Part II, Paper 4 · European Philosophy from Kant
Nietzsche: Tragedy and Socratism
Do Nietzsche’s objections against Socratism succeed?
Your discussion should clarify
- What is “Socratism”?
- Why does Nietzsche object to Socratism?
- Which precise objections does Nietzsche have against Socratism?
- Are any (or all) of Nietzsche’s objections convincing? If so, by what standard?
Essay of no more than 2,500 words.
Primary sources
- Nietzsche, Friedrich 1872 [1999]. The Birth of Tragedy, trans. Ronald Speirs, ed. R. Geuss and R. Speirs. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Particular focus on §§14–18.
Secondary sources
- Clark, Maudemarie 1990. Chapter 3: Language and Truth: Nietzsche’s Early Denial of Truth, pp. 63–94 in Nietzsche on Truth and Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI
- Daniels, Paul Raimond 2013. Chapter 5 in Nietzsche and The Birth of Tragedy. London: Routledge. DOI
- Han-Pile, Béatrice 2006. Nietzsche’s Metaphysics in the Birth of Tragedy. European Journal of Philosophy 14(3): 373–403. DOI
- Raymond, Christopher C. 2019. Nietzsche’s Revaluation of Socrates, pp. 837–880 in Brill’s Companion to the Reception of Socrates. Leiden: Brill. Publisher
- Silk, Michael S. and Joseph P. Stern 2016 [1981]. Chapter 4: The Argument of The Birth of Tragedy, pp. 79–107 in Nietzsche on Tragedy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI
- Young, Julian 2008. Richard Wagner and the Birth of The Birth of Tragedy. International Journal of Philosophical Studies 16(2): 217–245. DOI