Nietzsche as a Scholar of Antiquity

Typically, the first decade of Friedrich Nietzsche's career is considered a sort of précis to his mature thinking. Yet his philological articles, lectures, and notebooks on Ancient Greek culture and thought - much of which has received insufficient scholarly attention - were never intended to serve as a preparatory ground to future thought. Nietzsche's early scholarship was intended to express his insights into the character of antiquity. Many of those insights are not only important for better understanding Nietzsche; they remain vital for understanding antiquity today.

Interdisciplinary in scope and international in perspective, this volume investigates Nietzsche as a scholar of antiquity, offering the first thorough examination of his articles, lectures, notebooks on Ancient Greek culture and thought in English. With eleven original chapters by some of the leading Nietzsche scholars and classicists from around the world and with reproductions of two definitive essays, this book analyzes Nietzsche's scholarly methods and aims, his understanding of antiquity, and his influence on the history of classical studies.

“In this rich collection of essays, Nietzsche's debts to Greek antiquity are meticulously researched and judiciously reckoned. An impressive display of erudition and philological acuity by an international cohort of scholars.” —Daniel Conway, Head of Philosophy and Humanities, Texas A&M University, USA

“This excellent volume assembles papers by some of the finest classicists and Nietzsche scholars. Anthony Jensen and Helmut Heit have edited the single most important contribution to the research and evaluation of Nietzsche's status as a scholar of Antiquity published so far in English.” —João Constâncio, Director of the Nietzsche International Lab, and Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal

“While it has not been forgotten that Nietzsche was a scholar and philologist before he was a philosopher, his work in those areas has been largely ignored. Nietzsche as a Scholar of Antiquity by Anthony K. Jensen and Helmut Heit (eds.) seeks to correct this defect by exploring impact of Nietzsche's academic work both on his philosophy and on the discipline of philology […] Overall, this volume is an excellent addition to the corpus of Nietzsche scholarship, and one that will be of interest to Classical scholars as well. Highly recommended.” —Bryn Mawr Classical Review

“This book shows an often neglected part of Friedrich Nietzsche's intellectual activity: his scholarship in classical studies. Beyond many important findings in detail, the authors of Nietzsche as a Scholar of Antiquity - leading international experts - are able to demonstrate how Nietzsche's philosophy still remains based on his philological origin. Therefore, this volume is not only important for intellectual historians, but also for philosophers having recognised the importance of context in understanding philosophy.” —Andreas Urs Sommer, Nietzsche-Kommentar, Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, Germany