Sp31W Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil: From the Death of God to the Overcoming of Nihilism (Hybrid/In-Person)
In-Person | Available (Membership Required)
[NEW COURSE] Nietzsche wrote in response to the crisis in values in the 19th century that was leading to nihilism, the sense that there are no fixed standards for ethics. While he embraced the nihilistic negation of all traditional values, he hoped to overcome the negativity of nihilism by the creation of new values by the “philosophers of the future.” We will evaluate Nietzsche’s attempt to account for and overcome nihilism by critically examining his major doctrines, most notably the death of God, the will to power, and the eternal return. Discussion, Lecture
- Required Text: Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche, translated by Walter Kaufmann, ISBN 9780679724650
Walt Soffer
Walt Soffer, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of Philosophy at SUNY Geneseo and recipient of the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. His teaching and publications have been principally in the areas of ancient philosophy, modern philosophy, phenomenology and existentialism, history of political philosophy, philosophy of religion, interdisciplinary humanities, and ethics.