A detailed introduction to some of Nietzsche’s most important themes: his broad conception of what philosophy is about; his early aesthetics; his cultural criticism; his development of a theory of the will-to-power; his underdeveloped career as a philosopher of language. What possibilities of interpretation of life does the modern world open up for Nietzsche? What possibilities does it shut down? To what extent does Nietzsche provide a dynamic new account of divergent spheres of human activity, from art to science, from philosophy to religion? These questions and others will be answered on the basis of an in-depth look at some key passages.
prior reading:
a. Nietzsche, Thus Spake Zarathustra, all of book 1 and book 3, "Of Old and New Law Tables"
b. Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, chapters 1 (Prejudices of the Philosopers), 4 (Maxims and Arrows) and 5 (The Natural History of Morals)