God is dead. The Superman. The Will to Power. The Eternal Recurrence.
Friedrich Nietzsche is perhaps the most mysterious and least understood philosopher. His aphorisms are widely quoted—and misappropriated by many he would have despised—but he remains an enigmatic figure.
He launched powerful challenges to some of our most cherished beliefs. For example:
- Pity and laughter are often forms of dominance and power.
- Much of morality is, in fact, a scheme to bring down one’s superiors through guilt, and repression, religion, and rationalization often assist in this scheme.
As unsettling as he can be, when viewed in full, this course finds in Nietzsche’s thought a powerful argument for a fully aware and active life.