Course Description

This course will consist of the close reading and discussion of texts by Friedrich Nietzsche, one of the most provocative and controversial philosophers of the Nineteenth-Century. Offering a detailed introduction to Nietzsche's thought, this course will provide an opportunity to examine Nietzsche's most important works and central concepts such as the Dionysian and Apollonian, history and forgetting, the last man, overman, eternal recurrence, the death of God, master and slave morality, perspective and perspectivalism, genealogy, and will to power. We will explore the development and significance of his thought from his early works concerning tragedy and history to his later works critiquing morality and religion as intrinsically nihilistic and arguing for a "reevaluation of values" that emphasizes the inherent significance of this earthly life, moment, and world. We will also consider issues of art and culture, ethics and politics, knowledge and self-knowledge, biology and nature, myth and religion as well as controversial issues such as the role of power, race, gender, and class in Nietzsche's works.

Course Goals and Objectives

1. The goals of this course are to promote:

(a) Familiarity with Nietzsche's positions and arguments, and

(b) Critical reasoning and reflection through engaging Nietzsche's works.

2. The objectives of this course are for students to develop their ability and skills in:

(a) Interpreting texts by accurately and fully describing concepts and arguments

(b) Reasoning about ideas by (i) evaluating the content, structure, and strategies of philosophical works and (ii) applying concepts and arguments to contemporary issues and their own lives, and

(c) Collaborating with other students, and presenting and supporting their ideas in public through class participation.

Course Requirements

Students are required to:

1. Complete all assigned readings

2. Maintain regular attendance

3. Participate in class discussion

4. Complete all written assignments on-time

Course Assignments

1. Two Research Paper Proposals and Two Research Papers = 60% of final course grade.

2. Three two-page reflection papers = 20% of final grade.

3. Class Attendance and Participation = 20% of final grade. Note that beginning with the fourth absence, each additional absence will lower the grade by 0.3-0.4 out of a 4.0 scale. 

Instructional Rationale

Assignments are intended to familiarize you with the readings, encourage you to develop your skills in reasoning, and reflect on philosophical issues in different cultural and historical contexts and from a variety of perspectives. It is better to do this directly than use unreliable sources on the internet. For example, you can look at sites such as wikipedia to gain an initial impression of the average public understanding of a topic or figure but your own thinking and writing should be more critical, engaged, rigorous, and it should be your own on the basis of the text and the class lectures and discussions.

We will read and discuss three inexpensive Required Texts:

1. BWN: Basic Writings of Nietzsche (Modern Library, 2000)  ISBN-10: 0679783393

2. PN: The Portable Nietzsche (Penguin, 1977)  ISBN-10: 0140150625

3. ADHL: On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life (Hackett, 1980)  ISBN-10: 0915144948

Recommended introduction to Nietzsche's thought: David B. Allison, Reading the New Nietzsche (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2000)  ISBN-10:  0847689808

COURSE CALENDAR

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

1. If you need help, or if you have any suggestions, questions, problems, or other concerns, feel free to talk with me before or after class, during office hours, or by arrangement. Also see the following website: Guide to the Study of Philosophy, http://www.philosophypages.com/sy.htm

2. Professionalism: students are required to adopt a professional attitude toward class conduct and fellow students. Please be on time and leave when the class is over. Please do not engage in discussions that are unrelated to class material and distract your fellow students. Cell phones and pagers should be turned off and calls should be taken after class is over except in cases of extreme emergency such as imminent mortality or imprisonment.

3. Work must be done on time. Late or missed work will be penalized by being lowered a whole grade for each day. Missed in-class assignments cannot be made up because they are part of the attendance/participation grade which requires that you attend class.

4. Attendance is mandatory and not optional. Beginning with the fourth absence, each additional absence will lower the grade by 0.3-0.4 out of a 4.0 scale. Failing attendance and participation will result in failing the course.

5. You are expected to keep up with the reading assignments and participate in class discussions. Consistent failure to keep up with the readings will seriously compromise your ability to succeed in the course.

6. Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are serious violations of personal and educational integrity and will result in automatic failure of the course and other possible penalties. The University's definitions and polices on academic dishonesty are available here: http://www.uml.edu/catalog/undergraduate/policies/academic_dishonesty.htm

7. Grading Policy: This will be a reading, thinking, and writing intensive class. The grade of “A” will be given to excellent work that shows that you understand the arguments and issues and that you can work with the question in your own voice. Answers should be accurate, clear, consistent, complete, and involve a thoughtful response to both the readings and class-discussions.

8. If you have a disability that presents a difficulty for you in this class, or are experiencing problems that are interfering with your work in this class, please discuss this with me immediately during the first week of classes and we will attempt to come up with an appropriate solution.

Information on this syllabus is subject to change, and important updates will be posted on the course webpage.