Friedman EDUC 1150: Increasing Prior Knowledge about Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus

DIRECTIONS: You will be listening to two videos: one about Jean-Paul Sartre and one about Albert Camus. Both are French philosophers. Once you have listened to both YouTube videos and taken notes on each, please complete the Directed Viewing Activity below. You may work with a partner. Please work with a different partner than the one with whom you worked on the earlier assignment. Please take notes on the video. You may submit your notes for extra credit (15 pts/video). You may use either The Cornell Method of the Visual Note-Taking Method. You may work with a partner. This assignment is worth 300 points.

Listen to the following video about John-Paul Sartre to give you some background about this famous French philosopher.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bQsZxDQgzU

Jean-Paul Sartre was born in ___________ in 1905. His father was a __________ who died when Sartre was young. He was very close to his __________ who remarried when Sartre was ___________. Sartre spent most of his time at cafes on the _______________.

Physically, Sartre wore glasses because he had a ______________, he was very ____________, and he considered himself ____________.

Sartre became famous for his philosophy called _____________________________. He wrote about it in his famous book called ______________________________________.

Sartre’s philosophy was built around four insights.

Insight 1: THINGS ARE WEIRDER THAN WE THINK.

In 3-5 sentences, explain what this insight means. Be sure to describe what Sartre means by the “absurdity of the world.

When Sartre thinks about “the absurdity of the world,” he uses the example of a couple eating dinner and breaks it down into the minute (smallest) parts. Choose one of the following images, and break it down into the smallest parts you can.

Insight 2. WE ARE FREE

In 3-5 sentences, explain what this insight means. Be sure to explain why humans experience “anguish” when they think about the idea of being totally free.

Describe a time when you have felt totally free. What anguish did you experience in this moment.

Insight 3: WE MUST NOT LIVE IN BAD FAITH

In 3-5 sentences, explain what this insight means. Be sure to explain what Sartre means by “bad faith.”

You have all arrived at college for a variety of reasons. Identify all the reasons why and choices you made to get here. Then decide where in Table 1 you should place these reasons/choices.

I made the choice on my own.

Others influenced my choice.

Insight 4: WE ARE FREE TO DISMANTLE CAPITALISM

In 3-5 sentences, explain what this insight means. Although Sartre criticizes capitalism, he had freedom to write about his philosophy, “hang out” with Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, and spent most of his time in French cafes, eating, drinking, smoking, thinking, and writing. What allowed him to have this freedom?

Look up the definition of “Marxism.” Write the actual definition you find verbatim. Please cite the source from where you found this definition.

Supposedly Sartre studied Marxism. In what “class” of society would you place Sartre and why? How would you explain the contradiction.

Listen to the following video about Albert Camus another French philosopher who was born in Mondavi, French Algeria.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQOfbObFOCw

Albert Camus was born in __________. His father was died from _____________ and his mother was a ______________________.

Physically, Camus was extremely _______________wore glasses because he had a ______________, he was very ____________, and he considered himself ____________.

Camus received the ________________________ for literature in ________ and died in a/an ______________________. He became famous for his philosophy called _______________. Two of his most famous books are ____________________ and _____________________

The main character of _____________ is Meursault (pronounced Mure-So). (In the United States, this book was titled The Stranger.) Meursault does not cry when he hears of his mother’s death and drinks and smokes in front of his mother’s coffin. He helps his friend Raymond abuse his girlfriend, and when abuse charges are filed, he testifies that the girlfriend was unfaithful, and the charges are dismissed. He later shoots the girlfriend’s Arab brother, after the brother flashes a knife at him, but then shoots him four more times. He is imprisoned and then later sentenced to a public death by the guillotine. When a prison chaplain encourages him to turn to God, he rejects him saying that God is a waste of time. He rants about the absurdity of the human condition and the meaninglessness of existence. In a paragraph explain why this character represents aspects of an existential philosophy. Consider the 4 insights that Sartre identifies.

In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus discusses the ultimate question: “Is life worth living?” What is Camus’ answer to this question? Please explain.

What 5 things does Camus write about that shows his zest for living?

What examples show that Camus took pleasure in the ordinary parts of life?

What did Camus enjoy about football?

Fill in the blanks.

“After many years during which I saw many things, what I know most surely about

____________________ and the ____________________ I owe to ____________. There are causes worth _______________for but none worth _______________ for.

Finally in a collage made of images compare and contrast Sartre and Camus. Think about their physical, emotional, social, and philosophical characteristics. The images should not be pictures of Sartre and Camus but images that tell the reader about their similarities and differences. Be sure to label the different category of images.