Before Nietzsche, Western philosophers tended to view the history of philosophy as a linear, progressive development toward a goal shared by all. Arthur Schopenhauer believed himself to have attained that goal, and he came close enough that Freud deemed him "one of the half dozen or so greatest men who have ever lived," Wittgenstein judged him to be "basically right," and Nietzsche counted himself "among those readers of Schopenhauer who know quite definitely after reading the first page that they will read every page, and will listen to every word he had to say." Having read every page, however, Nietzsche turned not only against Schopenhauer, but against the metaphysical project itself, thereby helping to initiate the postmodern rejection (or transformation) of the Western philosophical project. In the first half of this course, we examine the metaphysics of Schopenhauer's The World as Will and Representation. In the second half, we examine the non-metaphysical alternative developed by Nietzsche in Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Requirements: regular class presentations, two papers 8- to 10-pages. Prerequisites: Philosophy 101 or 102; Philosophy 201 strongly recommended. Enrollment limit: 19.