J.R. Rosenhagen, "Nietzsche in America: A Story of an Idol" Summary and Comments - History of Nietzsche's Reception in America
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)wikipedia.
We are pleased to present "Nietzsche in America: The Story of an Idol," written by Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen and translated by Masaki Kishi, published by Hosei University Press in 2019.
Let's take a quick look at the book.
The German philosopher, who went insane after proclaiming the death of God and preaching the coming of the superhuman, was in fact an avid admirer of the most American of thinkers, Emerson. This laborious work traces the profound impact of Nietzsche's anti-foundationalist philosophy on 20th century American culture, Christianity, liberalism, and pragmatist philosophy in general, beyond the question of its influence on Nazism. The history of Nietzsche's translation and reception reveals a picture of America as a nation.
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In this book we will look at how Nietzsche has been received in the United States. Previous Article.'Does Nietzsche change his appearance depending on who reads him?' What kind of being is Nietzsche?"As I mentioned in the previous section, Nietzsche's appearance changes depending on who reads it. In other words, each person's interpretation of Nietzsche is unique. Knowing how Nietzsche was received will also lead to understanding the thoughts of the people of the time.
The author describes the book in his "Introduction" as follows
This book examines what attracted American readers to Nietzsche's philosophy and what they drew from it. How Nietzsche's anti-foundationalism (denial of universal truth), with its thoroughgoing critique of Christian morality, Enlightenment rationality, and democracy, caused many Americans to doubt their religious principles, doubt their moral certainties, and doubt their democratic principles. This book analyzes this dynamic historical transition. [omitted)
Behind Nietzsche's reassuring interest in radical thought has always been accompanied by an insatiable curiosity about his life story. One of the central themes of this study, therefore, is the shifting rhetoric surrounding Nietzsche in America. It is the aim of this book to show that, through serious reading of Nietzsche, readers of all ages have been able to redefine themselves and America.
Hosei University Press, Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen, translated by Masaki Kishi, Nietzsche in America: A Story about an Idol, p. 35-36
It is not the history of the American "Nietzscheanist" that this book tells. It is a history of American readers shaping their own values about themselves and about their American contemporaries through resistance and contemplation in the face of Nietzsche's determined challenge.
Throughout the twentieth century, some found in Nietzsche an intellectual "savior," while others rejected both his ideas and his personality. Some read Nietzsche and took it as an exhortation to abandon traditional notions of the good life. For others, the confrontation with Nietzsche's ideas strengthened their belief in democracy, God, and universal truth.
But both the enthusiastic and the outraged responders are useful, in the eyes of historians, as starting points for attempts to rethink past moral concepts. This book is neither a study of Nietzsche's saintly biography nor a collection of articles on Nietzsche's impeachment. It is a narrative of Nietzsche's important role in the dynamic and endless remaking of contemporary American thought.
Hosei University Press, Jennifer Ratner-Rosenhagen, translated by Masaki Kishi, Nietzsche in America: A Story about an Idol, p. 42
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This book shows how Nietzsche was understood in diverse ways.
I feel that saying "Nietzsche is ~~" is nothing more than a statement of one's own thought. I realized that Nietzsche is such an enigmatic figure.
This book provides a very good example of the feeling that Nietzsche changes his appearance depending on the reader. A very interesting book.
The above is "J. R. Rosenhagen, "Nietzsche in America: The Story of an Idol," A History of Nietzsche's Reception in the United States.
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