Atheism and the Death of God

Few statements have had more of an impact on modern thought than Nietzsche's infamous "God is dead, and we have killed him." If God is dead, what is to give purpose to human existence? This freshman seminar introduces students to Nietzsche's almost paralyzing thought that the Western world is set adrift "through an infinite nothing" without the authority of a supreme being. In addition to works by Nietzsche, we will examine thinkers like Darwin, Marx, Camus, and Dawkins. Our goal will be to reflect on the philosophical significance of the idea that "God is dead," as well as its influence on popular culture (film, music, and other media).