By Paul Stephan

Author: Paul Stephan (PhD student at the University of Freiburg and research fellow at the Forschungsinstitut für Philosophie Hannover)

Reference (vol. I): Links–Nietzscheanismus. Eine Einführung. Band 1: Nietzsche selbst. Stuttgart: Schmetterling. 2020, 142 p. ISBN: 978-3-89657-089-5

Reference (vol. II): Links–Nietzscheanismus. Eine Einführung. Band 2: Aneignungen Nietzsches. Stuttgart: Schmetterling. 2020, 522 p. ISBN: 978-3-89657-049-9

The book consists of two volumes. The first one introduces in Nietzsche’s philosophy which special regard to those of its aspect that have been relevant for leftist theory and practice. It tries to demonstrate the ambiguity of his philosophy, especially with regards to its political and ethical implications. The second volume deals which the history of Nietzsche’s political reception from the late 19^th century to today. It begins with Nietzsche’s reception inside the German avant-gardist movement, the so-called Lebensreformbewegung, and anarchists like Gustav Landauer and Emma Goldman. In the second section, also the “dark side” of Nietzsche’s political reception is discussed, namely his fascist and right-wing appropriation. The third section demonstrates how Nietzsche was used as a major theoretical source in classical German sociology (e. g. Max Weber), psychoanalysis, and unorthodox Marxism, esp. the Frankfurt School. In the last section, the book inquires the French leftist reception of Nietzsche which special regard to surrealism, existentialism, situationism, and post-structuralism. The book concludes with a section in which the possible relevance of Nietzsche for current leftist debates is discussed. The book is the first study which such a large scope and aims to offer a new perspective on 20^th century political philosophy. Its message is to rediscover Nietzsche as a source of inspiration and insight for an engaged emancipatory philosophy for the 21^st century.

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