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[draft syllabus]
Philosophy 685: fall 2017Bill Bristow
The Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche [capstone]616 Curtin, 229-4719
TR3:30-4:45, 607 Curtin
Office hours: Th 2-3, or by appointment.
Course Description:
Friedrich Nietzsche’s famous statement that “God is dead” encapsulates his fundamental, systematic, influential critique of modern Western culture (– his critique of our fundamental doctrines or beliefs, as well as, and especially, our fundamental moral values). Nietzsche finds nihilism to be at the root of Western culture, and points the way, in opposition, to the possibility of a truly life-affirming mode of human existence. In this seminar, we examine both Nietzsche’s critique of modern culture as well as his attempts at the “revaluation of all values”, as his project develops from his first book, The Birth of Tragedy (1872), through his last writings before he suffered his incapacitating breakdown in 1889. As appropriate for this “capstone” seminar, we pay particular attention to Nietzsche’s critiques and assessments of the Western philosophical tradition, and his attempt to found what he calls “a philosophy of the future.” We read secondary works as well as Nietzsche’s texts.
As a capstone course, this course allows the student the opportunity to draw together and consolidate and employ the various skills and content that the student has learned in the course of fulfilling the Philosophy major here at UWM. The philosophy of Nietzsche is particularly appropriate as the content of a capstone course in philosophy, because his philosophy a) involves a critical stance with respect to the whole history of Western philosophy; b) and calls into question basic historical presuppositions in all four major subdisciplines of philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and aesthetics. Because Nietzsche’s writings call the practice and assumptions of Western philosophy themselves into question, it seems to me particularly appropriate to study Nietzsche’s philosophy in a capstone course in the Department of Philosophy.
Course Objectives:
1) To develop a critical understanding of the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche and an appreciation of the significance of those writings within the history of western philosophy and culture. (2) to develop skills of critical reading, critical analysis, and analytical and interpretive writing.
Required Texts:
[The two texts below have been ordered through the online Campus Bookstore ]
-- Basic Writings of Nietzsche, translated and edited by Walter Kaufmann (Modern Library)
ISBN-13: 978-0679783398
-- The Portable Nietzsche, translated and edited by Kaufmann (Penguin)
ISBN-13: 978-0140150629
[Other Nietzsche text, as well as secondary literature, will be made available to students through the D2L course website.]
Course Requirements:
Attendance and seminar participation: It is expected that students will attend seminar meetings, having read carefully the material beforehand, and participate in our discussion of the material.
Discussion questions: Our seminar meetings will be of two types, generally. Some of our meetings will be oriented around my presentation of the main ideas contained in the Nietzsche reading assigned for that session or week. Others of our meetings will consist primarily of seminar discussion of the material assigned for that week, arising from your questions about that material. To promote our discussion at these meetings (announced in advance), students are asked to submit a discussion question in writing in advance of the meeting. I will provide details of this requirement at the appropriate time.
Response writing: Students are asked to submit three response papers to Nietzsche’s writing (one is due roughly every two weeks through week nine; see schedule below). (In the last part of the term students will be focused on writing the seminar paper). Response papers are approximately two double-spaced pages in length (ca. 600 words). In response papers, students respond critically to the particular Nietzsche texts we are studying, by developing a critical question, an objection, or developing an interpretive hypothesis. (I will provide more guidance on response writing at the appropriate time.)
Seminar paper: The required seminar paper is from 10-15 pages (3000-5000 words). Students submit a paper proposal before the Thanksgiving break, and a full draft in the penultimate week of classes, and provide comments on a draft of one of their peers in that last week (see schedule below).
Breakdown of final grade:
Attendance and seminar participation:10%
Discussion questions10%
Response writing30%
(four 2 page response papers (ca. 600 words)
Seminar Paper, with draft and peer edit (10-15 pages)50%
Course Procedures:
-- If you will need accommodations in order to meet requirements of this course because of a disability, please contact me as soon as possible. If you have not already done so, you should also contact the Student Accessibility Center at 229-6287.
-- If religious observances in your faith interfere with requirements of this course, please speak to me as soon as possible regarding making accommodations. Accommodations must be made in advance.
-- Various university policies regarding students’ participation in courses can be accessed via the following URL:
-- Cheating on exams and plagiarism on written assignments are violations of the academic honor code and carry severe sanctions, including failing a course or even suspension or dismissal from the university. Learn what constitutes academic misconduct, according to the policy of the university, by consulting the following website:
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about this.
Course Schedule (subject to change, depending on the pace of our progression through material):
NB: In the schedule below, “BW” refers to “The Basic Writings of Nietzsche”, and “PN” refers to “The Portable Nietzsche”.
First meeting (Sept. 5): Introduction to course
Reading: entry in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, on Friedrich Nietzsche, “1. Life”
Weeks One and Two (Sept 7, 12, 14)Birth of Tragedy
Reading: Birth of Tragedy, Preface + sections 1-15 (BW, pp. 31-98).
“Attempt at Self-Criticism” (BW, pp. 17-27)
Optional secondary reading:
(1)Richard Schacht, “Making Life Worth Living: Nietzsche on Art in the Birth of Tragedy, in Leiter and Richardson, eds., Nietzsche, Oxford Readings in Philosophy, pp. 186-209. (D2L).
(2)Randall Havas, Nietzsche’s Genealogy, Chapter 1 “The Philosophical Significance of Nietzsche’s attack on Socratism” (pp.28-68) (D2L)
Week Three (Sept. 19, 21) On truth and lies
Reading: Nietzsche, “On truth and lies in a non-moral sense” (D2L)
Optional secondary:
(1)Maudemarie Clark, Nietzsche on Truth and Philosophy, Chapters 1 and 3.
First response writing due: Sept. 22 [dropbox]
Week Four (Sept 26, 28) “Schopenhauer as Educator”: Nietzsche as perfectionist?
Reading: Nietzsche, “Schopenhauer as Educator” (D2L)
Optional secondary:
(1) James Conant, “Nietzsche’s Perfectionism”
(2)Thomas Hurka, “Nietzsche: Perfectionist”
(3)Stanley Cavell, “Aversive Thinking”
Week Five (Oct. 3, 5) The Gay Science (1)
Reading: Nietzsche, The Gay Science, selections (D2L)
Optional Secondary:
(1)Alexander Nehamas, “The Eternal Recurrence”
Week Six (Oct. 10, 12) The Gay Science (2)
Reading: Nietzsche, The Gay Science, selections (D2L)
Optional Secondary: TBA
Second response writing due: Oct. 12 [dropbox]
Week Seven(Oct. 17, 19)Thus Spoke Zarathustra, selections
Reading: Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, selections
Week Eight (Oct 24, 26)Beyond Good and Evil, selections
Reading: Beyond Good and Evil
Optional secondary:
Maudemarie Clarke, “The Development of Nietzsche’s Later Position on Truth”
Third response writing due: Oct. 26 [dropbox]
Week Nine (Oct. 31, Nov. 2)Genealogy of Morals, First Essay
Reading: Nietzsche, Genealogy of Morals, Preface and First Essay (in BW)
Optional secondary:
(1)Raymond Geuss, “Nietzsche and Genealogy”
(2)Michel Foucault, “Nietzsche, Genealogy and History”
(3)Philippa Foot, “Nietzsche: The Revaluation of Values”
(4)Brian Leiter, “Nietzsche and the Morality Critics”
(5)Philippa Foot, “Nietzsche’s Immoralism”
Week Ten (Nov. 7, 9) Nietzsche, Genealogy of Morals, Second Essay
Reading: Nietzsche, Genealogy of Morals, Second Essay (in BW)
Seminar Paper proposal due: Nov. 7
Week Eleven and Twelve (Nov. 14, 16, 21) Genealogy of Morals, Third Essay
Reading:Nietzsche, Genealogy of Morals, Third Essay (in BW)
Full draft of seminar paper due: November 21
November 23: Thanksgiving (Happy Thanksgiving!)
Week Thirteen (Nov. 28, 30) Student presentations
Reading: TBA Nietzsche, Genealogy of Morals, Third Essay (in BW)
Comments on peer’s draft due: November 28.
Week Fourteen (Dec. 5, 7) Student presentations
Reading: TBA
Week Fifteen (Dec. 12, 14) Student presentations
Reading: TBA
Final seminar paper dueMonday, Dec. 18(in D2L dropbox).