Becoming More Authentic: The Positive Side of Existentialism

E-mail: PARKx032@TC.UMN.EDU

Phone: 612-871-7275

BECOMING MORE AUTHENTIC:
THE POSITIVE SIDE OF EXISTENTIALISM

Do you want to make your life more:
autonomous, focused, organized, and 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, and Maslow.

If you would like to read a three-page presentation
of the basic concept of Authenticity, go to:
Becoming More Authentic:
The Positive Side of Existentialism.

Another way to describe Authenticity
is to ask where we are on any of 
23 growth scales.
If you click the link above,
you will see a phrase describing where we all begin
and a contrasting phrase describing
the destination toward which we move
if we are becoming more Authentic.
For example, here is the fourth growth scale:
In original existence,
we 'pursue' culturally-provided meanings and goals.
Whereas as we become more Authentic,
we create our own meanings and goals.

Existentialism affirms our personal freedom
to re-create our selves:
What is the new purpose of my life?

The instructor is James Park,
existential philosopher and author of the text,
which will be available in class for $15.
(But see cheaper options for buying the book.)
A comprehensive course description appears here:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~parkx032/D-AU.html.

Class Time:

four meetings, two hours each,
to be arranged to suit the largest number of interested persons.

Class Dates:

Do not be discouraged by a large number of people
who have signed up for this class.
The actual number of persons in quest of greater Authenticity
who will attend the next seminar will be less than 20.
And because it took one year
to gather enough people for the Fall 2009 class,
the next face-to-face class is projected for Fall 2010.
But see the electronic option below.

Place:

Suggestions welcome.

Class size:

Minimum 10
Maximum 20

On-Line Discussion Group on Authenticity

If you are serious about your quest for greater Authenticity,
you can be one of the first people to join
an experimental electronic discussion group
created by means of the Experimental College of the Twin Cities.

These are the main features of this experiment:
(1) participants from anywhere on Earth.
(2) a Google group on Authenticity.
(3) no charge for the course;
but you will need a copy of Becoming More Authentic.
(4) 6 weeks to read and discuss.
See complete details here:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~parkx032/ED-AU.html

What experience do you bring to this class?
I have facilitated this class several times, during which I wrote the book,
which is now in its 5th edition---2007.
Most of these seminars were in the Minnesota Free University.
Learn more about my career in
Adult Alternative Education
including several other possible classes.

If you want to know even more about me,
you may visit my website called
An Existential Philosopher's Museum.
There are now more than 1,000 'rooms'.

(Revised 3-15-2010)