Walter Kaufmann
Walter Kaufmann: A Philosopher's Odyssey
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Full Name and Common Aliases
Walter Arnold Kaufmann was born as Walther Arnold Kaufmann on July 1, 1921, in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. He is often referred to simply as Walter Kaufmann.
Birth and Death Dates
July 1, 1921 – September 4, 1980
Nationality and Profession(s)
Kaufmann was a German-American philosopher, literary critic, poet, and translator. His work spanned multiple disciplines, including philosophy, literature, and music.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in Germany during the tumultuous Weimar Republic era, Kaufmann witnessed firsthand the rise of Nazi ideology. This experience profoundly shaped his worldview and informed his later critique of existentialism and the German intellectual tradition. After fleeing to the United States with his family at age 17, Kaufmann pursued higher education at Harvard University, where he earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy.
Major Accomplishments
Kaufmann's academic career was marked by significant achievements:
He held positions as a professor of philosophy and comparative literature at several prestigious institutions, including Princeton University.
His work focused on the intersection of philosophy, literature, and music, with particular emphasis on existentialism, German intellectual history, and the concept of "the absurd."
Kaufmann was known for his provocative writings on Nietzsche, Camus, and Heidegger, offering critiques that challenged conventional interpretations.Notable Works or Actions
Some of Kaufmann's notable works include:
"Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist" (1950) - a comprehensive study of Nietzsche's philosophy.
"Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre" (1956) - an exploration of the existentialist movement in literature and philosophy.
Kaufmann was also a prolific translator, rendering important works by German authors into English.
Impact and Legacy
Kaufmann's influence on 20th-century thought extends beyond academia:
His critiques of existentialism helped shift the philosophical landscape, encouraging new perspectives on human existence.
Through his writings, Kaufmann sought to bridge gaps between philosophy and literature, demonstrating the interconnectedness of seemingly disparate disciplines.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Walter Kaufmann's enduring relevance can be attributed to:
His willingness to challenge dominant intellectual trends and offer fresh perspectives on complex issues.
The breadth of his expertise, encompassing multiple fields and facilitating interdisciplinary dialogue.
* The clarity and eloquence with which he conveyed abstract ideas, making them accessible to a broad audience.
Walter Kaufmann's life and work serve as a testament to the power of intellectual curiosity and the importance of challenging conventional wisdom. His legacy continues to inspire new generations of thinkers, writers, and scholars.
Quotes by Walter Kaufmann
Walter Kaufmann's insights on:
The great artist is the man who most obviously succeeds in turning his pains to advantage, in letting suffering deepens his understanding and sensibility, in growing through his pains.
In our time equality is confused with conformity – as Nietzsche sees it– and it is taken to involve the renunciation of personal initiative and the demand for a general leveling. Men are losing the ambition to be equally excellent, which involves as the surest means the desire to excel one another in continued competition, and they are becoming resigned to being equally mediocre.
The value of a human being, Nietzsche said, does not lie in his usefulness: for it would continue to exist even if there were nobody to whom he could be useful.
The difference between great philosophers who disagree is perhaps less considerable than that which separates them from their followers. Members of philosophic schools or coteries live on what others have seen, and the disciple usually applies his master’s insights with a confidence which, most of the time, the master lacked.
One can oppose the shallow optimism of so many Western thinkers and yet refuse to negate life.
All of us have so much more time than we use well. How many hours in a life are spent in a way of which one might be proud, looking back?
The self is essentially intangible and must be understood in terms of possibilities, dread, and decisions. When I behold my possibilities, I experience that dread which is “the dizziness of freedom,” and my choice is made in fear and trembling.
The point is not at all that you are found interesting or fascinating instead of being seen as a fellow I. The shock is rather that you are not found interesting or fascinating at all: you are not recognized as an object any more than a subject. You are accepted, if at all, as one to be spoken at and spoken of; but when you are spoken of, the lord of every story will be I.
When it is founded on decision, love is no longer an unreliably moving passion, but the fulfillment to which alone real Being reveals itself.