Nietzsche

Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist

Biography & Memoir, Philosophers, Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, History, Criticism, & Surveys
Cover of the book Nietzsche by Walter A. Kaufmann, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Walter A. Kaufmann ISBN: 9781400849222
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: October 6, 2013
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Walter A. Kaufmann
ISBN: 9781400849222
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: October 6, 2013
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

This classic is the benchmark against which all modern books about Nietzsche are measured. When Walter Kaufmann wrote it in the immediate aftermath of World War II, most scholars outside Germany viewed Nietzsche as part madman, part proto-Nazi, and almost wholly unphilosophical. Kaufmann rehabilitated Nietzsche nearly single-handedly, presenting his works as one of the great achievements of Western philosophy.

Responding to the powerful myths and countermyths that had sprung up around Nietzsche, Kaufmann offered a patient, evenhanded account of his life and works, and of the uses and abuses to which subsequent generations had put his ideas. Without ignoring or downplaying the ugliness of many of Nietzsche's proclamations, he set them in the context of his work as a whole and of the counterexamples yielded by a responsible reading of his books. More positively, he presented Nietzsche's ideas about power as one of the great accomplishments of modern philosophy, arguing that his conception of the "will to power" was not a crude apology for ruthless self-assertion but must be linked to Nietzsche's equally profound ideas about sublimation. He also presented Nietzsche as a pioneer of modern psychology and argued that a key to understanding his overall philosophy is to see it as a reaction against Christianity.

Many scholars in the past half century have taken issue with some of Kaufmann's interpretations, but the book ranks as one of the most influential accounts ever written of any major Western thinker. Featuring a new foreword by Alexander Nehamas, this Princeton Classics edition of Nietzsche introduces a new generation of readers to one the most influential accounts ever written of any major Western thinker.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This classic is the benchmark against which all modern books about Nietzsche are measured. When Walter Kaufmann wrote it in the immediate aftermath of World War II, most scholars outside Germany viewed Nietzsche as part madman, part proto-Nazi, and almost wholly unphilosophical. Kaufmann rehabilitated Nietzsche nearly single-handedly, presenting his works as one of the great achievements of Western philosophy.

Responding to the powerful myths and countermyths that had sprung up around Nietzsche, Kaufmann offered a patient, evenhanded account of his life and works, and of the uses and abuses to which subsequent generations had put his ideas. Without ignoring or downplaying the ugliness of many of Nietzsche's proclamations, he set them in the context of his work as a whole and of the counterexamples yielded by a responsible reading of his books. More positively, he presented Nietzsche's ideas about power as one of the great accomplishments of modern philosophy, arguing that his conception of the "will to power" was not a crude apology for ruthless self-assertion but must be linked to Nietzsche's equally profound ideas about sublimation. He also presented Nietzsche as a pioneer of modern psychology and argued that a key to understanding his overall philosophy is to see it as a reaction against Christianity.

Many scholars in the past half century have taken issue with some of Kaufmann's interpretations, but the book ranks as one of the most influential accounts ever written of any major Western thinker. Featuring a new foreword by Alexander Nehamas, this Princeton Classics edition of Nietzsche introduces a new generation of readers to one the most influential accounts ever written of any major Western thinker.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book American Jesuits and the World by Walter A. Kaufmann
Cover of the book A Mathematical Nature Walk by Walter A. Kaufmann
Cover of the book Emergency Chronicles by Walter A. Kaufmann
Cover of the book Thrive by Walter A. Kaufmann
Cover of the book Peace and Penance in Late Medieval Italy by Walter A. Kaufmann
Cover of the book Weimar Thought by Walter A. Kaufmann
Cover of the book The Company of Strangers by Walter A. Kaufmann
Cover of the book Democracy for Realists by Walter A. Kaufmann
Cover of the book Leisurely Islam by Walter A. Kaufmann
Cover of the book The Hero's Fight by Walter A. Kaufmann
Cover of the book Predicting the Presidency by Walter A. Kaufmann
Cover of the book The Craft of International History by Walter A. Kaufmann
Cover of the book Marxism and Form by Walter A. Kaufmann
Cover of the book Kierkegaard's Writings, XIV, Volume 14 by Walter A. Kaufmann
Cover of the book Climbing Mount Laurel by Walter A. Kaufmann
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy