MMW 15 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: The Human Instinct, Human Behavior, Vulnerable Species
10 Apr 2017
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Outline lecture four: the human instinct for war. And if avoidance is possible, then how: the crisis of meaning in the west, western liberalism"s crisis in confidence and debilitating(disempowering) sense of uncertainty a. i) growing doubt about the pillars of western civilization (a. i. 1) Faith in rationality and viable democratic society shattered a. ii) darker recognition of human instincts for irrational destructiveness and violence (a. ii. 1) Celebration of instincts for some a. iii) the skeptical why? (post-19th century) vs. the positivist how? (much 19th century) questions (a. iii. 1) (a. iii. 2) How questions based on belief that something could be done. Why questions trying to determine role of societal ideas in context of world events (why does war exist) Ii) nietzsche: the revolt of the irrational will: friedrich nietzsche (niche, 1844-1900) a. i) radical skepticism gained traction after world war i, challenged the fundamental assumptions of liberalism b. i) openly anti-democratic (b. i. 1) (a. i. 1) b. ii) Recognized rule of law and peace, saw signs of end of democratic society.
