Philosophy Through the Year: The 19th Century

This course begins where the last one left off: with the work of Immanuel Kant. This time we examine Kant’s moral thought more closely, paying attention especially to the role of freedom and will in his account of the nature of moral life. From there we explore how this gave rise to a range of developments and responses: most immediately in the thought of Hegel and Schopenhauer, but in more elliptical ways in the philosophies of Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, both of whom could be said to be crucial influences on later post-modern thought, and in the work of Feuerbach and Marx, whose influence on the 20^th century is decisive.  

Readings are listed below each topic (they will added every week), which we will explore together in the seminar. The reading in bold is the primary one; others are provided for those who may wish to read further.

‍

Week 1: Kant’s moral universe

To begin the course we examine how Kant described the basis and structure of moral life. For Kant, free, rational, willing is both the principle of all moral action, and the end of all moral action (that which is valuable in and of itself). Whilst Kant’s thought is often summarised with reference to his ‘categorical imperative’, it is surprisingly difficult to get a grip on – in this session we explore a few sections of the Critique of Practical Reason, and Religion within the Bounds of Mere Reason.

Readings

1. Kant, Religion within the Bounds of Mere Reason (extract)

2. Kant, Critique of Practical Reason (extract)

‍

Week 2: Hegel and Schopenhauer  

Many of the philosophical giants 19^th century philosophy are responses to Kant’s ‘Copernican’ revolution. In this session we will focus on two: Hegel, whose thought was an important stimulus for Kierkegaard; and Schopenhauer, whose strange and mystical development of the idea of ‘will’ helped to shape the thought of the young Friedrich Nietzsche. We will focus in particular on Schopenhauer’s understanding of the connection between will, renunciation and compassion, as discussed in his essay ‘On the basis of morality’.

‍

‍

Readings

1.  Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation (extract)

2. Schopenhauer, On the basis of morals (extract)

3. Hegel, Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion (extract)

‍

Week 3: Nietzsche I

Friedrich Nietzsche is one of the most widely-cited authors – and perhaps the most controversial. His thought has been particularly important for Christian theology, and most of the most important European theologians of the 20^th century are familiar with, and responsive to, his thought. In this session, we will focus on his understanding of the human person in terms of ‘drives’, and his critique of Judeo-Christian morality.

‍

Week 4: Nietzsche II

We continue our exploration of Nietzsche with consideration of the idea that he himself considered to be his most important: eternal recurrence. It is a perplexing, but oddly compelling idea, and perhaps closer to mysticism than philosophy. But it is also a helpful way of considering how Nietzsche understood ‘nihilism’, and the role of ‘the death of God’ in bringing this about – and what the alternative might look like.

‍

‍

Week 5: Kierkegaard, Feuerbach, Marx

In this final session we give some time to Kierkegaard, who is some ways an uncategorisable thinker: deeply and seriously Christian, but ironic, playful and stubbornly individual. Kierkegaard’s reflections on the nature of ‘the existing individual’ were an important influence on 20^th century ‘existentialism’, but perhaps more significant was his influence on Karl Barth, who went on to become the decisive Christian theologian of the 20^th century.  

‍