Caveat Academy course · Grades 10 to 12

Existentialism and the Meaning of Life

What Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, Beauvoir and Heidegger argued about freedom, choice, anxiety, death and the absurd, and how religious thinkers, Viktor Frankl and philosophers today answer the question of meaning. You test each idea with thought experiments and short passages, weigh the critics, and finish by writing a philosophical argument of your own.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
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Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the High school electives library, $119 for 66 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 13 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: The questions and the forerunners

    Explain existentialism's core themes and the forerunners Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, including the stages of existence, nihilism and the eternal recurrence.

    • What existentialism asks
    • Kierkegaard: the individual and the leap
    • Nietzsche: the death of God and creating values
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Sartre: freedom, responsibility and bad faith

    Apply Sartre's ideas of existence before essence, radical freedom, anguish and bad faith to everyday choices and evaluate objections to them.

    • Existence precedes essence
    • Condemned to be free: anguish and responsibility
    • Bad faith and authenticity
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Camus and the absurd

    Analyze Camus's account of the absurd, his three responses and the meaning of Sisyphus and solidarity in his work.

    • What the absurd is
    • Three responses and the choice of revolt
    • Sisyphus, solidarity and The Plague
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Others, authenticity and death

    Compare Beauvoir, Sartre, Buber and Heidegger on freedom, other people, authenticity and death.

    • Beauvoir: freedom with and for others
    • The Look and the presence of others
    • Heidegger: being-toward-death and authenticity
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Other answers to the meaning of life

    Compare religious, psychological and contemporary philosophical accounts of meaning, and test them with counterexamples.

    • Religious existentialism
    • Frankl: meaning through deed, love and attitude
    • Contemporary philosophy of meaning
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Existentialism in literature, its critics and your own argument

    Read literature through existential questions, evaluate major criticisms, and write a philosophical argument about meaning with a thesis, objection and reply.

    • Existentialism in literature and drama
    • Critics of existentialism
    • Writing a philosophical essay about meaning
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 3 · Sisyphus, solidarity and The Plague

Worked example: what makes Sisyphus a hero?

  1. His situation: endless, pointless labor, a picture of the absurd.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Academics · High School$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished course in existentialism and the philosophy of meaning: you can explain Kierkegaard's stages and leap of faith, Nietzsche's death of God, nihilism and eternal recurrence, Sartre's existence before essence, anguish and bad faith, Camus's absurd and the choice of revolt, Beauvoir's shared freedom, Buber's I-Thou and Heidegger's being-toward-death, compare religious, psychological and contemporary accounts of meaning, read a novel or play through existential questions, weigh the main criticisms, and write an argument with a thesis, the strongest objection and a reply. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 10 to 12 taking or preparing for a philosophy, ethics or literature course, students who like big questions and debate, and homeschool families who want a complete philosophy elective. It presents religious and nonreligious thinkers fairly and asks students to evaluate arguments, not to adopt a view. Lessons that touch on anxiety, death or despair include a reminder that a trusted adult, school counselor or doctor can help, and that the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text in a crisis.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 13 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the High school electives library ($119) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The High School space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, entries on existentialism, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, Beauvoir and the meaning of life: plato.stanford.edu
  2. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, entries on existentialism and the meaning of life: iep.utm.edu
  3. The Nobel Prize, biographies of Albert Camus, 1957, and Jean-Paul Sartre, 1964: nobelprize.org
  4. Viktor Frankl Institute, Vienna, on Frankl's life and logotherapy: viktorfrankl.org
  5. 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call or text 988 in the United States: 988lifeline.org

Existentialism and the Meaning of Life is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. Short quotations from philosophers are given in common English translations and identified in the lessons; most passages are paraphrased in original writing. The course explains arguments and does not endorse a religious or nonreligious view. It is not counseling; for personal struggles talk with a trusted adult, a school counselor or a doctor, and in a crisis call or text 988 in the United States. It does not replace a school course and awards no credit. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.