The basic reading assignment is in Nietzsche's own works and is indicated in the schedule below. In addition, you may wish to read more widely. A list of other suggestions is included at the bottom of this page. Some of these may be helpful in working through ideas for a term paper.
While there are course-notes on Nietzsche available, I plan to provide occasional discussion-notes relating directly to the assigned readings.
| Week | Readings | Comments |
| Jan 23 | The Birth of Tragedy, Preface to Wagner and Sections 1 - 15 (approx. 67 pages) | Leave N's "Attempt at a Self- Criticism" until you finish. |
| Jan 30 | The Birth of Tragedy, Sections 16 - 25 (approx. 45 pages) and Untimely Meditations, IV, "Wagner in Bayreuth" (approx. 57 pages) | This is less important material which you can read rapidly. Those interested in art or Wagner may wish to read The Case of Wagner (usually bound with The Birth . . .). |
| Feb 6 | The Gay Science, Aphs 1 - 98 (approx. 78 pages) | . |
| Feb 13 | The Gay Science, Aphs 99 - 154 (approx. 46 pages) | Perhaps the single most important text in the period of N's life. |
| Feb 20 | The Gay Science, Aphs 155 - 342 (approx 77 pages) | Book 5 was written much later and added to this work. There is continuity from the end of Book 4 to the beginning of Zarathustra. |
| Feb 27 | Thus Spoke Zarathustra, First Part (approx. 76 pages) | The first three parts were all written in very brief sittings and were published in 1883. |
| Mar 6 | Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Second Part (approx. 65 pages) | . |
| Mar 13 | Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Third Part (approx. 79 pages) | The fourth part was withheld out of fear of blasphemy charges and not published until after N was mentally ill (1892). |
| Mar 20 | Spring Vacation | . |
| Mar 27 | Beyond Good and Evil, first three chapters ("Prejudices" through "Religious") (approx. 70 pages) | . |
| Apr 3 | Beyond Good and Evil, next three chapters ("Epigrams" through "Scholars") (approx. 66 pages) | . |
| Apr 10 | Beyond Good and Evil, last three chapters ("Virtues" through "Noble") (approx. 96 pages) | . |
| Apr 17 | Genealogy of Morals, N's Preface and Part I (approx. 62 pages) | . |
| Apr 24 | Genealogy of Morals, Parts II and III (approx. 110 pages) | . |
| May 1 | Twilight of the Idols (approx. 94 pages) | . |
| May 8 | Ecce Homo (approx. 117 pages) | Light reading! |
Nietzsche, Friedrich W. The Birth of Tragedy (New York: Vintage Books, 1967) ISBN 0-394-70369-3 (includes The Case of Wagner)
Nietzsche, Friedrich W. Untimely Meditations (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997) ISBN 0-521-58584-8
Nietzsche, Friedrich W. The Gay Science (New York: Vintage Books, 1974) ISBN 0-394-71985-9
Nietzsche, Friedrich W. Thus Spoke Zarathustra (New York: Modern Library, 1995) ISBN 0-679-60175-9
Nietzsche, Friedrich W. Beyond Good & Evil; Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future (New York: Vintage Books, 1989) ISBN 0-679-72465-6
Nietzsche, Friedrich W. On the Genealogy of Morals (New York: Vintage Books, 1989) ISBN 0-679-72462-1 (includes Ecce Homo)
Nietzsche, Friedrich W. The Antichrist & Twilight of the Gods (New York: Viking Press, 1990) ISBN 0-140-44514-5
If you are unable to purchase the specific volume given above, please select a Kaufman translation where available. (Note that only two of the editions above are Hollingdale translations.)
Relating to Nietzsche's life, relationships, and times:
Wagner, Richard. My LifeWatson.
Richard Wagner: A Biography
Wagner, Richard. Beethoven
Wagner, Richard. Prose Works (8 vols)
Fischer-Dieskau, L. Wagner and Nietzsche
Foerster-Nietzsche, E. (ed.). The Wagner-Nietzsche Correspondence
Middleton, Christopher (ed.). Selected Letters of Friedrich Nietzsche
Peters, H. F. My Sister, My Spouse
Peters, Zarathustra's Sister: The Case of Elizabeth and Friedrich Nietzsche
Binion, R. Frau Lou
Andreas-Salome, Lou Looking Back: Memoirs
Yalom, When Nietzsche Wept
Freud and Breuer. Studies on Hysteria
Freud, An Autobiographical Study
Interpretations and accounts of Nietzsche's thought:
Andreas-Salome, Lou. Friedrich Nietzsche in His Works
Heidegger, Martin. Nietzsche (four volumes)
Kaufmann, Walter. Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Anti-Christ
Danto, Arthur. Nietzsche as Philosopher
Schacht, Richard (ed.). Nietzsche, Genealogy, Morality
Schacht, Richard Nietzsche
Nehamas, Alexander. Nietzsche: Life As Literature
Magnus, Nietzsche's Existential Imperative
Updated on December 5, 2002