Thus Spoke Zarathustra – Friedrich Nietzsche's Fabulous Book for Everyone and No One
Let us set some modest goals in approaching Nietzsche's magnum opus. Let us get to know Nietzsche's Zarathustra: Who is he? What is his intention? How does he develop as the book advances? Let us encounter the big themes of this infamous book (the death of God; nihilism, last human beings, will to power, eternal return, Übermensch) at the proper time and in their native environment — as part of the unfolding action of the book itself. We will read sequentially; we will not skip around to get to the "good stuff." Our aim will be to try to understand Nietzsche's teaching (notice the assumption that Nietzsche has a teaching); finishing the book (as in reading all the words) will be no priority whatever.
Class discussions will be in English. You may read the book in English or in German. You must participate regularly in order to receive any sort of credit at all for the course. Attendance and participation are, it goes without saying, two different things. No prior knowledge of or in the history of philosophy will be assumed.
Dr. Mango Telli
Laurence Lampert was my primary handler in philosophy. With him I studied the history of philosophy, mainly Plato and Nietzsche, with Leo Strauss always present. Calvin O. Schrag taught Heidegger's _Being And Time_ in 1996, the seminar that brought me back to graduate school. I wrote my PhD thesis on Xenophon's _Hiero_ under Laurence Lampert and William McBride.
What's the book I think everyone should read? _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_, simply for its humanity.
Ziele & Kompetenzen
1. The character of our times, of late modernity; nihilism; the death of God; will to power; eternal return; der Übermensch.
2. It is hoped that students will familiarize themselves with Nietzsche's teaching concerning the trajectory of late modern society.
3. Students will be expected to (learn to) grapple with a difficult book written about difficult ideas, a book, furthermore, written as a fable.