German Social Thought, Nietzsche to Habermas

Harvard FAS

A philosophical and historical survey of major debates in modern German social theory over the span of a century, from Nietzsche's anti-foundationalist critique of morality and truth to Habermas's attempt to rebuild a pragmatic-transcendentalist theory for ethical and discursive reason after the collapse of metaphysics. Readings by Nietzsche, Weber, Heidegger, Adorno, Horkheimer, and Habermas.