Friedrich Nietzsche on the Philosophy of Right and the State

Nikos Kazantzakis, Odysseus Makridis

Description

This book represents the first English translation of Nikos Kazantzakis's 1909 dissertation on Friedrich Nietzsche's political and legal philosophy. Before Kazantzakis became one of the best-known modern Greek writers, he was an avid student of Nietzsche's thought, discovering Nietzsche while studying law in Paris from 1907 to 1909. This powerful assessment of Nietzsche's radical political thought is translated here from a restored and authentic recent edition of the original. Its deep insights are unencumbered by the encrustations that generations of Nietzsche's admirers and detractors have deposed on the original Nietzschean corpus. The book also offers a revealing glimpse into the formative stage of Kazantzakis's thought.

Translator’s Preface

Introduction

1. Prolegomena

A. The Times
B. The Character and Life of Friedrich Nietzsche

2. [Nihilism]

3. 1. [Human Nature]

A. Man in General
B. Man's Historical Evolution
C. The Constitution of Human Nature

a. Soul
b. Free Will
c. On Human Equality

2. Family

The Natures of Man and Woman—Marriage

3. The State

4. Religion—Morality—Right

A. Religion
B. Morality
C. Right

5. [Recapitulation and] Conclusion

6. The Positive Aspect of Nietzsche's Philosophy

Notes
Index

Sujets

• Philosophie
• Philosophie politique
• 20th century

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791481943
• Langue: English

Extrait

Friedrich Nietzsche on the Philosophy of Right and the State

Nikos Kazantzakis

Translated and with an Introduction, Notes, and Additional Comments by Odysseus Makridis

FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF RIGHT AND THE STATE

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FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF RIGHT AND THE STATE

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Nikos Kazantzakis

Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Odysseus Makridis

State University of New York Press

From the recently published text, based on the 1909 (Iraklion, Greece: Alexiou) printing of Kazantzakis’ dissertation:O Friderikos Nitse en ti Philosophia tou Dikaiou kai tis Politeias, edited and with an introduction by Patroklos Stavrou (Athens, Greece: Ekdoseis Kazantzaki, 1998).

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2006 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

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Library of Congress CataloguinginPublication Data

Kazantzakis, Nikos, 1883–1957. Friedrich Nietzsche on the philosophy of right and the state / Nikos Kazantzakis ; translated and with introduction by Odysseus Makridis. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-6731-7 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Nietzsche, Frederich Wilhelm, 1844–1900. 2. Power (Social sciences) 3. State, The. I. Title.

B3318.P68K39 2006 193—dc22

2005021344 ISBN-13: 978-0-7914-6731-2 (hardcover : alk. paper)

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Translator’s Preface

Introduction

Contents

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1. Prolegomena A. The Times B. The Character and Life of Friedrich Nietzsche

2. [Nihilism]

3. [Human Nature] A. Man in General B. Man’s Historical Evolution C. The Constitution of Human Nature a. Soul b. Free Will c. On Human Equality D. Family The Natures of Man and Woman—Marriage E. The State

4.Religion—Morality—Right A. Religion B. Morality C. Right

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Contents

5. [Recapitulation and] Conclusion

6. The Positive Aspect of Nietzsche’s Philosophy

Notes

Index

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67

115

Translator’s Preface

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n this volume I am offering my translation of Nikos Kazantzakis’ dissertation on Friedrich Nietzsche’s “philosophy of right and the st I udents of Kazantzakis’ work, translated and commented on this short state.” Although Professor Peter Bien, one of the most knowledgeable 1 thesis, I undertook the project mainly for three reasons:

(a) A new Greek edition of this dissertation became recently avail- 2 able by the Athens-based Kazantzakis Editions. The Editor of the project, Mr. Patroklos Stavrou, who is dedicated to supervis- ing the publication of Kazantzakis’ collected works, brought to my attention that the older available versions of the dissertation have errors, whereas the newly published version is the authentic one penned by the young Kazantzakis. (b) I take this work to be important not only for the dedicated stu- dent of Kazantzakis’ literary output but also for those interested in Nietzsche’s philosophy and in turn-of-the-century European ideas. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance, I would think, to make available in English Kazantzakis’ early, unapologetic, unpolished reflections on Nietzsche’s neo-aristocratic political philosophy. Notwithstanding its youthful bravado and occasional hasty enthusiasm, Kazantzakis’ commentary is more lucid than many a later gloss on Nietzsche’s political thought. As a budding young intellectual—but by no means an ordinary, trendy, or plain unoriginal one—Kazantzakis penetrated to the core of Nietz- sche’s thought and aspirations.

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Translator’s Preface

(c) In light of the significance of Kazantzakis’ dissertation, I thought it incumbent on me to offer a translation with a full accompani- ment of critical apparatus. When Kazantzakis wrote his disserta- tion, it was not mandatory to attach notes, attribute all the indicated quotes to their specific sources, or survey competing in- terpretations. I attempt to provide necessary textual references and unobtrusive exegesis in my endnotes. I have tried to draw a balance between the extremes of insinuating an expansive com- mentary and letting an ineluctably sparse original text speak for itself. The former move would be hubristic on my part; the latter choice would constitute an unfair omission—unfair to Kazantza- kis, whose insightful analysis simplyappearsunscholarly to our more pedantic current tastes. I hope that this translation and accompanying critical notes fulfill their intended task of assisting the student both of Kazantzakis’ and of Nietzsche’s thought. I am offering the translation and contextualizing endnote material without taking positions on substantive issues. My edu- cated opinion is this: Both students of Kazantzakis’ work and of Niet- zsche’s thought could benefit from perusing this material. Kazantzakis scholars may judge for themselves the extent and relevance of this erst- while influence of Nietzsche’s philosophy on the Cretan author. Nietzsche scholars may profitably tread as through a portal into a representative— today often forgotten—early reception and interpretation of Nietzsche’s vehement polemics. Especially what is at first glimpse shocking for its can- dor might afford us a rare insight into the original matrix of ideas, and be- setting anxieties, within which Nietzsche’s thought began to dawn, fatefully, on the firmament of contemporary European intellectual life.

Odysseus Makridis, Ph.D. Fairleigh Dickinson University Madison, NJ

Introduction

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ikos Kazantzakis, one of the best-known modern Greek authors, was born on February 18, 1883, in Megalokastron, today’s Irak- N leion, Crete. The author ofThe Last Temptation of Christ, The Greek Passion, Zorba the Greek,and the monumental modern Greek epic Odysseyremained a controversial figure throughout his entire life. It is an eternal monument to his originality and greatness of spirit that Kazantza- kis was assailed with equal savagery from left and right, treated acerbically both by religious and secular critics, deprecated uniformly by aesthetes and pedagogues, and execrated consistently both by café intellectuals and dilet- tante commentators. Kazantzakis’ influence endures long after his critics have been mercifully consigned to oblivion. This is not to say that all the diatribes were unfair or unreasonable. Kazantzakis’ themes and language, their pungent urgency preserved even in translation, probe deeply into the most threatening dead-ends that mock an anguished humanity. By virtue of its subject matter, as much as through its monolithic pathos, Kazantza- kis’ work inevitably arouses varied reactions. Sharing in the fate of authors who are essentially, not faddishly, controversial, Kazantzakis is bound to stir strong feelings. At the same time, Kazantzakis’ work is universal and perennially relevant while the controversy this kind of work is bound to arouse follows more epochal and transient rhythms. A substantial global population of Kazantzakis’ admirers has formed especially since his death in 1957. Equally important is that Kazantzakis’ spirit has not been haunted by the ineluctable imitators and propagandists who tend to bandwagon on newfangled success: Kazantzakis’ work, thought, and literary style defy the triune curses of imitation, dogmatism, and didacticism.

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