Nietzsche, the Aristocratic Rebel

Domenico Losurdo (1941–2018) was an Italian Marxist philosopher and historian. He was a Professor of History of Philosophy at the University of Urbino and one of the world 's leading Hegel scholars and an expert on 19th and 20th-century intellectual history. He has produced a large body of scholarly work that aims at an analysis of European, and particularly German, philosophy and political thought.Gregor Benton is emeritus professor of Chinese history at Cardiff University. He has published many books on China and other subjects.Harrison Fluss is a corresponding editor with Historical Materialism and a lecturer in philosophy at St. John's University and Manhattan College.

"The culmination of many years’ worth of scholarship, Domenico Losurdo’s [...] Nietzsche, the Aristocratic Rebel is a behemoth undertaking [and a] welcome addition to the English corpus of Nietzsche scholarship."—Jacob Vangeest, Cosmos and History: The Journal of Natural and Social Philosophy“This Nietzsche is naturally one who is far less friendly and deeply more disturbing than the joyful dancer many of us like to imagine […] Losurdo makes a devastating case that he was closer to the real deal, and it is time for us to get over it.” —Matt McManus, Merion West“Losurdo continues to remind us that to extract or ignore these unpalatable aspects of Nietzsche’s writings or his influence on the political right, would not actually ‘save’ Nietzsche, nor would it provide a more consistent method for understanding him.”—Rory Jeffs, Marx & Philosophy Review

• Introduction to the English-Language EditionHarrison FlussPart 1 Nietzsche in His Time: In Struggle against Socratism and Judaism1 The Crisis of Culture from Socrates to the Paris Commune1The Birth of Tragedy as a Re-interpretation of Hellenism?2Tragic Hellenism as Antidote to 'Weak ' Modernity3The Paris Commune and the Threat of a 'Horrifying Destruction ' of Culture4The Suicide of Tragic Hellenism as Metaphor for the Suicide of the ancien régime5From the Anti-Napoleonic Wars to The Birth of Tragedy6The Young Nietzsche 's Adherence to German National Liberalism7'German Pessimism ', 'Serious View of the World ', 'Tragic View of the World '8The 'German Spirit ' as 'Saviour ' and 'Redeemer ' of Zivilisation9'Optimism ', 'Happiness ' and Revolutionary Drift: Nietzsche 's Radicalism10An Anti-Pelagian Reconquest of Christianity?11Christianity as Subversive and a 'Religion of the Learned '12Eva, Persephone and Prometheus: The Reinterpretation of Original Sin13'Greek Serenity ', 'Sensualism ' and Socialism14The Apolline, the Dionysiac and the Social Question15Athens and Jerusalem; Apollo and Jesus, Dionysus and Apollo16Art, Politics and Kulturkritik17An Appeal for a 'Struggle against Civilisation '18Manifesto of the Party of the Tragic View of the World19Universal History, Universal Judgement, Divine Justice, Theodicy, Cosmodicy2 Tradition, Myth and the Critique of Revolution1'Prejudice ' and 'Instinct ': Burke and Nietzsche2Hubris of Reason and 'Neocriticistic ' Reaction3The Radicalisation of Neo-criticism: Truth as Metaphor4Human Rights and Anthropocentrism5'Metaphysics of Genius ' and Cultural Elitism6The 'Doric State ' as Dictatorship in the Service of the Production of Genius3 Socratism and 'Present-Day Judaism '1Aryan 'Tragic Profundity ' and the 'Despicable Jewish Phrase '2Socratism and the Jewish Press in the Struggle against Germanness3Judaism in Music and in The Birth of Tragedy4Dionysian Germany and the 'Treacherous Dwarfs '5Alexandrianism, Judaism and the 'Jewish-Roman ' World6On the Threshold of a Conspiracy Theory4 The Founding of the Second Reich, and Conflicting Myths of Origin1In Search of Hellenism and a volkstümlich Germanness2Greeks, Christians, Germans and Indo-Europeans3Nietzsche and the Greco-Germanic Myth of Origin4Imitation of France and Germany 's Abdication of its Mission5Social Conflict and the National-Liberal Recovery of the 'Old Faith '6The Young Nietzsche, the Struggle against 'Secularisation ' and the Defence of the 'Old Faith '7'Secularisation ' and Crisis of Myths of Origin5 From the 'Judaism ' of Socrates to the 'Judaism ' of Strauss1Myths of Origin and Anti-Semitism2Strauss, Judaism and the Threat to German Language and Identity3'Jewish International ' and 'Aesthetic International '4Superficial Culture [Gebildetheit] and Judaism5Philistinism and Judaism6Judeophobia, Anti-Semitism and Theoretical and Artistic Surplus in Nietzsche and WagnerPart 2 Nietzsche in His Time: Four Successive Approaches to the Critique of Revolution6 The 'Solitary Rebel ' Breaks with Tradition and the 'Popular Community '1Prussia 's 'Popular Enlightenment ' as Betrayal of the 'True German Spirit '2The Germanic Myth of Origin and the Condemnation of Hegel3Delegitimisation of Modernity and Diagnosis of the 'Historical Sickness '4From the 'Christian ' Critique of the Philosophy of History to the Critique of the Philosophy of History as Secularised Christianity5Philosophy of History, Modernity and Massification6Philosophy of History, élitism and the Return of Anthropocentrism7Cult of Tradition and Pathos of Counterrevolutionary Action8'Schopenhauer 's Human Being ' as Antagonist of 'Rousseau 's Human Being ' and of Revolution9Two Intellectual Types: The 'Deferential Bum ' and the 'Solitary Rebel '10Schopenhauer, Wagner and 'Consecration ' for the 'Battle '7 The 'Solitary Rebel ' Becomes an 'Enlightener '1The Gründerjahre, Nietzsche 's Disenchantment, and the Banishing of the Spectres of Greece2Taking One 's Distance from Germanomania and the Break with the German National Liberals3Critique of Chauvinism and the Beginning of the 'Enlightenment '4The Deconstruction of the Christian-Germanic Myth of Origin5The Re-interpretation of the History of Germany: Condemnations and Rehabilitations6Europe, Asia and (Reinterpreted) Greece7Enlightenment, Judaism and the Unity of Europe8Voltaire against Rousseau: Reinterpretation and Rehabilitation of the Enlightenment9Nietzsche and the Anti-revolutionary Enlightenment10The 'Wandering ' Philosopher11Nietzsche in the School of Strauss12Biography, Psychology and History in the 'Enlightenment ' turn8 From Anti-revolutionary 'Enlightenment ' to the Encounter with the Great Moralists1Distrust of Moral Sentiments and Delegitimisation of the Appeal to 'Social Justice '2Plebeian Pressure, Moral Sentiments and 'Moral Enlightenment '3The 'Saint ' and the Revolutionary 'Martyr ': Altruism and Narcissism4History, Science and Morality5Morality and Revolution6Expanding the Range of Social Conflict and Encountering the Moralists: 'Good Conscience ', 'Enchantment ' and the 'Evil Eye '9 Between German National Liberalism and European Liberalism1Representative Organs, Universal Suffrage and Partitocracy2From the Statism of the Greek Polis to Socialism: Nietzsche, Constant and Tocqueville3Political Realism and Antiquitising Utopia4Nietzsche, European Liberalism and the Complaint about the Crisis of Culture5The Mediocrity of the Modern World and the Spectre of European 'chinoiserie '6Jews, Colonial Peoples and the Mob: Inclusion and Exclusion7The Unity and the Peace of Europe and the Enduring Value of War10 The Poet of the 'People 's Community ', the 'Solitary Rebel ', the Anti-revolutionary 'Enlightener ' and the Theorist of 'Aristocratic Radicalism '1From 'Enlightenment ' Turn to Immoralist Turn2Anti-socialist Laws, 'Practical Christianity ' and Wilhelm I 's 'Indecency '3From Critique of the Social State to Critique of the 'Representative Constitution '4'[W]e Cannot Help Being Revolutionaries '5The Shadow of Suspicion Falls on the Moralists6Hegel and Nietzsche: Two Opposing Critiques of the Moral Worldview7From Universal Guilt to the Innocence of Becoming8Four Stages in Nietzsche 's Development11 'Aristocratic Radicalism ' and the 'New Party of Life '1The 'New Party of Life '2'New Nobility ' and 'New Slavery '3Aristocratic Distinction and Social Apartheid4Aristocracy, Bourgeoisie and Intellectuals5From Cultural Elitism to Caesarism6Feminist Movement and 'Universal Uglification '7A 'New Warrior Age 'Part 3 Nietzsche in His Time: Theory and Practice of Aristocratic Radicalism12 Slavery in the United States and in the Colonies and the Struggle between Abolitionists and Anti-abolitionists1The Chariot of Culture and Slavery2Nietzsche, Slavery and the Anti-abolitionist Polemic3Between Reintroduction of Classical Slavery and 'New Slavery '4Labour and servitus in the Liberal Tradition5The American Civil War, the Debate on the Role of Labour and the Special Nature of Germany6Otium and Labour: Freedom and Slavery of the Ancients and the Moderns7Marx, Nietzsche and 'Extra Work '8Race of Masters and Race of Servants: Boulainvilliers, Gobineau, Nietzsche13 'Hierarchy ', Great Chain of Being and Great Chain of Pain1The Chariot of Culture and Compassion for the Slaves2The Chariot of Culture and the Resentment of the Slaves3Misery of the Poor and Responsibility and Boredom of the Rich4Schopenhauer and Nietzsche: Between 'Tragic ' Vision of Life and Relapse into Harmonisation14 The 'Uneducated Masses ', the 'Freethinker ' and the 'Free Spirit ': Critique and Meta-critique of Ideology1Chains and Flowers: the Critique of Ideology between Marx and Nietzsche2Ideology as Legitimation of and Challenge to the Existing Social Order3Direct Violence and Form of Universality4From National-Liberal Reticence to the Duplicity of Aristocratic Radicalism5Religions as 'Means of Breeding and Education ' in the Hands of the Ruling Classes6The City, the Newspaper and the Plebeians7'Free Spirits ' versus 'Freethinkers '15 From the Critique of the French Revolution to the Critique of the Jewish-Christian Revolution1Revolutionary Crisis and Acceleration of Historical Time2From the French Revolution to the Reformation, from the Reformation to the Christian and Jewish 'Priestly Agitators '3Christianity and Revolution4Denunciation of the Revolution, Critique of 'Hope ' and Critique of the Unilinear View of Time5Doctrine of the Eternal Return and Liquidation of Anthropocentrism (from Judaism to the French Revolution)6Aristocratic Radicalism and Renewed Expulsion of Judaism to Asia7The Struggle against the Jewish-Christian Tradition and the Reconquest of the West16 The Long Cycle of Revolution and the Curse of Nihilism1Three Waves of 'Nihilism '2'Total Revolution ' and Political, 'Metaphysical ' and 'Poetic ' Nihilism3Possible Attitudes towards Nihilism4Nihilistic Rebelliousness as Critique and Meta-critique5Unease, Charm and the Curse of Nihilism in Nietzsche6Total Revolution, Attack on the 'Great Economy of the Whole ' and Nihilism7Total Negation, Nihilism and Madness8A Polemical Category9At the Source of Nihilism: Ruling Classes or Subaltern Classes?17 The Late Nietzsche and the Longed-for Coup against the 'Social Monarchy ' of Wilhelm II and Stöcker1Germany as a Hotbed of Revolutionary Contagion2Between Friedrich III and Wilhelm II3The Emancipation of the 'Black Domestic Slaves ' and Wilhelm II, the 'Brown Idiot '4The 'Social Monarchy ' of Stöcker and Wilhelm II and the Counterrevolution Hoped for by Bismarck5'Anti-German League ' and Coup against Wilhelm II6Big Jewish Capital, Prussian 'Aristocratic Officers ' and Eugenic Cross-breeding7'Aristocratic Radicalism ' and the Party of Friedrich III18 'Anti-Anti-Semitism ' and the Extension to Christians and 'Anti-Semites ' of the Anti-socialist Laws1Anti-Jewish Polemic of the Christians and Anti-Christian Polemic of the Jews2Stöcker and Disraeli: the Linking of Inclusion and Exclusion between Germany and Britain3Germany, France, Russia and the Jews4Nietzsche and the Three