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Nietzsche, Godfather of Fascism?: On the Uses and Abuses of a Philosophy: Jacob Golomb, Robert S. Wistrich

Nietzsche, the Godfather of Fascism? What can Nietzsche have in common with this murderous ideology? Frequently described as the "radical aristocrat" of the spirit, Nietzsche abhorred mass culture and strove to cultivate an Übermensch endowed with exceptional mental qualities. What can such a thinker have in common with the fascistic manipulation of the masses for chauvinistic goals that crushed the autonomy of the individual? The question that lies at the heart of this collection is how Nietzsche came to acquire the deadly "honor" of being considered the philosopher of the Third Reich and whether such claims had any justification. Does it make any sense to hold him in some way responsible for the horrors of Auschwitz? The editors present a range of views that attempt to do justice to the ambiguity and richness of Nietzsche's thought. First-rate contributions by a variety of distinguished philosophers and historians explore in depth Nietzsche's attitudes toward Jews, Judaism, Christianity, anti-Semitism, and National Socialism. They interrogate Nietzsche's writings for fascist and anti-Semitic proclivities and consider how they were read by fascists who claimed Nietzsche as their intellectual godfather. There is much that is disturbingly antiegalitarian and antidemocratic in Nietzsche, and his writings on Jews are open to differing interpretations. Yet his emphasis on individualism and contempt for German nationalism and anti-Semitism put him at stark odds with Nazi ideology. The Nietzsche that emerges here is a tragic prophet of the spiritual vacuum that produced the twentieth century's totalitarian movements, the thinker who best diagnosed the pathologies of fin-de-siècle European culture. Nietzsche dared to look into the abyss of modern nihilism. This book tells us what he found. The contributors are Menahem Brinker, Daniel W. Conway, Stanley Corngold, Kurt Rudolf Fischer, Jacob Golomb, Robert C. Holub, Berel Lang, Wolfgang Müller-Lauter, Alexander Nehamas, David Ohana, Roderick Stackelberg, Mario Sznajder, Geoffrey Waite, Robert S. Wistrich, and Yirmiyahu Yovel.

Review:

The book _Nietzsche: Godfather of Fascism?_ consists of a series of essays by various scholars and philosophers dealing with the question of the relationship between Nietzsche's philosophy and Nazism and Fascism as well as anti-Semitism. Friedrich Nietzsche, who has been described as a "radical aristocrat" and "the last anti-political German", a precursor of nihilism, remains a problematic and enigmatic (if not contradictory) thinker to this day. Nietzsche espoused contempt for "herd values" and "slave morality" and such political developments as democracy, liberalism, egalitarianism, and socialism, as well as for Christianity and the morality it espoused and Judaism. However, at the same time, he also expressed contempt for anti-Semitism, Richard Wagner (who he was initially a disciple of) and his followers, German nationalism, the German Reich, and Germans. Nietzsche praised German Jews (possibly regarding them as a catalyst for his imperialist aspirations of European renewal, and as a precursor to the Ubermensch, in one interpretation of his writings), had Jewish friends including Paul Ree (who may have influenced his decision to separate himself from Wagner and anti-Semitism in general), and expressed Francophile sentiments as well. On the the other hand, in many of his letters Nietzsche did express contempt for both Judaism and Christianity (although he praised the Old Testament), individual Jews, and may have believed in certain racist theories to an extent which were popular at the time (indeed, he frequently referenced the codification of the Aryan caste system in _The Laws of Manu_ as an ideal, and praised the Greeks and Romans as well as ancient slavery). In light of this, an assessment of Nietzsche in terms of his relationship to fascism (and national socialism) or his role as a possible proto-fascist has proven difficult for scholars and opinions vary widely. Added to this difficulty is the issue of Nietzsche's madness (rumored to have been brought on by syphillis, although probably without basis in fact) at the end of his life, and the subsequent role of his sister Elisabeth Forster-Nietzsche in the preparation of his manuscripts. Elisabeth Forster-Nietzsche was married to a notorious anti-Semite and later would come to support the Nazis and Hitler, although she herself was not anti-Semitic (oddly enough). In addition, Nietzsche's philosophy was expropriated by certain Nazi philosophers including Alfred Baumler, Heinrich Hartle, and of course Martin Heidegger and Alfred Rosenberg who managed to smooth over his anti-anti-Semitism and anti-Germanism; although, other Nazi theorists argued that Nietzsche was an anti-Nazi and thus contrary to their movement. Hitler (although likely to have never read Nietzsche, at least not extensively) frequently mentioned Nietzschian motifs in his writings, speechs, and talks, and did pay homage to Nietzsche by visiting his sister at the Nietzsche Archives. Mussolini and the Italian fascist d'Annunzio were ardent Nietzschians on the other hand, both having read his works, and frequently quoting from him (especially the dictum "live dangerously"), and using his ideas in their political movement. On the other hand, philosophers such as Georges Bataille, Karl Jaspers, and for Amerians particularly Walter Kaufmann have argued that Nietzsche would have disdained National Socialism (Kaufmann in particular presenting a very sanitized portrayal of Nietzsche, and placing much of the blame for his "misinterpretation" upon N.'s sister). Thus, the relationship of Nietzsche to fascism remains problematic. Indeed, many have tried to pigeon-hole Nietzsche relating his essentially anti-political philosophy to anarchism, aristocratic conservativism, or fascism. Orthodox Marxists reject Nietzsche arguing that he is indeed a precursor to fascism; while leftist postmodern academics have praised him and his project of "revaluation of values". Essays in this book deal with Nietzsche's responsibility (whatever it may be) for Nazism, Nietzsche and Hitler, Nietzsche and the Jews, Nietzsche and Wagner, Nietzsche's anti-Christian atheism and anti-Judaism, Nietzsche's imperialism (his call for a restoration of Europe along classical Greek and Roman lines), the relationship between Nietzsche and the poet Holderlin (both succumbing to madness and both praised by the Third Reich), an interesting essay arguing that Nietzsche's sister should not be scapegoated for his misappropriation by fascists (contrary to the thinking that clouds much of the extant writing on Nietzsche in American circles), an essay on Nietzsche and Mussolini emphasizing the Italian fascist poet d'Annunzio and his relationship to Nietzsche's thought, an essay on Ernst Junger and his relationship to Nietzsche (emphasizing the role of "reactionary modernism" in the conservative revolutionary thinkers which existed in Germany prior to the rise of Hitler including the philosopher Martin Heidegger), and an essay by a leftist postmodern academic arguing against an otherwise interesting thesis by conservative thinker Ernst Nolte. These essays compose a good collection of material relating to Nietzsche, his successors, and his relationship to fascism and national socialism in their various guises. Also recommended: _Heidegger's Crisis_ by Hans Sluga.

Review:

The Nietzsche mystique is one of the puzzles of modern philosophy. He is a hard man to understand, which too often leaves the obvious facts of shadowy side invisible in plain sight. Does anyone actually believe what he says. This series of essays is a useful critical series neither in a debunking nor a booby prize mode, many essays simply examining the parts that conflict with celebrity myth--facing reality: Nietzsche is bound up in the fascist tragedy.

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Thanks, been looking for this, for a while. Looks very interesting. Was surprised to see prof. Geoffrey Waite listed as a contributor here, as he hates Nietzsche. Once again, Thanks.

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