Thursday, November 18, 2010

"Where to, Humanity?"

1. "Man does not live for pleasure. Only the Englishman does." Which Englishmen in particular did Nietzsche probably have  in mind?

2. What theory, now famously associated with whom, did Alfred Russell Wallace nearly claim as his own? What momentous questions does it pose?

3. Nietzsche suggested that humans are a bridge from what to what, throwing what into question? What did he mean by "the last man"? What ethical philosophy did he imply "the last man" would favor?

4. Why did Nietzsche like the ancient Greeks' view of suffering, and what did he like about Greek tragedy? What did he dislike about Christian redemption, Schopenhauer's pessimism, and scientific optimism? What was his view of technology? What did he consider the meaning of life?

5.What did Nietzsche mean to imply about life with his "eternal recurrence" thought experiment?

6. What school of philosophy thrived in St. Louis in the 19th century? What is the sensibility of traditional ("classic") American philosophy? Which American revolutionaries do our authors name as "philosophically talented thinkers"? What has been the "routine" stance of the American public towards philosophy?

7. Which American "anarchist" inspired Gandhi and King? Which American Hegelian-humanist considered nature inherently spiritual? Which radical empiricist said religious beliefs may be justified if they help us make sense of our lives? Who called himself a pragmaticist? Who began as an "evangelical" Hegelian and later insisted that children learn best by doing? Which Harvard student of James's defended "black pride"?

8. What is "pluralism" in philosophy?

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