The Human Condition: From Nietzsche to Contemporary Thought

About this course:

In this course, we begin with Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), who was famous for uncompromising criticisms of traditional European social morality, political pieties and religion. Nietzche found conventional philosophical ideas pedestrian, irrelevant and detrimental to achieving humanity’s potential. We trace Nietzsche’s philosophy, from his first notion of nihilism through his developing concepts of Ubermensch (Overman) and Untermensch (Underman) to his tragic encounter in the Piazza Carlo Alberto and how it revealed his ultimate philosophical position. We see the full spectrum of his philosophy and how his ideas were a precursor to Existentialism. From there, we progress to Existentialism itself and what it offers philosophically, with special emphasis on its notion of choice, from its beginning to the contemporary use of existentialism with a small "e." Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich starker! This course uses the Hybrid format which allows students to participate remotely and/or in the classroom.