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PHI-30044 - Module Specification
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Business, Law, Humanities & Social Sciences

For academic year: 2026/27 Last Updated: 17 March 2026

PHI-30044 - Existentialism and the Novel
Coordinator: Nicholas Seager Tel: +44 1782 7 33142
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2026/27

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2026/27

Existentialism focuses on the individual, raising questions of agency, freedom, and responsibility. In the early twentieth century it formed a European movement focused on human existence in a world that seemed to lack a pre-ordained meaning. On this module, you will study how some major existential thinkers, including Kafka, Camus, Sartre, and De Beauvoir, grappled with the anxieties of their age in works of fiction that depict angst-ridden individuals. Why was the novel such a potent form for exploring the meaning of life?

Aims
1. Develop students' understanding of existentialism as a philosophical movement in the early 20th century.
2. Develop students' understanding of the literary form of the novel in the early 20th century as a vehicle for philosophising
3. Develop students' abilities to write critically and to engage with theory, context, and criticism.

Intended Learning Outcomes

demonstrate a detailed understanding of existentialism as a philosophical movement in the early 20th century: 1,2
analyse early 20th-century philosophical fictions with respect to their literary forms and exploration of philosophical ideas: 2
appraise literary criticism in terms of validity of argument and rigour of engagement with contexts and concepts: 1,2
produce well-informed, argument-driven academic writing to address interpretive problems at the intersection of literary and philosophical studies: 2

Study hours

24 hours of seminars
76 hours of independent reading and class preparation
15 hours researching and writing report
35 hours researching and writing essay

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Report weighted 30%
Critical review of journal article
Students will source a peer-reviewed journal article of c. 8,000 words that deals with one of the set texts on the module, and they will write a 1,000-word critical review, comprising a summary and evaluation of its arguments.

2: Essay weighted 70%
Critical Essay
Students will write a 2,000-word essay on one or two of the set texts studied on the module. There will be a list of 10 possible essay topics, but students will have the opportunity to devise their own topic, in consultation with the tutor.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 17 March 2026