An Important Message: The Road Ahead

Hi everyone:

Please be in class on Tuesday. I've been thinking about the assignments that we have listed, and I'm considering some options to streamline things and make the remainder of the semester much easier to cope with. This may include reducing the annotated bibliography to only ONE bibliography and not two, and adding one more short paper. We will discuss options, and come to a decision together.

I realize that the semester has been a little chaotic thus far. I normally teach the texts in a different order than what we've done this semester. I apologize if the reading has been difficult, and the point of what we're doing hasn't always been clear. I'll do my best to clear this up on Tuesday.

Thanks for your patience, and for doing your best to keep up with our schedule, despite the chaos. The Greeks were on target when they made Chaos even older than the titans!

"A crude and indigested mass, a lifeless lump, unfashioned and unframed." Hmmm.... seems rather accurate to me.

Third Response

...Same guidelines as before. This will be due by 6pm on Sunday 2/1.

*** In Chapter 10, Nietzsche claims that "the Greeks in general could not endure individuals on the tragic stage." What does this mean?

*** At the end of Chapter 10, Nietzsche claims that enshrining a myth with "historical foundations" is what causes the death of the myth. In other words, when one "begins [...]to defend the credibility of the myths [...] the feeling for myth perishes." Is an insistence upon the literal truth of myth the death of a religion?

*** What is the significance of the Dionysian dithramb? How is it different from Apollonian music?

Not in this class....

H/T Caleb

Second Response

Excellent work on the first set of questions. The same rules apply. Choose one, and write a few paragraphs.

*** On pg 19 (Chapter 6) Nietzsche implies that Dionysus is the god of desire, while Apollo is the god of contemplation. Explain.

*** On pg 15 (Chapter 5) Nietzsche claims "The Dionysian musician is, without any images, himself pure primordial pain and its primordial reechoing." What are some contemporary examples of this? Explain what Nietzsche means by this, and describe how this image is applicable today.

*** What is the Primal Unity, and how does it differ from the Principium Individuationis?

First Response

Hello everyone:

I have three questions for you to consider. Pick one and write a paragraph or two outlining your position. Make your responses in the form of comments to this post. Be sure to reference the text if necessary:

* Nietzsche claims that the "appearance of the dream-world [...] is the prerequisite of all plastic art" (2). Explain. Do you agree or disagree? (N.B. Don't be trapped by defining "dreams" too narrowly.

*Which god, Dionysus or Apollo, is the god of the individual? Explain.

*Nietzsche, in quoting Lucretius, claims that "the glorious divine figures (i.e. the Greek gods) first appeared to the souls of men" in dreams. This seems to suggest that the Greek gods were artificial constructions. Are they? Are all Gods artistic creations?

Sparknotes for The Birth of Tragedy

Hi all, there IS a Sparknotes page for The Birth of Tragedy. Check it out. As always it will NOT substitute for reading the actual work.

http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/birthoftragedy

Something lighthearted....

Let us not forget that Nietzsche died insane and syphilitic. So enjoy the reading! If it gets too intense, check this out for a change of pace. It's not as much fun as the LOLCats or dogs, it is, at least, topical.

A begining is a very delicate thing

I'm still moving the furniture in, so forgive the fact that the place looks a bit empty.