Hegel, Nietzsche, and Philosophy Thinking Freedom

328 Pages·2007·1.64 MB·english

by  Will Dudley

HEGEL, NIETZSCHE, AND PHILOSOPHY
ThischallengingstudyexploresthethemeoffreedominthephilosophyofHegel
andNietzsche.Inthefirsthalfofthebook,WillDudleysetsHegel’sPhilosophy
ofRightwithinalargersystematicaccountandinnovativelydeploystheLogicto
interpretit.Theauthorshowsthatfreedominvolvesnotonlytheestablishment
ofcertainsocialandpoliticalinstitutionsbutalsothepracticeofphilosophyitself.
Inthesecondhalf,DudleyrevealshowNietzsche’sdiscussionsofdecadence,no-
bility,andtragedymapontoananalysisoffreedomthatcritiquesheteronomous
choiceandKantianautonomy,andultimatelyissuesinapositiveconceptionof
liberation. In a provocative conclusion, Hegel and Nietzsche are portrayed as
complementary,emphasizingdifferentaspectsoffreedomandmodesofphilo-
sophical thought, but concurring in the view that freedom is in part attained
throughphilosophicalthinking.
InboldlybringingHegelandNietzschetogetherintoaconversation,some-
thingthatisrarelyattempted,Dudleyhasdevelopedasetoforiginalinterpreta-
tionsthatwillbeofconsiderableimportancetostudentsofthesephilosophers,
andmoregenerallytopoliticaltheoristsandhistoriansofideas.
WillDudleyisAssistantProfessorofPhilosophy,WilliamsCollege.

MODERN EUROPEAN PHILOSOPHY
GeneralEditor
RobertB.Pippin,UniversityofChicago
AdvisoryBoard
GaryGutting,UniversityofNotreDame
Rolf-PeterHorstmann,HumboldtUniversity,Berlin
MarkSacks,UniversityofEssex
SomeRecentTitles
DanielW.Conway:Nietzsche’sDangerousGame
JohnP.McCormick:CarlSchmitt’sCritiqueofLiberalism
FrederickA.Olafson:HeideggerandtheGroundofEthics
Gu¨nterZo¨ller:Fichte’sTranscendentalPhilosophy
WarrenBreckman:Marx,theYoungHegelians,andtheOriginsofRadical
SocialTheory
WilliamBlattner:Heidegger’sTemporalIdealism
CharlesGriswold:AdamSmithandtheVirtuesoftheEnlightenment
GaryGutting:PragmaticLiberalismandtheCritiqueofModernity
AllenWood:Kant’sEthicalThought
KarlAmeriks:KantandtheFateofAutonomy
AlfredoFerrarin:HegelandAristotle
CristinaLafont:Heidegger,LanguageandWorld-Discourse
NicholasWolsterstorff:ThomasReidandtheStoryofEpistemology
DanielDahlstrom:Heidegger’sConceptofTruth
MichelleGrier:Kant’sDoctrineofTranscendentalIllusion
HenryAllison:Kant’sTheoryofTaste
AllenSpeight:Hegel,LiteratureandtheProblemofAgency
J.M.Bernstein:Adorno

HEGEL, NIETZSCHE,
AND PHILOSOPHY
Thinking Freedom
WILL DUDLEY
WilliamsCollege
publishedbythepresssyndicateoftheuniversityofcambridge
ThePittBuilding,TrumpingtonStreet,Cambridge,UnitedKingdom
cambridge university press
TheEdinburghBuilding,Cambridgecb22ru,uk
40West20thStreet,NewYork,ny10011-4211,usa
477WilliamstownRoad,PortMelbourne,vic3207,Australia
RuizdeAlarco´n13,28014Madrid,Spain
DockHouse,TheWaterfront,CapeTown8001,SouthAfrica
http://www.cambridge.org
(cid:1)C WillDudley2002
Thisbookisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception
andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements,
noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithout
thewrittenpermissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
Firstpublished2002
PrintedintheUnitedKingdomattheUniversityPress,Cambridge
TypefaceNewBaskerville10/12pt. SystemLATEX2ε [tb]
AcatalogrecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationdata
Dudley,Will,1967–
Hegel,Nietzsche,andphilosophy:thinkingfreedom/WillDudley.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
isbn0-521-81250-x
1.Hegel,GeorgWilhelmFriedrich,1770–1831. 2.Nietzsche,FriedrichWilhelm,
1844–1900. 3.Liberty. i.Title.
b2949.l5.d83 2002
123(cid:2).5(cid:2)092243–dc21 2001052693
isbn052181250xhardback
ForEarlandLouiseDudley,
myfirstandbestteachers

CONTENTS
Acknowledgments pagexiii
ListofTexts,Translations,andAbbreviations xv
Introduction:FreedomandPhilosophy 1
1.TheSignificanceofFreedom:FromPolitics
toPhilosophy 1
2.CompetingConceptionsofFreedom 3
LiberalFreedom 3
KantianFreedom 4
3.HegelandNietzsche 7
4.GoalsandStructureoftheBook 8
part i. freedom in and through hegel’s philosophy
1 ThePlaceofFreedominHegel’sPhilosophy 15
1.ThePartsofHegel’sSystem:Logic,Nature,Spirit 15
2.TheLogicalConceptofFreedom 17
3.ThePhilosophyof SpiritasanAccountofFreedom 21
4.StructureandMethodofPart1 24
2 TheFreedomofWilling:Hegel’sPhilosophyofRight 28
1.TheLogicalConceptofJudgment 29
2.TheInitialConceptionoftheWillandItsDevelopment 31
3.TheMoralConceptionoftheWill 39
4.TheIncompleteFreedomoftheMoralWill 42
5.TheInstitutionsof EthicalFreedom:Family,Civil
Society,State 56
3 FreedombeyondWilling:FromthePhilosophyofRight
toAbsoluteSpirit 69
1.ThePlaceofWillinginthePhilosophyofSpirit 70
2.TheLogicalConceptofPurposiveness 75
ix
x contents
3.TheIncompleteFreedomofWilling 79
4.FromWillingtoArt,Religion,andPhilosophy 91
4 FreedomthroughHegel’sPhilosophy 101
1.Art,Religion,andPhilosophy:Overcomingthe
SubjectivityofWilling 101
2.PhilosophyasConceptualSystematization 102
3.FreedomthroughSystematicPhilosophy 106
4.Epilogue:Reconciliation,Resignation,Theory
andPractice 109
part ii. freedom in and through nietzsche’s
philosophy
5 ThePlaceofFreedominNietzsche’sPhilosophy 123
1.Nietzsche’sLackofSystem 123
2.Nietzsche’sUnsystematicAccountofFreedom 125
6 TheFreedomofWilling:DecadenceandNobility 128
1.TheDecadentFailurestoWillFreely:TwoTypes
ofSickness 128
Disgregation:TheUnfreedomofNotWilling 128
TheMoralityofSelflessness:TheIncompleteFreedomofWilling
Nothing 134
TheContagiousCircleofDecadence 143
2.FromDecadencetoNobility:Convalescence 146
DestructionoftheMoralWill 146
TheDangersofDestruction 156
NobleHealth:TheEstablishmentofaFreeWill 160
7 FreedombeyondWilling:FromNobilitytoTragedy 175
1.TheIncompleteFreedomofNobility 175
DestructionoftheNobleWill:HealthyReinfection 178
TheDangersofDestructionRedux 187
Beyond Nobility and Decadence: The Endless Cycle of Sickness
andConvalescence 189
2.TragicGreatHealth 195
AffirmationoutofOverfullness 197
AmorFatiandEternalReturn 201
TheGladTidingsofWorldlySelf-Redemption 207
8 FreedomthroughNietzsche’sPhilosophy 213
1.TheLanguageofTragedyasaConditionofFreedom 214
2.PhilosophyasaSourceofTragicLanguage 219