Nietzsche's Enlightenment

The Free-Spirit Trilogy of the Middle Period

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy
Cover of the book Nietzsche's Enlightenment by Paul Franco, University of Chicago Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Paul Franco ISBN: 9780226259840
Publisher: University of Chicago Press Publication: August 26, 2011
Imprint: University of Chicago Press Language: English
Author: Paul Franco
ISBN: 9780226259840
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Publication: August 26, 2011
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Language: English

While much attention has been lavished on Friedrich Nietzsche’s earlier and later works, those of his so-called middle period have been generally neglected, perhaps because of their aphoristic style or perhaps because they are perceived to be inconsistent with the rest of his thought. With Nietzsche’s Enlightenment, Paul Franco gives this crucial section of Nietzsche’s oeuvre its due, offering a thoughtful analysis of the three works that make up the philosopher’s middle period: Human, All too Human; Daybreak; and The Gay Science.

           

It is Nietzsche himself who suggests that these works are connected, saying that their “common goal is to erect a new image and ideal of the free spirit.” Franco argues that in their more favorable attitude toward reason, science, and the Enlightenment, these works mark a sharp departure from Nietzsche’s earlier, more romantic writings and differ in important ways from his later, more prophetic writings, beginning with Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The Nietzsche these works reveal is radically different from the popular image of him and even from the Nietzsche depicted in much of the secondary literature; they reveal a rational Nietzsche, one who preaches moderation instead of passionate excess and Dionysian frenzy. Franco concludes with a wide-ranging examination of Nietzsche’s later works, tracking not only how his outlook changes from the middle period to the later but also how his commitment to reason and intellectual honesty in his middle works continues to inform his final writings.

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

While much attention has been lavished on Friedrich Nietzsche’s earlier and later works, those of his so-called middle period have been generally neglected, perhaps because of their aphoristic style or perhaps because they are perceived to be inconsistent with the rest of his thought. With Nietzsche’s Enlightenment, Paul Franco gives this crucial section of Nietzsche’s oeuvre its due, offering a thoughtful analysis of the three works that make up the philosopher’s middle period: Human, All too Human; Daybreak; and The Gay Science.

           

It is Nietzsche himself who suggests that these works are connected, saying that their “common goal is to erect a new image and ideal of the free spirit.” Franco argues that in their more favorable attitude toward reason, science, and the Enlightenment, these works mark a sharp departure from Nietzsche’s earlier, more romantic writings and differ in important ways from his later, more prophetic writings, beginning with Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The Nietzsche these works reveal is radically different from the popular image of him and even from the Nietzsche depicted in much of the secondary literature; they reveal a rational Nietzsche, one who preaches moderation instead of passionate excess and Dionysian frenzy. Franco concludes with a wide-ranging examination of Nietzsche’s later works, tracking not only how his outlook changes from the middle period to the later but also how his commitment to reason and intellectual honesty in his middle works continues to inform his final writings.

More books from University of Chicago Press

Cover of the book The Bower by Paul Franco
Cover of the book Planning Matter by Paul Franco
Cover of the book Wittgenstein's Ladder by Paul Franco
Cover of the book Emptiness by Paul Franco
Cover of the book Windows into the Soul by Paul Franco
Cover of the book The Young Descartes by Paul Franco
Cover of the book Asia First by Paul Franco
Cover of the book Friending the Past by Paul Franco
Cover of the book Murder by Accident by Paul Franco
Cover of the book Intuition in Medicine by Paul Franco
Cover of the book The Right to Difference by Paul Franco
Cover of the book Chicago's Block Clubs by Paul Franco
Cover of the book The Invention of Religion in Japan by Paul Franco
Cover of the book Treasuring the Gaze by Paul Franco
Cover of the book The Comparative Approach in Evolutionary Anthropology and Biology by Paul Franco
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