonal dynamics - Absurd rebellion in daily practice: Camus's response to meaninglessness applied to work, relationship, and loss - Reading de Beauvoir: the Second Sex's philosophical argument distilled and applied to contemporary situations - Existential anxiety as information: working with dread rather than suppressing it - Writing philosophical reflection: how to move between abstract concept and concrete experience Each unit centers on a single primary text excerpt — roughly 500-1000 words in length — presented alongside a structured reading guide and close-reading worksheet. The worksheet walks you through comprehension, analysis, and personal application in three stages. After completing the worksheet independently, you review an annotated worked example demonstrating one model approach. Reflection prompts between units invite more personal engagement with the concept just studied. A final unit provides a structured template for writing a short philosophical reflection essay connecting an existentialist concept to your own experience. This course is written for readers who want to engage seriously with existentialist philosophy without limiting themselves to passive reading. It is suitable for those new to primary source philosophy who have some general familiarity with existentialist ideas, whether from an introductory course, independent reading, or cultural exposure. No formal philosophy background is required.