The Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche

'God is dead’ proclaimed Nietzsche in 1882, a saying which has become world-renowned alongside his recognition as a philosopher of ‘nihilism’. Nietzsche is one of the key figures to address the decline in religion in Europe alongside increasing modernisation and what this means for life’s fundamental questions. If a higher power doesn’t exist, then what do our lives mean? Similarly in a largely post-religious society, how can we think about universal values?

Join Dr Elliott to explore Nietzsche’s key ideas. First, we will assess the importance of the famous ‘death of god’ message from Nietzsche’s The Gay Science, exploring its implications for thinking about nihilism, commonly understood as the absence of any ultimate value or meaning to life. We will also address the nuances of Nietzsche’s own position about what nihilism really is. Secondly, we will explore what tools or resources Nietzsche gives us for thinking about the meaning of our lives. We will look at the reasons for his rejection of traditional religious narratives about the meaning of life and take Nietzsche seriously about his claim to re-think the “value of our values”, and what possibilities are opened up to us in the wake of the death of God.

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7.30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!

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Dr Richard J. Elliott is Lecturer in European Philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London. He has published widely on Nietzsche and many other topics in modern European philosophy. He currently has a book under contract on the topic of Nietzsche and the Death of God with Cambridge University Press.

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