6AANA032 Nineteenth-Century Continental Philosophy Syllabus Academic year 2013/14 Basic information Credits: 15 Module Tutor: Dr Sacha Golob Office: 705, Philosophy Building Consultation time: 12:00 13:00 Wed Semester: First Lecture time and venue: Tuesday 16:00-17:00, Venue TBC Module description This module introduces two of the most influential and subtle of modern philosophers: G.W.F. Hegel and Friedrich Nietzsche. Beginning with a brief overview of Kant s philosophy, the course examines how Hegel and Nietzsche attempt, in very different ways, to refine, transform, or destroy the legacy of the Enlightenment. The focus, in particular, will be on the conception of the self, of normativity, and of the philosophical method, that emerges from texts such as Hegel s Phenomenology of Spirit and Nietzsche s Genealogy of Morality. All texts will be studied in translation. Learning outcomes a capacity to acquire a firm grasp of the philosophical content the most important developments in nineteenth-century philosophy an ability to ascertain the significance of works within their philosophical, historical and cultural background skill in the careful analysis of language and argument as a means of exposition, as an instrument of refutation and as a dialectical process of engaging with other philosophers Assessment methods and deadlines Formative assessment: two x 1,500-word essays Deadlines: essay 1 by Fri 8 th Nov, essay 2 by Fri 20 th Dec 2013 Summative assessment: two x 2,500-word essays (100%) Deadline: 12 noon on 16 th May, 2014
Outline of lecture topics (plus suggested readings) Readings marked * are available online either via Library E-Resources or by Keats. (1) The Enlightenment Legacy: Kant on the Self Kant, An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment? in Kant s Political Writings ed.reiss and trans.nisbet, pp.54-60. Gardner, S., Routledge Philosophy Guide to Kant and the Critique of Pure Reason (London: Routledge, 1998), ch.3.* (2) Introducing Hegel: History, Society, Dialectic Houlgate, S., An Introduction to Hegel: Freedom, Truth, and History (Oxford: Blackwell 2005), chs.1-2. Hegel. Lectures on the Philosophy of World History: Introduction, trans. Nisbet, (Cambridge: CUP, 1975), pp.25-50. (3) Hegel on Intentionality: From Kant to McDowell McDowell, J., Mind and World (London: Harvard University Press 1994), Lecs.1-2. (4) Hegel on Recognition: The Master-Slave Dialectic Stern, R., Routledge Philosophy Guide to Hegel and the Phenomenology of Spirit, (London: Routledge, 2002), pp.71-85.* Hegel. Phenomenology of Spirit, trans. Miller (Oxford: OUP 1977), Paragraphs 178-196. (5) Hegel on Freedom and Ethics Beiser, F., Hegel (London: Routledge, 2005), ch.9.* Hegel, Elements of the Philosophy of Right, ed. Wood, trans. Nisbet (Cambridge: CUP, 1991), Paragraphs 1-33, 135, 260. (6) Introducing Nietzsche: Genealogy and Truth Geuss, R., Nietzsche and Genealogy in Richardson (ed.) Nietzsche (Oxford: OUP, 2001). Nietzsche. Beyond Good and Evil, trans.hollingdale (Penguin: London, 1990) Part 1 On the Prejudices of the Philosophers Nietzsche, Genealogy of Morality, ed.ansell-pearson, trans.diethe (Cambridge: CUP, 2007), Essay 3, Section 12. (7) Nietzsche on the Slave Revolt: The Attack on Morality Nietzsche, Genealogy of Morality, ed.ansell-pearson, trans.diethe (Cambridge: CUP, 2007), Essay 1. (8) Nietzsche on Socialization: Bad Conscience and the Birth of Norms Nietzsche, Genealogy of Morality, ed.ansell-pearson, trans.diethe (Cambridge: CUP, 2007), Essay 2. (9) Nietzsche on Asceticism, Christianity, and Science Nietzsche, Genealogy of Morality, ed.ansell-pearson, trans.diethe (Cambridge: CUP, 2007), Essay 3. (10) Two Visions: Ethical Life and the Sovereign Individual Wood, A., Hegel's Ethical Thought, (Cambridge: CUP, 1990), chs.11-12. Acampora, C., On Sovereignty and Overhumanity in Acampora (ed.), Nietzsche s On the Genealogy of Morals (Rowman and Littlefield: 2006).
Suggested essay questions (1) What are the attractions, if any, of Hegel s account of history? OR It has gradually become clear to me what every great philosophy up till now has consisted in namely, unconscious autobiography (Nietzsche). Discuss. (2) Is the myth of the given a genuine problem? How plausible is McDowell s Hegelian solution? OR In what sense is Hegel an idealist? Is that sense incompatible with realism? (3) Free will is the unencumbered ability of an agent to do what she wants. Discuss with reference to Hegel. (4) What if, anything, is shown by Hegel s Master-Slave Dialectic? (5) Does Nietzsche think there is no truth? Is that thought self-refuting? (6) Are Nietzsche's criticisms of morality convincing? (7) How plausible is Nietzsche s account of the ascetic ideal?
Suggested additional readings by lecture topic Readings marked * are available online either via Library E-Resources or by Keats. (1) The Enlightenment Legacy: Kant on the Self O Neill, O., The Public Use of Reason, in her Constructions of Reason (Cambridge: CUP, 1995). (2) Introducing Hegel: History, Society, Dialectic Wartenberg, Hegel s Idealism in Beiser (ed.), Cambridge Companion to Hegel (Cambridge: CUP 2009).* Beiser, F., Hegel (London: Routledge, 2005), ch.11.* Inwood, M., A Hegel Dictionary (Oxford: Blackwell, 1992). Burbridge, Hegel s Conception of Logic in Beiser (ed.), Cambridge Companion to Hegel (Cambridge: CUP 2009).* Beiser, F., Hegel (London: Routledge, 2005), chs.3-4.* (3) Hegel on Intentionality: From Kant to McDowell Stern, R., Going Beyond the Kantian Philosophy: On McDowell's Hegelian Critique of Kant, European Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 7, 1999, pp.247 269.* Guyer, P., Absolute Idealism and the Rejection of Kantian Dualism in Ameriks (ed.), Cambridge Companion to Hegel (Cambridge: CUP 2000).* McDowell, J., Hegel s Idealism as Radicalization of Kant, in his Having the World in View (London: Harvard University Press 2009). (4) Hegel on Recognition: The Master-Slave Dialectic Houlgate, S., (2003) 'G. W. F. Hegel: The Phenomenology of Spirit', in R. Solomon and D. Sherman (eds.) The Blackwell Guide to Continental Philosophy, (Oxford: Blackwell 2003). Kelly, G.A., (1966) Notes on Hegel's Lordship and bondage, Review of Metaphysics, Vol.19, reprinted in MacIntyre (ed.) Hegel: A Collection of Critical Essays; in R. Stern (ed.) G.W.F. Hegel: Critical Assessments vol. 3, 1993; and in J. Stewart (ed.) The Phenomenology of Spirit Reader, (SUNY 1998). Pinkard, T., Hegel's Phenomenology: The Sociality of Reason (Cambridge: CUP, 1994), ch.3. McDowell, J., The Apperceptive I and the Empirical Self: Towards a Heterodox Reading of Lordship and Bondage in his Having the World in View (London: Harvard University Press 2009). (5) Hegel on Freedom and Ethics Wood, A. Hegel's Ethical Thought, (Cambridge: CUP, 1990), chs.1-2. Uleman, J. An Introduction to Kant s Ethics. (Cambridge: CUP, 2010), chs.1-2.* Patten, Hegel s Idea of Freedom (Oxford: OUP, 2002), chs.1-2.* Korsgaard, Sources of Normativity Cambridge: CUP 1996), ch. 3 Franco, Hegel s Philosophy of Freedom (London: Yale University Press), ch.5
Suggested additional readings by lecture topic (Cont.) (6) Introduction to Nietzsche: Genealogy and Truth Leiter, B., Perspectivism in the Genealogy of Morals in Schacht (ed.) Nietzsche, Genealogy, Morality (Berkeley: U Cal Press, 1994). Clark, M., Nietzsche on Truth and Philosophy (Cambridge: CUP, 1990), chs.1-5. Nehamas, A., Nietzsche: Life as Literature (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1985), chs.1-2. (7) Nietzsche and the Slave Revolt: The Attack on Morality Geuss, R., Nietzsche and Morality in European Journal of Philosophy Vol. 5, pp.1 20, 1997.* May, S., Nietzsche's Ethics and His War on Morality (Oxford: OUP, 1999), chess. 1-3. Clark, M., Nietzsche s Immoralism in Schacht (ed.) Nietzsche, Genealogy, Morality (Berkeley: U Cal Press, 1994). Nussbaum, M., Pity and Mercy: Nietzsche s Stoicism in Schacht (ed.) Nietzsche, Genealogy, Morality (Berkeley: U Cal Press, 1994). Knobe and Leiter, The Case for Nietzschean Moral Psychology in Leiter and Sinhababu (eds.), Nietzsche and Morality (Oxford: OUP, 2007). (8) Nietzsche and Socialization: Bad Conscience and the Birth of Norms Leiter, B., Routledge Philosophy Guide to Nietzsche on Morality, (London: Routledge 2002), ch.7.* May, S., Nietzsche's Ethics and His War on Morality (Oxford: OUP, 1999), ch.4. Janaway, C., Guilt, Bad Conscience and Self-Punishment in the Genealogy in Leiter and Sinhababu (eds.), Nietzsche and Morality (Oxford: OUP, 2007). (9) Nietzsche on Asceticism, Christianity, and Science May, S., Nietzsche's Ethics and His War on Morality (Oxford: OUP, 1999), ch.8. Clark, M., Nietzsche on Truth and Philosophy (Cambridge: CUP, 1990), ch.6. May, S., Nietzsche's Ethics and His War on Morality (Oxford: OUP, 1999), ch.8. (10) Two Visions: Ethical Life and the Sovereign Individual Wood, A., Hegel's Ethical Thought, (Cambridge: CUP, 1990), chs.13-14. Loeb, P., Finding the Übermensch in Nietzsche s Genealogy in Acampora (ed.), Nietzsche s On the Genealogy of Morals (Rowman and Littlefield: 2006).