Goethe’s dramatic poem Faust is a monumental work of literature that takes the reader on a journey “from Heaven through the World to Hell.” In exquisite and memorable verse, it tells the story of a Medieval scholar who—frustrated with the limitations of human knowledge—enters into a bargain with the Devil in order to experience “all that is the lot of human kind.”
In the course of his striving Faust progresses from suicidal despair to “highest joy,” from wretched ignorance to “highest wisdom . . . the best that mankind ever knew.” Faust is a work of timeless beauty and philosophical significance in which Goethe presents the human soul’s aspiration to cast off the shackles of the Middle Ages and emerge into the glorious daylight of the Enlightenment.
The recommended text for this course is the abridged English translation by philosopher Walter Kaufmann, which gives all of Faust Part I and the most important sections of Faust Part II. In Kaufmann’s own words, his edition is for “those who would like to enjoy Goethe’s Faust—as opposed to those who want to be able to say that they have read it, all of it.”
Prerequisites or Corequisites: 100-level courses have “Objectivism through Ayn Rand’s Fiction” or the “Intensive Seminar on Objectivism” as a corequisite.
Course Start Date: January 6, 2024
Level: 100 Start Date: January 6, 2025 Live Class: Mondays, 9-11 am PT Quarter: Q2
Instructor Nicolas Krusek
Syllabus Syllabus
Schedule Schedule
The recommended text for this course is “Goethe’s Faust, Translated and with an Introduction by Walter Kaufmann.” However, any edition or translation will do provided that it is in verse and has line numbers (you will need to cite line numbers in your weekly assignments). If you are looking for an online version, the following open-access translation from A. S. Kline is acceptable: https://www.poetryintranslation.com/klineasfaust.php
For the first week you will need to have read “Dedication,” “Prelude in the Theatre” and “Prologue in Heaven” (lines 1-353). The Week 1 assignment will be posted on (or before) Monday, December 30th and will be due by midnight PT on Friday, January 3rd, i.e., before the first live class.
Course Content
Course Includes
- 8 Lessons
- 7 Topics
- 8 Writing Assignments
Course Faculty
Nicolas KrusekMr. Krusek is a musician, conductor, speaker, and music educator. After completing a degree in composition at the University of British Columbia, he studied orchestral and choral conducting at the Janacek Academy of Performing Arts in Brno (Czech Republic). He later completed a master’s degree in historical musicology at UBC. Since 2007 he has taught courses in music and literature at Simon Fraser University.Course Announcements
Course Instructor
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