Becoming More Authentic:

The Positive Side of Existentialism

short description: 

    Do you want to make your life more:
autonomous, focused, organized, & meaningful?
Using a small book of the same name,
we will first define Authenticity,
take an Authenticity Test, consider several
possible Authentic projects-of-being,
and finally explore Authenticity as described by
Camus, Sartre, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, & Maslow.

     The instructor is James Park,
existential philosopher and author of the text,
which will be available in class for $15 (PDF $5).

one-page course description:
 

Becoming More Authentic:

The Positive Side of Existentialism

    Authenticity means creating our own comprehensive life-meanings.
When we re-center and re-integrate our lives
around our freely-chosen purposes,
we become more focused, unified, & decisive.
We resist enculturation and achieve greater autonomy.
This approach to re-structuring human life
was developed by several existential philosophers and psychologists,
especially the ones discussed in this seminar:
Camus, Sartre, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, & Maslow.

    A short presentation of Authenticity appears here:
Becoming More Authentic: The Positive Side of Existentialism.

    Authenticity is more a structure than a content.
We individually must choose our basic life-goals.
But perhaps sharing with other persons
who are attempting to become more Authentic
will help us to make
the growth choices rather than the safe choices.

    This seminar will be a discussion of Authenticity
as it applies to our own lives.
There will be four sessions, based on the Parts of the text:
1. Introduction of the participants and the course.
2. Part I: A Definition of Authenticity and an Authenticity Test.
3. Part II: Creating Our Own Authentic Projects-of-Being.
4. Part III: Authenticity as Described by 5 Existentialists.

<>    The text for this course is Becoming More Authentic.
The complete table of contents will appear if you click this line:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/AU.html
From this table of contents you can open several pages of the book.
The text costs $15 (wholesale price) and will be available in class.
The whole book in PDF is also available for $5.

    Instructor: James Park,
existential philosopher and author of Becoming More Authentic.

DATE & TIME: four weeks in a row.
And future members of this seminar can purchase the book at any time.

PLACE: to be arranged.

FEE:  free of charge.

This seminar as offered by the Experimental Educational Community of the Twin Cities (EXCO):

Becoming More Authentic:

The Positive Side of Existentialism

    This class is not a lecture series, since the printed book is better
at presenting the concept of Authentic Existence.
Rather, we have maximum discussion among the people
who choose to join this group.

    How might you decide to join the next quest for greater Authenticity?
First you look inside the book as deeply as you wish.
25% of the text is available on the Internet.
Do these pages make you want to read more?
Will this book help you to become the person you want to be?

    Would you like to meet other intelligent, creative people
who are ready to overturn cultural traditions and re-create themselves?
The Introduction gives you a good glimpse of both the style and content
of Becoming More Authentic: The Positive Side of Existentialism.

    What self-selected group of people will next want to discuss this book? 


This seminar as available on Facebook:

    Some people in quest of greater Authenticity
will find it more convenient to join a Facebook Seminar of the same name:
Becoming More Authentic: The Positive Side of Existentialism:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/502195419811447/
This gathering will take six weeks to read and discuss the book.
Here is the complete description of this Facebook option:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/aws-website-jamesleonardpark---freelibrary-3puxk/ED-AU.html

syllabus for distant learners:

Becoming More Authentic:

The Positive Side of Existentialism

    If you cannot attend the classes in Minneapolis or Saint Paul
and if you do not wish to join the Facebook Seminar,
you should read as much as you please from the Authenticity Bibliography.

    The author of Becoming More Authentic will respond to all questions about the book
and about the seminar options described above:
James Park: e-mail: parkx032(CAPS 2)umn.edu.
Since you are not a robot, you know how to find "CAPS 2" on your keyboard.
 

revised 6-13-2012; 9-15-2012; 11-30-2012; 12-8-2012; 1-10-2013; 12-11-2013; 11-29-2016; 3-29-2017;

If you would like to read a short online article
summarizing the concept explored in depth in this class, go to:
Becoming More Authentic: The Positive Side of Existentialism.

Return to the EXISTENTIALISM page.

Go to the beginning of this website
James Leonard Park—Free Library