In his Rio lectures in 1973, Truth and Juridical Forms, Foucault targeted what he referred to as “the great Western myth”: the myth that, in order to achieve knowledge, one had to neutralize the effects of power, the illusion that it is even possible to sever knowledge from power. “This great myth needs to be dispelled,” Foucault stated. “It is this myth which Nietzsche began to demolish by showing… that, behind all knowledge [savoir], behind all attainment of knowledge [connaissance], what is involved is a struggle for power. Political power is not absent from knowledge, it is woven together with it.”

Frantz Fanon’s masterpiece, Black Skin, White Masks (1952), reflects a deep engagement with the thought of Nietzsche, especially in relation to the themes of the active and reactive, and in its engagement with the work of Alfred Adler. In this seminar, we will explore Fanon’s work and its influence on critical race theory.

The French philosopher, Sarah Kofman, developed new readings of Nietzsche and Freud, and left us with one of the most trenchant interpretations of Freud on female sexuality. This will be an opportunity to explore her work and her legacy in Paris at the Columbia Global Centers—Europe. The session will be held in Paris, but broadcast for faculty and students in New York City and elsewhere. Bernard E. Harcourt and Daniele Lorenzini will coordinate the session in Paris. Jesús R. Velasco will coordinate the session in New York. Kofman studied with Deleuze and attended Derrida’s seminars, so we will put Derrida’s writings in the background as well.

In addition to the 13 Nietzsche 13/13 seminars, we are delighted to present several extraordinary lectures and workshops to complement the conversation. These events are also open to the public. The first is: Alain Badiou, École normale supérieure, with Bruno Bosteels, Columbia University Lectures on Nietzsche Please click here for details and more information.

At the end of her life, Hannah Arendt was writing a series of volumes on The Life of the Mind, the second of which engaged the thought of Nietzsche. This session will explore her engagement With Nietzsche. With Seyla Benhabib, Simona Forti, Ayten Gundogdu, and Linda Zerilli. 

This is the fourth seminar in the Nietzsche 13/13 series. Perhaps more than many other critical theorists, Gilles Deleuze’s thought was highly influenced by Nietzsche, and Deleuze’s name is inextricably linked to Nietzsche’s through his two signature books. In this session, we will focus on these two important works. 

This is the third seminar in the Nietzsche 13/13 seminar series. 3/13: Maurice Blanchot. Maurice Blanchot was heavily influenced by Nietzsche early on, and wrote several works that directly and indirectly engaged Nietzsche’s thought. Like Bataille, Blanchot took a holistic approach and often focused on the fragments. This session will explore his relation to Nietzsche and how it influenced subsequent critical thinkers.

This is the second seminar in the Nietzsche 13/13 seminar series. 2/13: Georges Bataille.

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