Professor Hank Edmondson Office Hours: 1:20-4:00, Tu, Th / Office: 206, A & S

Professor Daniel Fernald Office Hours:  TR, 9:45 -10:45; 4:00-5:30/ Office: A&S 2-18.

Department of Government & Sociology, Arts & Sciences

Spring Semester, 2001, Tu, Th: 11:00-12:15 a.m., Rm. 238

POLS 4950 (section 5) 5950 (section 4)

CRN: 21910

Course Overview

                This class, which combines study in moral philosophy, political philosophy, public policy and culture, is an exploration of the all-important philosophy of nihilism. Harvey Mansfield, Jr. of Harvard University has called nihilism the most important philosophy of our time and our very own Flannery O’Connor—decades ago—perceptively noted that nihilism is the very “air that we breath.”

            We will first look at the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche, the most popular exponent of nihilism who is best known for his notorious pronouncement “God is Dead.” We will also look at many of the influences upon him, notably Hegel, Schopenhauer, Euripides and Wagner. We will also consider others who wrote about nihilism such as the Russian novelists Turgenev and Dostoevsky.  

           Next we will examine the impact of nihilism on history and culture from Nazism to popular music to popular entertainment. This will include modern classical music such as Richard Strauss and Arnold Schöenberg, rock groups like the Rolling Stones, the Doors, and the Moody Blues; and movies such as “2001: A Space Odyssey” and the recent adaptation of “Cape Fear,” and some twentieth century artists like Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali.  

            Finally, the class will sample certain areas of public policy and political life, where, arguably, the influence of nihilistic moral and political philosophy is strongest: these may include any of the following, public education, bioengineering, psychology, and political campaigning.

Selected Internet site: http://nietzsche.usc.edu/

 Course Requirements:

Average of weekly essays on reading assignments: 25%

Mid-term: 25%

Research Paper: 25%

Comprehensive Final: 25%

Outside Writing Assignments:

The weekly essay assignment is designed to help you “stay on track” with your reading. Each of these essays, which should be 3-4 pages in length, is a summary of the reading due for that week. Obviously, some things will be difficult for you to summarize, for that reason, we don’t grade these essays harshly, but give you the benefit of the doubt as much as possible. If you will simply keep up with the essays and do your best, you are pretty much guaranteed a decent grade (certainly no lower than a “C,” possibly an “A” or “B”) and you will be much better prepared for the mid-term and final. You’ll also get more out of the class.

            The research paper should be 10-12 pages in length, and should follow all the guidelines for a formal paper. Documentation should be either footnotes or endnotes. Don’t forget to have your topic approved; otherwise, you may write a good paper but do it on the wrong topic.

            We’ll say more about these assignments the first day or so of class.  

 Required Texts:

The Birth of Tragedy, Nietzsche

The Portable Nietzsche

Fathers and Sons, Turgenev

The Bacchae, Euripides

Shows About Nothing, Hibbs

A packet of photocopied readings to be distributed in class  

Schedule of Assignments and Readings (January 4, 2001)

N.B.:  Assignments are Due by the Beginning of the Class Session on the Date Listed!

REQUESTS FOR MODIFICATION:

Any student requiring instructional modifications due to a documented disability should make an appointment to meet with the instructor as soon as possible. An official letter from GC&SU documenting the disability will be required to receive accommodation.

FIRE ALARMS:

In the event of a fire alarm signal students should exit the building in a quick and orderly manner through the nearest hallway exit.  First and second floor classes should exit through ground level exits; third floor classes through nearest stairwell to a ground level exit. Do not use elevator.  Third floor stairwells are areas where disabled people may communicate with rescue workers.  Be familiar with the floor plan and exits of this building.

LECTURE NOTES

NIHILISM LECTURE NOTES

INTRODUCTION

the significance of nihilism today

its origins

areas of public policy most influenced by nihilism, eg.

-education

-bioethics

Role of the arts, music, the aesthetic sense, the "irrational" dimension of our nature

SELECTION FROM PLATO'S REPUBLIC:

Context

Thrasymachus

BIRTH OF TRAGEDY

Aesthetic dimension of life:

e.g. of Beethoveen's "Ode to Joy"

Apollos and Dionysus

the classical origin of tragedy in Dionysian festival

the indictment against Socrates

the re-definition of tragedy by Nietzsche

contrast with Aristotle's Poetics

Nietzsche's illustration of Sophocles' Oedipus

Nietzsche's attraction to Tristan & Isolde

Nietzsche's attraction to Siegfried

Why did Nietzsche later write the "Attempt at Self-Criticism

CASE OF WAGNER

Why did Nietzsche break with Wagner?

1. "Parisal"

THE BACCHAE by Euripides

What did Nietzsche like about THE BACCHAE?

1. it is a grand metaphor for the the respect we must pay to Dionysian impulse, and the tragedy of trying to repress it.

What did Nietzsche dislike about THE BACCHAE?

1. Portrayal of Dionysus as effeminate

2. Triumph of Dionysus consists mostly of argumentation (logos)

3. the Chorus, being nothing more than sycophants to D., makes the play superficial

WAGNER'S MUSIC

Characteristics of Wagner's Music

1. challenged convention

2. chromaticism (vs. diatonic scale)

3. orchestration

Selections: Tristan and Isolde

Parsifal

The Ring

THUS SPOKE ZARATHUSTRA

Description of Nietzsche's life and suffering

Important themes:

God is dead,

the right response to suffering

 the last man

 the overman

 destruction/creation

 virtue ("sleep," ego)

chastity

the afterlife

pity

the body

the state

good and evil

"creators" and loneliness, solitude

the need for challenge, adventure

nausea, eternal recurrence

equality, tarantula

2001 SPACE ODYSSEY

--obelisk as will to power

--ape-man-superman

--destructive exercise of will to power must precede re-birth, creation

BROTHERS KARAMAZOV by DOSTOEVSKY

Background on Dostoevsky

--Russian 19th century nihilism, anarchism; cf. e.g. THE POSSESSED, NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND, TURGENEV, etc.

--why have the Devil explain nihilism? D's suggestion that nihilism is not beyond good and evil, it is simply evil (cf. Zarathustra)

--Ivan's naivitee, the seductive nature of the nihilism with which he has become involved

 MUSIC OF MOODY BLUES:

"Story in Your Eyes"

REFLECTIONS OF NIHILISM IN ART:

--Picasso: intellectual ferment in Barcelona, Picasso museum cubism as destruction/creation; artist as "super-hombre;" e.g.: "Woman with Flower," "Guernica;" Picasso's growing interest in sexuality

--Salvador Dali: sexuality, esp. degenerate sexuality

--Dada-ism: self-proclaimed attempt to portray nihilism in art

SHOWS ABOUT NOTHING:

--trivialization of good and evil

--also, celebration of evil

--but does the author provide an adequate remedy?

"GOOD COUNTRY PEOPLE," FLANNERY O'CONNOR

-the seductive nature of nihilism

--nihilism is the logical consequence of the Cartesian revolution

DESCARTES-

--depreciation of faith

--emphasis on methodology

--placing upon reason a burden it could not carry

HEIDEGGER:

--attempt to re-define metaphysics: why not "nothing" instead of "being"

--questioning the pre-eminent role of logic, in particular, and reason, in general

DERRIDA:

--questioning the authority of reason and books

--advocating the creative possibilities of "writing"

FOUCAULT:

--questioning the authority of (conventional) history

--radical emphasis upon the "will to power"