In a letter to Franz Overbeck from 1883 Nietzsche confessed that the more he read the German philosopher Gustav Teichmüller the more he realized »how poorly« he understood Plato and »how much Zarathustra Platonizes«. This is a striking admission from a thinker who defined his own philosophy as »inverted Platonism« and it has yet to be adequately explained. This article examines what Nietzsche may have meant by the verb »to Platonize« by drawing an explicit connection to Teichmüller's controversial views on (...) Platonic psychology. Two possible meanings of the verb are put forth, a weak and a strong meaning and a case in defense of the latter is made. In the strong sense of the word »to Platonize« meant that the Overman was a mythos in the Platonic sense, in that it made Nietzsche's much more recondite »Bundle Theory« of the self accessible to the average reader, but it did not correspond to a view of the self which Nietzsche espoused in his own voice. (shrink)

Thomas Nevin's new reading of Nietzsche is at home on an island of misfit toys. Like Ariosto's Astolfo, who goes to the moon in search of Orlando's sanity only to find the good things that humanity has shed, Nevin has gone—not quite as far as the moon—in search of a true Christian. That Nietzsche might brook accommodation in his father's house, however, pleads convincingly that Luther may have wanted to reform the Church but ended up installing a lost-and-found box instead. (...) Late of the quincentenary of Luther's Ninety-Five Theses, Nevin has sorted through half a millennium of Christian miscellany and found the following items: one failed monk who refused to presume that he could love God; a late gnostic theosophist... (shrink)

This interview with David Kleinberg-Levin, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Philosophy at Northwestern University, concerns his recent trilogy on the promise of happiness in literary language. Kleinberg-Levin discusses the relationship between and among philosophy, phenomenology, and literature. Among others, he addresses questions regarding literature’s ability to offer redemption, its response to suffering and justice, literary gesture, the ethics of narrative logic, and the surface of the text.Cet entretien avec David Kleinberg-Levin, Professeur émérite au département de philosophie de la Northwestern (...) University, est consacrée à sa récente trilogie sur la promesse du bonheur dans le langage littéraire. Kleinberg-Levin examine les relations réciproques et internes de la philosophie, de la phénoménologie et de la littérature. Entre autres, il pose des questions sur la capacité de la littérature à offrir une rédemption, sur sa réponse à la souffrance et à la justice, sur le geste littéraire, sur l’éthique de la logique narrative et sur la surface du texte.L’intervista a David Kleinberg-Levin, Professore Emerito presso il Dipartimento di Filosofia della Northwestern University, è dedicata alla sua recente trilogia sulla promessa di felicità nel linguaggio letterario. Kleinberg-Levin esplora il rapporto tra filosofia, fenomenologia e letteratura. In particolare egli affronta le questioni che riguardano la capacità della letteratura di offrire redenzione, la sua risposta alla sofferenza e alla giustizia, il gesto letterario, l’etica della logica narrativa, e la superficie del testo. (shrink)

This article examines Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s reference to Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” and “Investigations of a Dog” in his lecture on gesture and reconciliation, “Man Seen from the Outside.” Given the centrality of gesture in Kafka’s work, this essay considers the connections between the two figures and the likely influence of Kafka on Merleau-Ponty’s concept of gesture and intentionality. It compares their respective philosophies of gesture as they relate to meaning, reliability, silence, music, and intention. Finally, Kafka’s gestural motif of the (...) springing body is suggested as a significant example of Merleau-Ponty’s “escaping intentions,” expressing a powerful will to intend toward others.Cet article examine la référence de Maurice Merleau-Ponty à La Métamorphose et aux Recherches d’un chien de Franz Kafka dans sa « causerie » sur le geste et la réconciliation : « L’homme vu du dehors ». Étant-donnée la centralité du geste dans l’oeuvre de Kafka, cet article examine les liens entre les deux auteurs et la possible influence de Kafka sur les concepts merleau-pontiens de geste et d’intentionnalité. Nous comparerons leurs philosophies du geste dans leur manière de se rapporter au sens, à la fiabilité, au silence, à la musique et à l’intention. Enfin, le motif gestuel du corps jaillissant chez Kafka sera proposé comme un exemple significatif des « intentions fuyantes » de Merleau-Ponty, exprimant un puissant désir de se diriger vers les autres.Quest’articolo esamina i riferimenti merleau-pontiani a “La Metamorfosi” e a “Indagini di un cane” di Franz Kafka nella sua conferenza sul gesto e la riconciliazione, “L’uomo visto da fuori”. Data la centralità del gesto nell’opera di Kafka, questo saggio si propone di esaminare le connessioni tra i due autori e la possibile influenza di Kafka sulla concezione merleau-pontiana del gesto e dell’intenzionalità. L’articolo confronta le loro rispettive filosofie del gesto nella misura in cui si riferiscono al significato, alla veridicità, al silenzio, alla musica e all’intenzione. Da ultimo, il motivo gestuale del corpo elastico in Kafka è indagato come significativo esempio delle “intenzioni fuggevoli” merleau-pontiane che esprimono una volontà tesa verso gli altri. (shrink)