Nietzsche and Socrates are two figures who have have exercised a magnetic influence on the minds of those who have encountered them. Allan Bloom argued that Nietzsche and Socrates represent two basic alternatives in approaches to ethics. For Socrates man is a rational being and the task of philosophy is to provide KNOWLEDGE of the good life. For Nietzsche such knowledge does not exist - ethics are fundamentally about VALUES - which are expressions of commitment and creativity rather than questions of objective truth. In this course we will examine the ideas of two of the most fascinating and influential philosophers in the history of Western civilzation.Notes:Logo design by Craig Sanes. Special for the Petrarch Centre, LTDNote: All courses and instructional material are except where otherwise explicitly indicated the original work of the Petrarch Centre, LTD.We also provide links to texts that can be found at the Perseus website a project of Tufts University, and used by permission.