PHILOSOPHY/RELIGIOUS STUDIES 3159 NIETZSCHE & THE DEATH OF GOD

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2 Contact Information Dr. Rod Nicholls Office: CC272 Office Hours: Mon/Wed 11:30-1:30pm; Fri 3-4 Moodle: the Philosophy 3159 site is now accessible Course Description & Goals In one of Friedrich Nietzsche s aphorisms, a madman runs through a busy market place and proclaims God is dead. This slogan is often and quite rightly interpreted as a prophetic vision of the upsurge of nihilism in the 20 th century. For instance, the horrors of World War One led many people to question traditional Western values. This questioning became more radical with the rise of powerful new secular belief systems such as communism and fascism. And today, conflicts between global capitalism and its enemies (such as radical Islamism) do not just concern political, military, or economic interests. They are partly intellectual conflicts fueled by deeply emotional divisions regarding cultural values. So it is best to conceive Nietzsche s slogan as being less about religion (something that millions of intellectuals especially in Europe and North America care little about) than the meaning and value of big words that signify the values that Western culture has deemed most worth fighting, and dying, for. God, in other words, is a stand-in for Truth, Science, Altruism, Tolerance, Democracy, and the like. The latter have been called master signifiers symbols that structure the whole way we live our lives. Now it is true that the course begins by explicitly focusing on a contemporary debate about religion. Specifically, we will examine the phenomenon of resurgent fundamentalism which, in the view of moderate religious believers, includes the new atheism movement. On the surface, this movement appears to be the latest offspring of Nietzsche s seminal 19 th century critique of religion. But when the focus shifts to the broader historical and philosophical questions, the weaknesses of the story told by new atheism and its critics will become apparent. Perhaps the most valuable thing you can acquire in this course is your own enhanced and sharpened perspective on contemporary culture. And that perspective is personal and practical as well as theoretical. After all, one of the recurring questions we will be considering is whether Nietzsche offered a persuasive, positive vision of life a vision that could be an attractive alternative to traditional ideals (not to mention the nihilism of the God-less world in which we allegedly now live). In the process, obviously, you will achieve a good working knowledge of a writer who has exercised a huge influence on today s intellectual climate. For example, Nietzsche is commonly associated with post-modernism. So you will gain an understanding of this distinctively inter-disciplinary approach to philosophy, religious studies, literary studies, aesthetics, and social & political theory (as well as its limitations). Consistent with the interdisciplinary flavor this course, by the way, you are encouraged to customize the style and topics of your written assignments to reflect your own academic program and interests. 1

3 Reading Material Most of the required readings listed in the schedule of topics below (as well as any supplementary readings) will be posted on the course Moodle site. For the first half of the course that will be all you need. The CBU Bookstore will be stocking the following book which will be used in the second half of the course. There are advantages to everyone having the same translations (and this editions are relatively cheap). But you are certainly free to make use of different issues freely available in the CBU library or on-line. Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals, translated by Clark and Swensen (Hackett Publishing). Evaluation Class Work: 20% Short Essay: 20% Longer Essay: 40% Final Exam: 20% Class Work For ten classes during the term, you will write a one paragraph ( word) response (comment, criticism, question, or reply) to some aspect of a reading assigned for that class (or a reply to another student s response). The point of this exercise is to get you involved from the very beginning of the course with brief pieces of writing. Responses entered in the relevant Moodle forum by 7am on the day of a class will receive 2 marks. Responses entered after a class will receive 1 mark. Essays There is flexibility as to how you earn this 60%. 1) Some of you will choose to write one short ( words) and one longer essay ( words) on different topics. 2) After writing a short essay, some of you might decide to expand it into a longer essay on the same topic. 3) Some of you might decide to combine the two components into one major essay ( words). To avoid having your choice determined by procrastination, if you choose the latter option you must provide me with an abstract or short plan by a designated date. But whatever you opt to do, you will have ample time to decide. Exam If the aim of the portfolio is simply to get you thinking/writing on a regular basis and the aim of the essay(s) is for you to express yourself clearly and creatively on a specific topic of your choice, then the point of the exam is to check that you ve achieved a basic comprehensive of essential issues/questions. I will provide you with a bank of potential questions well in advance of the exam and the exam will consist of five (5) questions taken from that bank. So you will be able to prepare for the exam in a focused way. Your answer to each question will be approximately 500 words (or one foolscap page). 2

4 Course Guide Topic 1 Nietzsche and the Death of God: In this introductory class I will talk about the main focus of the course, the range of philosophical topics to be studied, and the way we will proceed within class. Reading the following two, very brief documents before class would be helpful but not necessary. The Madman, Friedrich Nietzsche Is God Dead? The Huffington Post Topic 2 Atheism, Old & New: Nietzsche s writings (which began to exert influence only after his death, at the turn of the 20 th Century) developed a critique of religion that originated in the European Enlightenment. The latter critique was embodied in Voltaire s high profile crusade in the 18 th century to ecrasez l infame literally to destroy the evil (of organized religion). Over the past fifteen years, the so-called new atheism movement has promoted itself internationally as the contemporary heir of the Enlightenment critique. An excerpt from the bestselling book, The God Delusion, by the evolutionary biologist and public intellectual, Richard Dawkins, captures the flavor and content of this movement. The God Hypothesis, Richard Dawkins Voltaire s Grin, Richard Holmes Philosophical Dictionary (entries on Enthusiasm, Fanaticism &Toleration), Voltaire Topic 3 Reconceiving Religion: From the age of Romanticism in the 18 th century to post-modern believers in the 21 st century, there have been a variety of philosophically sophisticated attempts to conceive religion in a way that avoids the criticisms of people such as Voltaire or Dawkins. The Ring Parable from Nathan the Wise, Gottfried Lessing Nathan & Intolerance, Ronald Schechter The Prelude, William Wordsworth On the Cultured Despisers of Religion, Friedrich Schleiermacher God & Critics of the New Atheism, James Wood Topic 4 Nietzsche s Affirmation of Myth & Paganism: It is difficult to categorize Nietzsche s approach to religion as in either the Enlightenment or Romantic tradition. But key features of his argument regarding the spiritual deficiencies of contemporary Western culture are evident in 3

5 a very early essay he wrote on ancient Greek culture. This essay is particularly interesting because it seems to affirm a kind of paganism or a religion of life based on the values of contest and competition. And many contemporary philosophers are still disturbed by Nietzsche s early statements regarding the necessity of myth and illusions if individuals or whole cultures are to flourish. Homer s Contest, Friedrich Nietzsche Myth & Illusion, Nietzsche The Concept of the Dionysan, Nietzsche Topic 5 Nietzsche on Truth, Fanaticism & Faith: As a counter-balance to the passages contained in the previous section, the following writings demonstrate that Nietzsche never saw the issue as a simple dichotomy of reason versus myth. But the nature and value of truth and truth seeking, according to Nietzsche, must itself be subject to the same sort of analysis that philosophers, scientists, and scholars have directed against all other phenomena. Truth & Fanaticism, Nietzsche Believers & Faith, Nietzsche The Religious Life, Nietzsche Topic 6 Self-Knowledge & Nietzsche s Ideal of Self-Creation: In a series of aphorisms from his book, Daybreak, Nietzsche provides an analysis of the human psyche (and especially motivation) that caused Freud to comment everything I know I learned from Nietzsche who had more selfknowledge than any human being in history. And in The Gay Science (or Joyful Wisdom Die Frohliche Wissenschaft), we start to get a more detailed sense of what Nietzsche s ideal human type looks like. Selections from Daybreak, Nietzsche Selections from The Gay Science, Nietzsche Topic 7 The Origins of Morality : In book, On The Genealogy of Morals, Nietzsche provides his most sustained and systematic account of how human beings turned themselves in believers and then into the unwitting murderers of God. Most Anglo-American philosophers treat this book as Nietzsche s most important philosophical work, but it is certainly his most systematic. Part One contains his famous account of Master and Slave morality. On the Genealogy of Morals, Part One, Nietzsche 4

6 Topic 8 The Birth of the Human Conscience and God, Too: The title of this section says it all a highly speculative but profoundly insightful story of how human beings developed a conscience amidst blood and violence; and how the Christian God emerged as the climactic result of a conscience tortured by guilt. On the Genealogy of Morals, Part Two, Nietzsche Topic 9 The Secular Ideal: The third essay in Genealogy of Morals examines the emergence of a secular ideal founded in practices of science and the values of altruism, tolerance, and democracy that the vast majority of people in the West now embrace. But Nietzsche argues that this is not a new ideal that supersedes the old religious one. Rather it is the culmination of the old ideal that should now be overcome. On the Genealogy of Morals, Part Three, Nietzsche Topic 15 Nietzsche s Twin Narratives: In one of his last books, The AntiChrist, Nietzsche returns to the issues we considered at the beginning of the course and offers a quick look at the broad sweep of human history. Then, in his bizarre autobiography, Ecce Homo (from the words of Pontius Pilate Behold the Man upon seeing Jesus Christ on the cross) he focuses on his own development. This book, however, does not aim at accuracy in the small details of his life although it is full of small details because it is best read as a kind of philosophical fiction. And in the creation of Friedrich Nietzsche as a literary character by Friedrich Nietzsche, the author, we perhaps get the best picture of Nietzsche s ideal human type, namely, one who can flourish after the death of God. Selections from The AntiChrist, Nietzsche Ecce Homo (selections), Nietzsche **Secondary sources will be added to topics as necessary. They will be posted on Moodle under the relevant topic or handed-out in class. 5

7 PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING POLICIES Philosophy 3159 Policies There is no supplementary exam in this course. Explanations regarding missed due dates and tests/exam must be provided in writing and in advance. The Jennifer Keeping Centre aims to remove educational and environmental barriers that prevent or limit students with disabilities from achieving their goals at CBU. Students are encouraged to consult with the JKC before talking with me about any assistance required in Philosophy CBU Policies This course follows the general CBU policy regarding the cancellation of classes due to inclement weather: This course follows the general CBU policy regarding the use of recordings of class materials: The CBU policy regarding the use of electronic devices in class is as follows: The usage of electronic devices in class, laboratory, clinical area and seminar settings can lead to distractions of the instructors and students and is not allowed in the academic class, laboratory, clinical area and seminar environment unless specified by the instructor. Electronic devices include, but are not limited to, cell phones, portable radio and music devices, electronic translators and laptop computers. Students using electronic devices in contradiction to the wishes of the instructor may be asked to turn off and/or to remove the device or may be asked to leave the class, laboratory, clinical area or seminar. In Philosophy 3159, there are no restrictions on the use of devices but any use must not interfere with class proceedings. Students should read carefully the CBU policy on academic dishonesty (including plagiarism): 6