Communicating with the Greats of the Past. Notes on Jaspers and Löwith interpreters of Nietzsche.

 History of philosophy as a discipline (if not humanities in general) is often conceived as a dialogue with the great thinkers of the past, an activity which is not limited to a neutral knowledge of theories and thoughts but one that encourages to craft one’s own philosophical views. We intend here to delve deeper into this topos, by ways of analysing Karl Jaspers’s and Karl Löwith’ works, with a special focus on their almost contemporary monographies on Nietzsche (respectively written in 1936 and 1935). In both cases, we argue that a sort of empathic act is at play, but with vastly different nuances. Jaspers employs the concept of appropriation (Aneignung) to highlight that great philosophers demand an existential reaction from the reader: these extraordinary exceptions (Ausnahmen) inspire us to become Existence (Existenz) in our turn. Löwith tends to blend his own speculative positions with those of the analysed philosophers, either to fully adhere with them or to reject them completely. From these cases, the idea of history of philosophy as a series of empathic acts therefore shows both great potentiality and equally relevant risks.

 History of Philosophy, Empathy; Karl Jaspers, Karl Löwith, Friedrich Nietzsche.

DOI

10.53129/gcsi_02-2023-11