<p>Socrates abounds in Nietzsche's writings. From beginning to end, in major works and throughout notes and other materials, Nietzsche attempts to fathom the problem of Socrates. One's interpretation of Nietzsche's Socrates bears or. one's reading of Ecce Homo, Nietzsche's final original, last to be published (posthumously), and perhaps most widely misunderstood work. This thesis contributes to Nietzsche studies by casting some light on the text in terms of this problem. According to Nietzsche's sequential and systematic formula of "a Yes, a No, a straight line, a goal .. . ", three separate preliminary studies of literature addressing the problem and question prepare a subsequent connecting commentary and investigation of the evidence of the texts. The results of the inquiry indicate that beyond even the majestic Heraclitus, none other than Socrates is Nietzsche's first and last philosopher. The underlying theme is that Nietzsche constructed his life and literature, art and philosophy, upon the "parable and parallel" of Socrates. Thus it is suggested that one read Nietzsche in light of the dialogues. In this light, Nietzsche's last work forms an ironic commentary on the Apology and problem of Socrates, the subsequent all too sudden collapse into the abyss of madness the tragic irony.</p> / Master of Arts (MA)

Thesis--Cologne. / Vita. Bibliography: p. 9-14.

As a whole, this work serves to illuminate the tragic as a fundamental human phenomenon and an objective fact that is distinct not only from comedy and irony but from other forms of calamity and modes of failure. I consider three distinct sources of philosophical knowledge on tragedy. The first is tragic drama and literature, the second is the theory of the tragic and the third source consists of the employment of the concept of tragedy to discuss events or characters that one encounters in life. I carefully draw upon the first two sources to thicken the elaborations of four different facets of the third. In this process, I extrapolate Szondi’s notion that tragedy is a specific dialectic in a specific space. In the course of this work, I place a greater emphasis upon this general concept of the tragic as opposed to a poetics of tragedy. The dissertation bears out, however, that it is ultimately poetics - and not the dialectic as general concept - that provide us with the richer insights into tragedy as it unravels in life. The specific dialectic of tragedy unravels so as to cause the irreplaceable loss of something of great value. This provides me with a structuring element that ties the four central chapters together. In terms of content, I emphasize also upon the tragic flaw as a set of character traits (manifested by an individual or some form of collective) which keep tragedy in place. The consideration of the figure of Willy Loman allows me to examine the tragedy of failure of expectations which is a distinct category of the tragic and yet it oscillates such that ties together the other themes. A central idea that emerges from an analysis of the overlapping themes is that prior to tragedy is the investment of the deepest inner resources into a process. This investment gives rise to identity and to expectations. As a tragedy unfolds, the source of the identity or of expectation becomes also the birth place or the generator of all threats to this identity and the collapse of long nurtured expectations.

As a whole, this work serves to illuminate the tragic as a fundamental human phenomenon and an objective fact that is distinct not only from comedy and irony but from other forms of calamity and modes of failure. I consider three distinct sources of philosophical knowledge on tragedy. The first is tragic drama and literature, the second is the theory of the tragic and the third source consists of the employment of the concept of tragedy to discuss events or characters that one encounters in life. I carefully draw upon the first two sources to thicken the elaborations of four different facets of the third. In this process, I extrapolate Szondi’s notion that tragedy is a specific dialectic in a specific space. In the course of this work, I place a greater emphasis upon this general concept of the tragic as opposed to a poetics of tragedy. The dissertation bears out, however, that it is ultimately poetics - and not the dialectic as general concept - that provide us with the richer insights into tragedy as it unravels in life. The specific dialectic of tragedy unravels so as to cause the irreplaceable loss of something of great value. This provides me with a structuring element that ties the four central chapters together. In terms of content, I emphasize also upon the tragic flaw as a set of character traits (manifested by an individual or some form of collective) which keep tragedy in place. The consideration of the figure of Willy Loman allows me to examine the tragedy of failure of expectations which is a distinct category of the tragic and yet it oscillates such that ties together the other themes. A central idea that emerges from an analysis of the overlapping themes is that prior to tragedy is the investment of the deepest inner resources into a process. This investment gives rise to identity and to expectations. As a tragedy unfolds, the source of the identity or of expectation becomes also the birth place or the generator of all threats to this identity and the collapse of long nurtured expectations.

There is an ongoing debate regarding how to situate Nietzsche’s philosophy of education, both in terms of his own stance on the viability of education in modernity and with regard to the value of his work for contemporary discussions about education and education theory. I analyze and address Nietzsche’s discussion of philosophy, art, and religion in order to find a novel way into this debate. By situating his philosophy of education in the broader context of the German Bildung tradition, I am able to pull from his more general philosophical discussions to highlight important features of his educational theory. I give special attention to contemporary conversations regarding whether his work is egalitarian or elitist. I establish a methodological defense of utilizing Nietzsche’s work on culture as a basis for understanding his sparser and often confusing discussions surrounding education. Drawing on Nietzsche’s broader philosophy of culture offers a toolset that allows for greater clarity and ingenuity in responding to previously entrenched debates. I argue that Nietzsche sees cultural phenomena and institutions as serving an educational role in the life of a population. The central feature of cultural institutions – including, but not limited to institutions of learning – is to elevate the general population into an educated, critical, and creative community. Drawing on the wider German philosophical tradition of Bildung, I show that Nietzsche’s philosophical commitments suggest an inclusive and community-oriented reading of his philosophy of education. / Philosophy