Nietzsche as Political Philosopher. The Book. Now Available

Nietzsche as Political Philosopher, a book I co-edited with Manuel Knoll, and to which I contributed a chapter , has been available directly from the publisher De Gruyter, or via internet book sellers for a day or two now.

My chapter has the title ‘A Comparison of Friedrich Nietzsche with Wilhelm von Humboldt as Products of Classical Liberalism’.

I also co-wrote a substantial introduction to the book with the other editor.

The introduction is divided into the following sections:

1. The scholarly debate about Nietzsche’s about Nietzsche’s political preferences and affinities

2. A brief overview of Nietzsche’s political philosophy

3. Nietzsche’s relation to some of the political ideas of his time

4. Selected influences of Nietzsche on political thought

Other contributors range from graduate students to some of the best known señor scholars in the field of Nietzsche studies. Very varied viewpoints about Nietzsche’s political affinities are represented as well as a broad range of topics, contexts, and approaches including discussion of Weber, Foucault, Laruelle, power, political materialism, political realism, genealogy, aristocratic radicalism, Bonapartism, democracy, liberalism, egalitarianism, physiology, naturalism, antiquity, the Übermensch/Overman, physiology, political materialism, colonialism, cultural history, will to power, care of the self, immoralism, nineteenth century history and culture, and various other themes.

It is a rather expensive academic editions I’m afraid, so this may be a book to order for your library rather than purchase individually. Unfortunately, a hardback from an academic press of this kind may simply be difficult for many people to see. Apologies to any readers of this blog in that position, I hope you can somehow find a copy online (it is available as a pdf and an e-book) or in physical space, to at least look at it if not own, before very long, if you are interested. Keep trying all the angles.

Publication details

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/Boston MA

Date of Publication: July 2014

ISBN: 978-3-11-035945-9

e-ISBN: 978-3-11-035945-9

ISSN: 2191-5741

478 pages

Name and subject indexes

Description the editors provided to De Gruyter

This collection establishes Nietzsche’s importance as a political philosopher. It includes a substantial introduction and eighteen chapters by some of the most renowned Nietzsche scholars. The book examines Nietzsche’s connections with political thought since Plato, major influences on him, his methodology, and his influence on subsequent thought. The book includes extensive coverage of the debate between radical aristocratic readings of Nietzsche, and more liberal or democratic readings. Close readings of Nietzsche’s texts are combined with a contextualising approach to build up a complete picture of his place in political philosophy. Topics include the relevance of Bonapartism and classical liberalism, Nietzsche on Christianity, the cultural history of Germany, the Übermensch, ethics and politics in Nietzsche, and the controversial question of his political preferences and affinities. Nietzsche’s political thought is compared with that of Humboldt, Weber and Foucault. The book is essential reading for anyone concerned with Nietzsche’s thought, political philosophy, and the history of political ideas.

Contents

Manuel Knoll and Barry Stocker

Introduction: Nietzsche as political philosopher page5image2216 1
I. The Variety of Approaches to Nietzsche’s Political Thought

Rolf Zimmermann

The “Will to Power”: Towards a Nietzschean Systematics of Moral-Political Divergence in History in Light of the 20th Century page5image4280 39

Rebecca Bamford

The Liberatory Limits of Nietzsche’s Colonial Imagination in Dawn 206 page5image5528 59

Nandita Biswas Mellamphy

Nietzsche’s Political Materialism: Diagram for a Nietzschean Politics page5image6640 77 II. Democratic, or Liberal, or Egalitarian Politics in Nietzsche