Walter Kaufmann (philosopher)

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Walter Arnold Kaufmann (born July 1, 1921 in Freiburg im Breisgau ; † September 4, 1980 in Princeton ) was a German-American philosopher who gained importance primarily through his Nietzsche translation into English.

Life

Kaufman came from an originally Jewish family who had partially converted to Christianity . He grew up as a Lutheran and converted to Judaism at the age of 12. He later declared that he was an atheist . In 1939 Kaufmann emigrated to the USA and studied philosophy there. After 15 months of military service during World War II , he wrote his dissertation on Nietzsche's Theory of Values . In 1947 he received a position as professor of philosophy at Princeton University, which he held until his death in 1980. He had already received American citizenship in 1960.

Kaufmann is known to representatives of Anglo-Saxon philosophy mainly for his translations of Nietzsche's works. His philosophical work, however, encompasses far more, such as detailed studies on existentialism, the relationship between ancient tragedy and philosophy, and works on religion and the limits of philosophy. Kaufmann also translated Hegel and Goethe and an anthology of German-speaking poets.

Works (selection)

  • Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist . Princeton 1950
    • (German: Nietzsche. Philosopher, psychologist, Antichrist. WBG , Darmstadt 1982 and others, most recently 2001 ISBN 3-534-08769-0 )
  • Critique of Religion and Philosophy , New York 1958
    • (German: Religion and Philosophy. Munich 1966.)
  • From Shakespeare to Existentialism , Boston 1959
  • The Faith of a Heretic , New York 1961
    • (German: The Faith of a Heretic, Munich 1965)
  • Twenty German poets: a bilingual collection . New York, 1962 (Random)
  • Tragedy and Philosophy , New York 1968
  • Beyond Guilt and Justice Hamburg 1974 (Hoffmann & Campe)
  • Existentialism, Religion, and Death: Thirteen Essays , New York 1976
  • The Future of the Humanities , New York 1977

supporting documents

  1. ^ Translator Jörg Salaquarda. The detailed 30-page index, structured according to keywords and sub-lemmas, is important for scientific work and makes working with N. much easier.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Kaufmann, Walter
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kaufmann, Walter Arnold (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German-American philosopher
DATE OF BIRTH July 1, 1921
PLACE OF BIRTH Freiburg in Breisgau
DATE OF DEATH 4th September 1980
Place of death Princeton