Epilogue
I began this project not really knowing where I headed. I had always enjoyed reading Nietzsche, and after discovering and reading Kaufmann’s original works I knew that I had the perfect opportunity to incorporate two great philosophers into a single project in writing this thesis. In some ways the progress of the paper follows the same progress in my thinking about these two philosophers. I began with Nietzsche, moved on to Kaufmann, and then was left thinking about the way the two relate to one another. One thing that I remember from reading through Kaufmann the first time was my reaction that Kaufmann is really similar to Nietzsche, and was in some ways expanding on Nietzsche’s philosophic task. In several places within his works Kaufmann seeks to emphasize that there is a real divergence between his own views and Nietzsche’s, and that Kaufmann thought Nietzsche was wrong about certain issues. I never really gave this too much thought until grappling with both philosophers systems of value.
Indeed an ephemeral look at Kaufmann will leave one thinking that he adopts many of Nietzsche’s positions. A more thorough look will highlight the differences between Kaufmann and Nietzsche and perhaps leave one thinking that Kaufmann progresses over Nietzsche’s conception. Finally it is only upon reflection and thoughtful philosophic digestion that one can see that in the end Kaufmann was right when he said that he thought Nietzsche was wrong in certain aspects of his philosophy. Indeed there are points where Kaufmann adopts Nietzsche’s position, and others where Kaufmann progresses beyond Nietzsche’s conception. However, there also seem to be irreconcilable differences between the two philosophers. Through recognizing and understanding these differences we are able to more fully appreciate the significance of both philosophers.
Perhaps one of the most eye-opening experiences of writing this thesis was my discovery of the gap in the secondary literature about Kaufmann. Indeed it seems that Kaufmann has been recognized and lives on in the scholarly community as the translator of Nietzsche, who helped rehabilitate his reputation and generate serious discussion and reflection on his ideas. The extent to which Kaufmann presents a biased or unrepresentative or perhaps too reconciliatory view of Nietzsche may be the subject of ongoing debate, but surely his role and contribution to Nietzsche scholarship is unsurpassed. But even beyond Kaufmann the faithful translator of Nietzsche is Kaufmann the philosopher. It is this Kaufmann who remains in relative obscurity within the scholarly community and even in the philosophic community broadly speaking. This state of things is unfortunate because so much of Kaufmann’s philosophy has great import for modern man.
In philosophy we generally remember those philosophers who represent great paradigm shifts in thought, and who contribute in very unique ways to the philosophical discussion. In some ways this is easier to do at a distance. That is to look back and to analyze the path of thought, and to see where philosophers fit into the evolution of that tradition. Perhaps Kaufmann may be too close to our time to appreciate his own contributions to the philosophical discussion. Or perhaps Kaufmann is up to something more subtle. One thing seems clear between both Kaufmann and Nietzsche, through their philosophy they both seek to have an impact on the lives of others. Indeed, this is exactly the goal of both systems of value, to provide us with a way of viewing life which is affirmative and productive. In the end this must be the goal of all philosophical thought, to inform our actions and the way we choose to live our lives. “Man seems to play a very insignificant part in the universe, and my part is surely negligible. The question confronting me is not, except perhaps in idle moments, what part might be more amusing, but what I wish to make of my part. And what I want to do and would advise others to do is to make the most of it: put into it all you have got, and live and, if possible, die with some measure of nobility.”[1]
enjoyed
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