Nietzsche, Politics and Modernity

"Owen''s arguments are presented in an organized manner. . . . This book is interesting and relates Nietzsche to contemporary concerns quite well; therefore it is to be recommended for those interested in the relevance of Nietzsche to the current pol... Read more

"Owen''s arguments are presented in an organized manner. . . . This book is interesting and relates Nietzsche to contemporary concerns quite well; therefore it is to be recommended for those interested in the relevance of Nietzsche to the current political debate." --Choice Within the domain of politics, Friedrich Nietzsche''s philosophy has been linked to anarchism, socialism, Zionism, feminism, nationalism, Nazism, existentialism, and, more recently, postmodern relativism and nihilism. Written in a clear and engaging style, Nietzsche, Politics, and Modernity shows Nietzsche''s significance as a philosopher and as a political theorist by highlighting his critique of liberalism in both its philosophical and political forms. In describing Nietzsche''s diagnosis of the modern condition, author David Owen covers this aspect of his thought, including the will to power the Overman, the thought of eternal recurrence, and self-overcoming. This book traces the relevance of Nietzschean philosophy to current debates and engages thinkers such as MacIntyre, Taylor, Rorty, and Rawls. Owen shows how liberalism of the latter two can be seen as the contemporary expression of Nietzsche''s dystopian vision of the Last Man. Students in political theory, political philosophy, and social theory courses will find Nietzsche, Politics, and Modernity to be ideal for any course on Nietzsche''s thought. Its interdisciplinary style spans the areas of politics, philosophy, and sociology. Less