The question of the relationship between appearance and reality is as old as thought itself. Throughout the course of modernity and more recently in what is often labeled postmodernity, this ancient problem has taken new forms and assumed greater urgency. In a world in which all so-called reality seems to be increasingly virtual, does the distinction between appearance and reality any longer make sense? How can the difference between the apparent and the real be maintained? If it cannot be maintained, what consequences follow? These questions will be probed by a careful reading of three major philosophers: Hegel, Derrida, and Nietzsche. Far from mere historical interest, these thinkers present compelling perspectives that represent distinct alternatives for understanding the world in which we dwell. Requirements: one 20-page paper, participation in online discussion, leading one class session. Enrollment limited to 30.