126-486 A Cultural History of German Thought

Formerly available as 126-077. Students who have completed 126-077 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

37.5 points of second/third-year subjects.

This subject, taught in German, explores some prominent themes in the development of German thought from the late 18th century to the present. Its starts with the great Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant. Students will then consider a number of important German thinkers and schools. These include the early 19th century philosophers Schelling and the brothers Schlegel, the revolutionary thought of Karl Marx, the emancipatory philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, the sceptical-critical philosophy of the Frankfurt School and the contemporary philosopher Jürgen Habermas. Students should complete the subject with knowledge of the German rationalist and romantic traditions; an understanding of the impact ideas have on a culture and a society; and a capacity to reason and engage in debate at a superior level of the German language.