Image via Wikimedia Commons

Walter Kaufmann spent 33 years (1947-1980) teaching philosophy at Princeton. And more than anyone else, Kaufmann introduced Nietzsche's philosophy to the English-speaking world and made it possible to take Nietzsche seriously as a thinker – something there wasn't always room to do in American intellectual circles.

Without simplifying things too much, Kaufmann saw Nietzsche as something of an early existentialist, which brings us to these vintage lectures recorded in 1960 (right around the time that Kaufmann, a German-born convert to Judaism, also became a naturalized American citizen). The three lectures offer a short primer on existentialism and the modern crises philosophers grappled with. Kierkegaard and the Crisis in Religion begins the series, followed by Nietzsche and the Crisis in Philosophy and Sartre and the Crisis in Morality. You can hear them right below:

Kierkegaard and the Crisis in Religion

Nietzsche and the Crisis in Philosophy

Sartre and the Crisis in Morality

Kaufmann's talks are now listed in the Philosophy section of our collection of 1100 Free Online Courses. There you will also find courses presented by other major figures, including John Searle, Hubert Dreyfus, and Michael Sandel.

Would you like to support the mission of Open Culture? Please consider making a donation to our site. It's hard to rely 100% on ads, and your contributions will help us continue providing the best free cultural and educational materials to learners everywhere.

Also consider following Open Culture on Facebook and Twitter and sharing intelligent media with your friends. Or sign up for our daily email and get a daily dose of Open Culture in your inbox.

Related Content:

Free Online Philosophy Courses, part of our collection, 1,500 Free Online Courses from Top Universities

The Philosophy of Kierkegaard, the First Existentialist Philosopher, Revisited in 1984 Documentary

Lovers and Philosophers — Jean-Paul Sartre & Simone de Beauvoir Together in 1967

The Philosophy of Nietzsche: An Introduction by Alain de Botton