Suchergebnisse

A textual analysis of Friedrich Nietzsche's writings on modernity. His work argues that modernity is characterized by a loss of universality, which results from an inability to see a fundamental link with past traditions. Nietzsche suggests that surviving the modern nihilistic condition requires the cultivation of a conscious innocence in which we affirm that our transfiguration of reality can only lead to a period of decay & corruption, to be followed by another period of transition & self-overcoming. D. Schwartz

Philosophy is the most serious of things, but then again it is not all that serious. (T. W. Adorno, Negative Dialectics)

There is a pressing need to think the Heidegger affair. There are several states of urgency, and thus the affair is not the exclusive province of the political or politics. There is an urgency of thought.1 A union of state and philosophy can make sense only if philosophy promises to be unconditionally useful to the state, that is to say, to set usefulness to the state higher than the truth. It would be splendid of course for the state if it also had truth in its pay and service; but the state itself well knows that it is part of the essence of truth that it never accepts pay or stands in anyone's service. 2

Nietzsche's challenge to political theory can be located in his claim that autonomy and morality are mutually exclusive. In this paper an examination of Kant's attempt to ground a notion of autonomy through constructing a metaphysic of morals is followed by a consideration of Nietzsche's understanding of autonomy in terms of a notion of supra-moral sovereign individuality. A genealogy of morals represents an attempt to historicize the key notions of moral and political theory. Nietzsche's aristocratic conception of sovereign individuality is seen in terms of the value-basis on which sovereign individuals are to construct a common ethical and political identity and enter into social relationships. Foucaultian and feminist attempts to construct an ethics and politics of difference and a recent attempt to construct a post-modern conception of agency based on a synthesis of Nietzsche's philosophy of power and Kant's ethics are examined.

NIETZCHE'S CHALLENGE TO POLITICAL THEORY CAN BE LOCATED IN HIS CLAIM THAT AUTONOMY AND MORALITY ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. IN THIS PAPER AN EXAMINATION OF KANT'S ATTEMPT TO GROUND A NOTION OF AUTONOMY THROUGH CONSTRUCTING A METAPHYSIC OF MORALS IS FOLLOWED BY A CONSIDERATION OF NIETZCHE'S UNDERSTANDING OF AUTONOMY IN TERMS OF A NOTION OF SUPRA-MORAL SOVEREIGN INDIVIDUALITY. NIETZCHE'S ARISTOCRATIC CONCEPTION OF SOVEREIGN INDIVIDUALITY IS SEEN IN TERMS OF THE VALUE-BASIS ON WHICH SOVEREIGN INDIVIDUALS ARE TO CONSTRUCT A COMMON ETHICAL AND POLITICAL IDENTITY AND ENTER INTO SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS. FOUCAULTIAN AND FEMINIST ATTEMPTS TO CONSTRUCT AN ETHICS AND POLITICS OF DIFFERENCE AND A RECENT ATTEMPT TO CONSTRUCT A POST-MODERN CONCEPTION OF AGENCY BASED ON A SYNTHESIS OF NIETZCHE'S PHILOSOPHY OF POWER AND KANT'S ETHICS ARE EXAMINED.