European Intellectual History since Nietzsche

Class 6: Nietzsche and the Death of God

whatshot 30 snips

Feb 7, 2024

Delve into Nietzsche's bold declaration that 'God is dead' and its ripple effects on modern thought. Explore the interplay between rationality and instinct as Nietzsche challenges traditional morality. Discover his complex relationship with Wagner and its profound impact on his philosophy. Unpack the concept of the übermensch and the existential crisis sparked by nihilism in a secular world. This journey through modernity reveals how Nietzsche influenced diverse ideas, bridging Romanticism and Existentialism.

50:59

forum

Ask episode

web_stories

AI Snips

view_agenda

Chapters

menu_book

Books

auto_awesome

Transcript

info_circle

Episode notes

insights

INSIGHT

God is Dead Interpretations

Nietzsche's "God is dead" has many interpretations.
It's unclear if it's literal, ironic, allegorical, or provocative.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Knocking From Below

Marci Shore shares a Polish aphorism: "When I found myself at the very bottom, and then I heard knocking from below."
This reflects Nietzsche's style.

insights

INSIGHT

Nietzsche as Anti-Hegel

Nietzsche can be seen as an anti-Hegel, rebelling against his ideas.
He rejects Hegel's reconciliation and telos but acknowledges similar dialectical tensions.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Nietzsche and Wagner: Art's Philosophical Impact

07:11 • 12min

chevron_right

Nietzsche and Wagner: A Turbulent Legacy

19:39 • 5min

chevron_right

Nietzsche on Modernity and Morality

24:41 • 13min

chevron_right

Zarathustra, the Ubermensch, and the Death of God

37:23 • 14min

chevron_right

On the advantage and disadvantage of history for life

Friedrich Nietzsche

In this work, Nietzsche examines the proper functioning of history in service to human life and culture. He distinguishes between three types of history: monumental, antiquarian, and critical, and argues that an over-saturation with history can be hostile to life and culture. Nietzsche criticizes his contemporaries for misjudging the importance of history and discusses the psychological and epistemological problems that arise from an excessive focus on the past. He advocates for a balance between remembering and forgetting to ensure the health of individual and collective life.

The gay science

Dallas, Eneas Sweetland, 1828-1879.

The Gay Science is a book by Friedrich Nietzsche, first published in 1882 and expanded in 1887. It is a collection of poems and 383 aphorisms that interrogate the history of knowledge and celebrate philosophy as a means to individual freedom and cultural renewal. Nietzsche declares the death of God and critiques European culture, morality, and the role of religion. The book is known for its aphoristic style and its exploration of themes such as the artifice of knowledge, the importance of 'amor fati' (love of fate), and the need for a 'gay science' that is joyful and life-affirming.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Friedrich Nietzsche

Thomas Common

The book details Zarathustra's descent from his mountain solitude to share his transformative ideas about humanity and existence. Nietzsche explores themes such as the rejection of traditional moral values, individualism, and the concept of the Overman. Zarathustra's interactions with various characters reveal his struggle to articulate his vision and confront prevailing societal values. The book also delves into the existential test of the eternal recurrence of the same and the importance of self-overcoming and personal transformation.

Beyond Good and Evil

Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future

Friedrich Nietzsche

In 'Beyond Good and Evil', Nietzsche challenges the traditional morality and philosophical thought of his time. He argues that the Christian world is steeped in a 'slave morality' that demonizes strength and domination, and instead proposes a philosophy that celebrates the present and the individual's 'will to power'. The book is known for its aphoristic style and its critique of past philosophers for their dogmatic premises. Nietzsche advocates for a new kind of philosopher who values imagination, self-assertion, and the creation of values, and he introduces the concept of 'perspective of life' which denies a universal morality for all human beings.

The birth of tragedy

Friedrich Nietzsche

In this work, Nietzsche discusses the history of the tragic form and introduces the intellectual dichotomy between the Dionysian and the Apollonian. He argues that Greek tragedy arose from the fusion of these elements, with the Apollonian representing measure, restraint, and harmony, and the Dionysian representing unbridled passion. Nietzsche also critiques Socratic rationalism and its impact on Greek tragedy and modern culture, advocating for a rebirth of tragedy inspired by Richard Wagner’s music.

The gay science

Dallas, Eneas Sweetland, 1828-1879.

“God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we, the murderers of all murderers, comfort ourselves?”—Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science.

HIST 271/HUMS 339: European Intellectual History since Nietzsche is a survey course designed to introduce students to the dominant trends in modern European intellectual history. The class aims to sketch a narrative arc from the late 18th century transition to modernity through the late 20th century transition to post-modernity. Following an overview of the Enlightenment and Romanticism, we move through Hegelianism and Marxism and then on to Nietzsche’s declaration of the death of God. (God had been multifunctional, fulfilling epistemological, ontological and ethical roles. His death left an enormous empty space. Much of modern thought could be described as an attempt to replace God.) Topics include Marxism-Leninism, psychoanalysis, expressionism, structuralism, phenomenology, existentialism, anti-politics, and deconstruction. Authors include Nietzsche, Lenin, Kafka, Freud, Husserl, de Beauvoir, Heidegger, Arendt, Adorno, Sartre, Girard, Foucault, Derrida and Havel.
With Marci Shore, Associate Professor of History at Yale.

This lecture is also available to watch on YouTube.

Home Top podcasts Popular guests