Spring 2025: “Being, History, and Nihilism”
We needn’t look far to find instances of a nihilistic mood in our life today. To understand our own situation better, this Spring the Center reading group, convened by Patrick Dove (Spanish & Portuguese), turns to some of Martin Heidegger's writings.
Our semester-long theme is “Being, History, and Nihilism: Heidegger, Nietzsche, and the Greeks.” We explore two questions in Heidegger’s writings from the 1940s and early 50s. The first involves his thoughts on what Nietzsche called “European nihilism,” which Heidegger addresses in some of his lectures on Nietzsche. The second question comes into focus in Heidegger’s meditations on several fragments of the pre-Socratics (Anaximander and Heraclitus) on questions of justice, logos, and truth.
The work of the Center reading group runs in parallel to a graduate seminar on Heidegger's Being and Time offered by Professor Dove and, in April, culminates in a one-day symposium with leading scholars in this field.
All Center events are open to the public.
Spring-Term Graduate Courses
The Theory Center offers two graduate courses in Spring 2025. Complementing the work of the reading group, Patrick Dove teaches a seminar on Martin Heidegger's Being and Time. Jonathan Elmer examines "The Paradigm of Play." More ->
Symposium on Martin Heidegger and Nihilism
The Theory Center will host a symposium on Heidegger and nihilism, featuring some of the leading scholars working on this question. The speakers include Babette Babich (Fordham), James Bahoh (Memphis), Laurence Paul Hemming (Lancaster), Andrew J. Mitchell (Emory), and Richard Polt (Xavier). Saturday, April 12, 2025. Details to follow.
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