CF

Existentialism and the Authentic Life

11h 57m 41s
English
Paid
Updated September 2026

Existentialism and the Authentic Life is a 24-lesson 11 hours 57 minutes self-paced course by Skye C. Cleary, Wondrium (The Great Courses). Existentialist philosophers didn't shy away from the hardest questions – love, death, war, deception, the sense that life can feel absurd.

Course facts

Lessons
24
Duration
11 hours 57 minutes
Level
All levels
Language
English
Updated
2026-09-11
Instructor
Skye C. Cleary, Wondrium (The Great Courses)
Price
Premium

Existentialist philosophers didn't shy away from the hardest questions – love, death, war, deception, the sense that life can feel absurd. Professor Skye C. Cleary spends 24 lectures working through how they answered them, and what it means to live authentically because of it.

What the course covers

  • An overview of existentialism as a philosophical movement
  • Authenticity and self-discovery as existentialist ideas
  • How existentialist thinkers approached love, death, and the human condition
  • Responses to the perceived absurdity of life
  • Close readings of key existentialist texts

Whether you're studying philosophy formally, curious about the subject, or just looking for a different lens on your own choices, this course builds a genuine working understanding of existentialist thought.

Who teaches Existentialism and the Authentic Life?

Skye C. Cleary

Skye C. Cleary thumbnail

Skye C. Cleary is a US-based philosopher (Columbia University, Barnard College) and the author of Existentialism and Romantic Love. Her teaching material on existentialism has been published as on-demand video courses for general adult audiences.

Her CourseFlix listing carries Existentialism and the Authentic Life — a structured walkthrough of the existentialist philosophical tradition (Sartre, Beauvoir, Camus, Heidegger) and its practical implications for contemporary thinking about meaning, choice, and authenticity.

Material is paid and aimed at general adult learners interested in philosophy. The course sits in the broader Soft Skills & Communication catalog on CourseFlix as a general-interest reference.

Wondrium (The Great Courses)

Wondrium (The Great Courses) thumbnail

Wondrium (formerly The Great Courses Plus and originally The Great Courses) is a US online education platform that has been publishing university-level video lecture series since 1990. The platform's distinctive contribution is the depth and production quality of its courses — each is taught by a tenured university professor with the production values of a documentary series, not a YouTube tutorial.

The catalog covers academic disciplines rather than technical-skill training: history, philosophy, science, mathematics, literature, music theory, religion, economics. Material is taught by faculty from Stanford, Yale, Princeton, the University of Chicago, MIT, and similar institutions. Wondrium is typically used by intellectually-curious adult learners filling in the liberal-arts side of their education.

The CourseFlix listing under this source carries over 19 Wondrium / Great Courses titles spanning that range — sitting in the broader CourseFlix catalog as general-interest reference rather than as a software-engineering track. Material is paid; Wondrium itself runs on a monthly / annual subscription on the original platform.

What lessons are included in Existentialism and the Authentic Life?

This is a demo lesson (10:00 remaining)

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#1: 1. How to think like an existentialist
All Course Lessons (24)
#Lesson TitleDurationAccess
1
1. How to think like an existentialist Demo
29:44
2
2. Soren Kierkegaard on existential crises
32:35
3
3. Kierkegaard's leap to faith
33:25
4
4. Friedrich Nietzsche on authentic greatness
31:08
5
5. Nietzsche on creating super-relationships
30:09
6
6. Martin Heidegger on authentic being
33:43
7
7. Jose Ortega y Gasset on authentic destiny
32:06
8
8. Karl Jaspers on authentic communication
32:22
9
9. Albert Camus on authentic happiness
31:23
10
10. Camus on absurdity
32:05
11
11. Camus on authenticity amid chaos
27:26
12
12. Camus on authentic rebellion
33:07
13
13. Frantz Fanon on restoring human dignity
31:18
14
14. Jean-Paul Sartre on why hell is other people
27:25
15
15. Sartre on sex and sadomasochism
27:24
16
16. Sartre on authentic work
27:30
17
17. Richard Wright on overcoming alienation
29:47
18
18. Simone de Beauvoir on authentic love
29:50
19
19. Beauvoir on authentic friendships
25:39
20
20. Beauvoir on raising children authentically
27:29
21
21. Beauvoir on authentic aging
22:22
22
22. Beauvoir on loving your mortality
29:29
23
23. Toni Morrison and the sources of self-regard
28:44
24
24. Everyday existentialism
31:31
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Frequently asked questions

What are the prerequisites for this course?
There are no formal prerequisites for the Existentialism and the Authentic Life course. However, a general interest in philosophy and an openness to exploring deep and sometimes challenging questions about life, love, and death will enrich your experience. The course is designed to be accessible to both newcomers to philosophy and those with prior knowledge seeking a deeper understanding of existentialist thought.
What kind of projects or exercises will I complete?
The course does not specify any formal projects or exercises. Instead, it focuses on engaging with and analyzing philosophical texts and themes. Students will explore existentialist ideas such as authenticity, absurdity, and the human condition through lectures and suggested readings, fostering personal reflection and intellectual engagement.
Who is the intended audience for this course?
The course is ideal for philosophy students, curious thinkers, and anyone interested in exploring existentialist philosophy. It is suitable for those seeking to understand how existentialist ideas can be applied to real-life situations, providing insights into living authentically in a modern world.
How does the depth of this course compare to other philosophy courses?
This course offers a focused exploration of existentialist philosophy over 24 lectures, diving deep into the works and ideas of influential existentialists like Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Camus, Sartre, and Beauvoir. While it provides a comprehensive overview of existentialism, it is not a broad survey of all philosophical traditions. It is more specialized than general philosophy courses, concentrating on themes of authenticity, absurdity, and self-discovery.
What specific existentialist thinkers are covered in the course?
The course covers a range of existentialist thinkers, including Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Richard Wright, Frantz Fanon, Jose Ortega y Gasset, and Toni Morrison. Each lecture delves into the unique contributions of these philosophers to existentialist thought, examining their perspectives on authenticity, love, death, and the human condition.
What topics are not covered in this course?
The course focuses specifically on existentialist philosophy and does not cover other philosophical traditions such as analytic philosophy, Eastern philosophies, or ancient philosophies like those of Plato and Aristotle. It also does not delve into the technical specifics of philosophical methodology or logic, remaining centered on existentialist themes and their application to modern life.
How much time should I expect to commit to this course?
The course consists of 24 lectures, each requiring engagement with philosophical texts and themes. While the specific runtime of each lecture is not provided, students should plan to dedicate additional time outside of lectures for reading, reflection, and analysis to fully grasp the material. The time commitment will vary based on individual study habits and prior familiarity with existentialist philosophy.