Walter Kaufmann: Philosopher, Humanist, Heretic

Description

The first complete account of the ideas and writings of a major figure in twentieth-century intellectual life Walter Kaufmann (1921-1980) was a charismatic philosopher, critic, translator, and poet who fled Nazi Germany at the age of eighteen, emigrating alone to the United States. He was astonishingly prolific until his untimely death at age fi

Stanley Corngold is professor emeritus of German and comparative literature at Princeton University. His many books include The Fate of the Self: German Writers and French Theory; Complex Pleasure: Forms of Feeling in German Literature; Lambent Traces: Franz Kafka (Princeton); and Franz Kafka: The Ghosts in the Machine. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year" "Best known for inaugurating the rehabilitation of Nietzsche, Kaufmann is portrayed in Stanley Corngold's splendid recent biography-Walter Kaufmann: Philosopher, Humanist, Heretic-as the conduit through which [Martin] Buber's teaching entered the American conversation."---Benjamin Balint, Wall Street Journal "[A] luminous biography." * Kirkus * "In this new work, [Stanley] Corngold presents a historical account of philosopher Walter Kaufmann's writings, which ranged widely from ethics and religion to a major rethinking of Friedrich Nietzsche. Thorough and engaging, Corngold presents a vivid picture of Kaufmann's life through an analysis of his most influential works."---William Simkulet, Library Journal "Corngold's 'philosophical biography' portrays Kaufmann as a fascinating, admirable, and flawed character. After a brief biographical chapter, Corngold takes us through Kaufmann's intellectual journey from his first book to his last. The detailed discussions of Kauf mann's individual works, supplemented by an array of philosophical and liter ary references, are balanced and rich."---Lewis Rosenberg, Australian Book Review "Corngold writes with a tenacity and intensity that matches his subject . . . proves an admirable guide."---Robert L. Kehoe III, Los Angeles Review of Books "[A] brilliantly erudite and playful intellectual biography of Kaufmann."---Hugo Drochon, Times Literary Supplement