Walter Kaufmann
Encyclopedia
Walter Arnold Kaufmann (Freiburg, Germany, 1 July 1921 – 4 September 1980, Princeton, New Jersey
) was a German-American philosopher, translator, and poet
. A prolific author, he wrote extensively on a broad range of subjects, such as authenticity
and death
, moral philosophy and existentialism
, theism
and atheism
, Christianity
and Judaism
, as well as philosophy
and literature
. He served for over 30 years as a Professor at Princeton University
.
He is renowned as a scholar and translator of Nietzsche
. He also wrote a 1965 book on Hegel. Kaufmann also published a translation of the first part of Goethe's Faust
.
. At age 11, finding that he believed neither in the Trinity
nor in the divinity of Jesus
, he converted to Judaism
. Kaufmann subsequently discovered that his grandparents were all Jewish. Kaufmann left Germany and immigrated to America in 1939 and began studying at Williams College
, where he majored in philosophy and took many religion classes. Although he had the opportunity to move immediately into his graduate studies in philosophy, and despite advice not to do so by his professors, he ultimately joined the war effort against the Nazis by serving in U.S. intelligence. During World War II
, he fought in the European front for 15 months. After the war, he completed a PhD in the philosophy of religion
at Harvard
in a mere two years. His dissertation was titled "Nietzsche's Theory of Values" and eventually became a chapter in his book, Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist.
He spent his entire career thereafter, from 1947 to 1980, teaching philosophy at Princeton University
, where his students included the Nietzsche scholars Frithjof Bergmann
, Richard Schacht
, Alexander Nehamas
, and Ivan Soll
. Kaufmann became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America in 1960.
, he summarily rejected all religious values and practice, especially the liberal Protestantism
of continental Europe that began with Schleiermacher
and culminated in the writings of Paul Tillich
and Rudolf Bultmann
. In their place, he praised moralists such as the biblical
prophets
, the Buddha
, and Socrates
. He argued that critical analysis and the acquisition of knowledge were liberating and empowering forces. He forcefully criticized the fashionable liberal Protestantism
of the 20th century as filled with contradictions and evasions, preferring the austerity of the book of Job
and the Jewish existentialism of Martin Buber
. Kaufmann discussed many of these issues in his 1958 Critique of Religion and Philosophy.
Kaufmann wrote a good deal on the existentialism
of Søren Kierkegaard
and Karl Jaspers
. He edited the anthology
Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre. Kaufmann disliked Martin Heidegger
's thinking, along with what he saw as his unclear writing.
Kaufmann is renowned for his translations and exegesis of Nietzsche
, whom he saw as gravely misunderstood by English speakers, as a major early existentialist, and as an unwitting precursor, in some respects, to Anglo-American analytic philosophy
.
Kaufmann writes that superficially
, for example, is in parts badly written, melodramatic, or verbose, yet concluded that the book "is not only a mine of ideas, but also a major work of literature and a personal triumph."
Kaufmann described his own ethic and his own philosophy of living in e.g. his books The Faith Of A Heretic (1961) and Without Guilt And Justice: From Decidophobia To Autonomy (1973). He advocated living in accordance with what he proposed as the four cardinal virtues: ambition/humility; love; courage; and honesty.
As written or published by Friedrich Nietzsche
in chronological order:
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a community located in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is best known as the location of Princeton University, which has been sited in the community since 1756...
) was a German-American philosopher, translator, and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. A prolific author, he wrote extensively on a broad range of subjects, such as authenticity
Authenticity (philosophy)
Authenticity is a technical term in existentialist philosophy, and is also used in the philosophy of art and psychology. In philosophy, the conscious self is seen as coming to terms with being in a material world and with encountering external forces, pressures and influences which are very...
and death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, moral philosophy and existentialism
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
, theism
Theism
Theism, in the broadest sense, is the belief that at least one deity exists.In a more specific sense, theism refers to a doctrine concerning the nature of a monotheistic God and God's relationship to the universe....
and atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
, Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, as well as philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. He served for over 30 years as a Professor at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
.
He is renowned as a scholar and translator of Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
. He also wrote a 1965 book on Hegel. Kaufmann also published a translation of the first part of Goethe's Faust
Goethe's Faust
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust is a tragic play in two parts: and . Although written as a closet drama, it is the play with the largest audience numbers on German-language stages...
.
Biography
Kaufmann was raised a LutheranLutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
. At age 11, finding that he believed neither in the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
nor in the divinity of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, he converted to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. Kaufmann subsequently discovered that his grandparents were all Jewish. Kaufmann left Germany and immigrated to America in 1939 and began studying at Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, where he majored in philosophy and took many religion classes. Although he had the opportunity to move immediately into his graduate studies in philosophy, and despite advice not to do so by his professors, he ultimately joined the war effort against the Nazis by serving in U.S. intelligence. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he fought in the European front for 15 months. After the war, he completed a PhD in the philosophy of religion
Philosophy of religion
Philosophy of religion is a branch of philosophy concerned with questions regarding religion, including the nature and existence of God, the examination of religious experience, analysis of religious language and texts, and the relationship of religion and science...
at Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in a mere two years. His dissertation was titled "Nietzsche's Theory of Values" and eventually became a chapter in his book, Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist.
He spent his entire career thereafter, from 1947 to 1980, teaching philosophy at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, where his students included the Nietzsche scholars Frithjof Bergmann
Frithjof Bergmann
Frithjof Bergmann is a Professor Emeritus of philosophy at the University of Michigan, where he regularly taught classes on existentialism and continental philosophy.-Background:...
, Richard Schacht
Richard Schacht
Richard Schacht is an American philosopher, currently professor emeritus at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is a renowned expert on the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, is the editor of International Nietzsche Studies and is currently Executive Director of the North American...
, Alexander Nehamas
Alexander Nehamas
Alexander Nehamas is Professor of philosophy and Edmund N. Carpenter, II Class of 1943 Professor in the Humanities at Princeton University. He works on Greek philosophy, aesthetics, Nietzsche, Foucault, and literary theory....
, and Ivan Soll
Ivan Soll
Ivan Soll is an American philosopher who is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the United States. He retired in May 2011...
. Kaufmann became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America in 1960.
Ideas
In a 1959 article in Harper's MagazineHarper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
, he summarily rejected all religious values and practice, especially the liberal Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
of continental Europe that began with Schleiermacher
Schleiermacher
Schleiermacher is the name of:* Friedrich Schleiermacher - German theologian and philosopher* Ruth Schleiermacher - speedskater* Steffen Schleiermacher - composer...
and culminated in the writings of Paul Tillich
Paul Tillich
Paul Johannes Tillich was a German-American theologian and Christian existentialist philosopher. Tillich was one of the most influential Protestant theologians of the 20th century...
and Rudolf Bultmann
Rudolf Bultmann
Rudolf Karl Bultmann was a German theologian of Lutheran background, who was for three decades professor of New Testament studies at the University of Marburg...
. In their place, he praised moralists such as the biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
prophets
Nevi'im
Nevi'im is the second of the three major sections in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh. It falls between the Torah and Ketuvim .Nevi'im is traditionally divided into two parts:...
, the Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
, and Socrates
Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary ...
. He argued that critical analysis and the acquisition of knowledge were liberating and empowering forces. He forcefully criticized the fashionable liberal Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
of the 20th century as filled with contradictions and evasions, preferring the austerity of the book of Job
Book of Job
The Book of Job , commonly referred to simply as Job, is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. It relates the story of Job, his trials at the hands of Satan, his discussions with friends on the origins and nature of his suffering, his challenge to God, and finally a response from God. The book is a...
and the Jewish existentialism of Martin Buber
Martin Buber
Martin Buber was an Austrian-born Jewish philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a form of religious existentialism centered on the distinction between the I-Thou relationship and the I-It relationship....
. Kaufmann discussed many of these issues in his 1958 Critique of Religion and Philosophy.
Kaufmann wrote a good deal on the existentialism
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
of Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Kierkegaard
Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish Christian philosopher, theologian and religious author. He was a critic of idealist intellectuals and philosophers of his time, such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling and Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel...
and Karl Jaspers
Karl Jaspers
Karl Theodor Jaspers was a German psychiatrist and philosopher who had a strong influence on modern theology, psychiatry and philosophy. After being trained in and practicing psychiatry, Jaspers turned to philosophical inquiry and attempted to discover an innovative philosophical system...
. He edited the anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre. Kaufmann disliked Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger
Martin Heidegger was a German philosopher known for his existential and phenomenological explorations of the "question of Being."...
's thinking, along with what he saw as his unclear writing.
Kaufmann is renowned for his translations and exegesis of Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
, whom he saw as gravely misunderstood by English speakers, as a major early existentialist, and as an unwitting precursor, in some respects, to Anglo-American analytic philosophy
Analytic philosophy
Analytic philosophy is a generic term for a style of philosophy that came to dominate English-speaking countries in the 20th century...
.
Kaufmann writes that superficially
"...it also seems that as a philosopher [Nietzsche] represents a very sharp decline [from Kant and Hegel] ... because [Nietzsche] has no 'system.' Yet this argument is hardly cogent. ... Not only can one defend Nietzsche on this score ... but one must add that he had strong philosophic reasons for not having a system."Kaufmann also sympathized with Nietzsche's acerbic criticisms of Christianity. However, Kaufmann faulted much in Nietzsche, writing that "my disagreements with [Nietzsche] are legion." Regarding style, Kaufmann argued that Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None is a philosophical novel by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, composed in four parts between 1883 and 1885...
, for example, is in parts badly written, melodramatic, or verbose, yet concluded that the book "is not only a mine of ideas, but also a major work of literature and a personal triumph."
Kaufmann described his own ethic and his own philosophy of living in e.g. his books The Faith Of A Heretic (1961) and Without Guilt And Justice: From Decidophobia To Autonomy (1973). He advocated living in accordance with what he proposed as the four cardinal virtues: ambition/humility; love; courage; and honesty.
Original works
- Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist
- From Shakespeare to Existentialism
- Critique of Religion and Philosophy
- Tragedy and Philosophy
- Hegel: A Reinterpretation
- The Faith of a Heretic: What Can I Believe? How Should I Live? What Do I Hope? (downloadable) (the title after the colon is from the 'mass market paperback' version)
- Without Guilt and Justice
- Cain and Other Poems
- Existentialism, Religion, and Death: Thirteen Essays
- The Future of the Humanities
- Religions in Four Dimensions
- Discovering the Mind, a trilogy consisting of
- Goethe, Kant, and Hegel
- Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Buber
- Freud Versus Adler and Jung
- Man's Lot: A Trilogy, consisting of
- Life at the Limits
- Time is an Artist
- What is Man?
Translations
- Twenty-Five German poets (superseded the earlier Twenty German Poets)
- Goethe's FaustFaustFaust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
(Part One and selections from Part Two) - Hegel: Texts and Commentary
- Judaism and Christianity, essays by Leo Baeck
- I and ThouI and ThouIch und Du, usually translated as I and Thou, is a book by Martin Buber, published in 1923, and first translated to English in 1937.-Premise:Buber's main proposition is that we may address existence in two ways:...
, by Martin BuberMartin BuberMartin Buber was an Austrian-born Jewish philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a form of religious existentialism centered on the distinction between the I-Thou relationship and the I-It relationship....
As written or published by Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
in chronological order:
- The Birth of TragedyThe Birth of TragedyThe Birth of Tragedy from the Spirit of Music is a 19th-century work of dramatic theory by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. It was reissued in 1886 as The Birth of Tragedy, Or: Hellenism and Pessimism ...
Or: Hellenism And Pessimism - The Gay ScienceThe Gay ScienceThe Gay Science is a book written by Friedrich Nietzsche, first published in 1882 and followed by a second edition, which was published after the completion of Thus Spoke Zarathustra and Beyond Good and Evil, in 1887. This substantial expansion includes a fifth book and an appendix of songs...
: With a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs - Thus Spoke ZarathustraThus Spoke ZarathustraThus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None is a philosophical novel by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, composed in four parts between 1883 and 1885...
: A Book for All and None - Beyond Good and EvilBeyond Good and EvilBeyond Good and Evil is a book by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, first published in 1886.It takes up and expands on the ideas of his previous work, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, but approached from a more critical, polemical direction....
: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future - On the Genealogy of Morals (with R. J. HollingdaleR. J. HollingdaleReginald John Hollingdale was best known as a biographer and a translator of German philosophy and literature, especially the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Goethe, E.T.A. Hoffmann, G. C. Lichtenberg, and Schopenhauer. Hollingdale was also elected president of The Friedrich Nietzsche Society in 1989...
) - The Case of WagnerThe Case of WagnerThe Case of Wagner is a German book by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, originally published in 1888. Subtitled "A Musician's Problem", it has also been known as "The Wagner Case" in English.-Contents:...
A Musician's Problem - Twilight of the IdolsTwilight of the IdolsTwilight of the Idols, or, How to Philosophize with a Hammer is a book by Friedrich Nietzsche, written in 1888, and published in 1889.-Genesis:...
How One Philosophizes with a Hammer - The AntichristThe Antichrist (book)The Antichrist is a book by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, originally published in 1895. Although it was written in 1888, its controversial content made Franz Overbeck and Heinrich Köselitz delay its publication, along with Ecce Homo...
- Nietzsche contra WagnerNietzsche contra Wagner"Nietzsche contra Wagner" is a critical essay by Friedrich Nietzsche, composed of recycled passages from his past works, written in his last year of lucidity . It was not published until 1895, six years after Nietzsche's mental collapse. In it Nietzsche describes why he parted ways with his...
- Ecce HomoEcce Homo (book)Ecce Homo: How One Becomes What One Is is the title of the last original book written by philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche before his final years of insanity that spanned until his death in 1900...
: How One Becomes What One Is - The Will to Power (with R. J. HollingdaleR. J. HollingdaleReginald John Hollingdale was best known as a biographer and a translator of German philosophy and literature, especially the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Goethe, E.T.A. Hoffmann, G. C. Lichtenberg, and Schopenhauer. Hollingdale was also elected president of The Friedrich Nietzsche Society in 1989...
)
Anthologies/edited works
- The Portable Nietzsche. Viking.
- Basic Writings of Nietzsche, designed to complement the preceding.
- Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre
- Religion from Tolstoy to Camus, a companion to the preceding.
- Philosophic Classics, in two volumes: 1, 2
- Hegel's Political Philosophy
Articles, book chapters, and introductions
- “Nietzsche's Admiration for Socrates,” Journal of the History of Ideas, v. 9, October 1948, pp. 472–491. Earlier version: “Nietzsche's Admiration for Socrates” (Bowdoin Prize, 1947; pseud. David Dennis)
- “Goethe and the History of Ideas,” Journal of the History of Ideas, v. 10, October 1949, pp. 503–516.
- “The Hegel Myth and Its Method,” Philosophical Review v.60, No. 4 (October 1951), pp. 459–486.
- “Some Typical Misconceptions of Nietzsche's Critique of Christianity,” Philosophical Review v. 61, no. 4 (October 1952), pp. 595–599.
- “Hegel's Early Antitheological Phase,” Philosophical Review v. 63, no. 1 (January 1954), pp. 3–18.
- “Nietzsche and Rilke,” Kenyon Review, XVII (1955), pp. 1–23.
- “Toynbee and Superhistory” Partisan Review, vol. 22, no. 4, Fall 1955, pp. 531–541. Reprinted in
- “A Hundred Years after Kierkegaard,” Kenyon Review, XVIII, pp. 182–211.
- “Jaspers’ Relation to Nietzsche,” in Paul Schilpps, ed., The Philosophy of Karl Jaspers (New York: Tudor, 1957), pp. 407-436.
- “The Faith of a Heretic,” Harper's MagazineHarper's MagazineHarper's Magazine is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts, with a generally left-wing perspective. It is the second-oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. . The current editor is Ellen Rosenbush, who replaced Roger Hodge in January 2010...
, February 1959, pp. 33-39. Reprinted in Existentialism, Religion, and Death (New York: New American Library, 1976). - “Existentialism and Death,” Chicago Review, XIII, 1959, pp. 73–93. Revised version reprinted in Existentialism, Religion, and Death (New York: New American Library, 1976).
- “” in The Meaning of Death, Herman Feifel, New York: The Blakiston Division / McGraw-Hill, 1959.
- Preface to Europe and the Jews: The Pressure of Christendom on the People of Israel for 1900 Years, 2d ed, by Malcolm Hay. Boston: Beacon Press, 1961.
- “A Philosopher's View,” in Ethics and Business: Three Lectures. University Park, Pa., 1962, pp. 35–54. Originally presented at a seminar sponsored by the College of Business Administration of the Pennsylvania State University on March 19, 1962.
- “Nietzsche Between Homer and Sartre: Five Treatments of the Orestes Story," Revue Internationale de Philosophie v. 18, 1964, pp. 50–73.
- “Nietzsche in the Light of his Suppressed Manuscripts,” Journal of the History of Philosophy v. 2, October 1964, pp. 205–226.
- “” in Philosophy and Educational Development, Ed. by G. Barnett. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1966.
- “,” in Art and philosophy, a symposium. Hook, Sidney, ed. New York University Press, New York. 1966
- “Buber's Religious Significance,” from The Philosophy of Martin Buber, ed. P. A. Schilpp and Maurice Friedman (London: Cambridge University Press, 1967) Reprinted in Existentialism, Religion, and Death (New York: New American Library, 1976).
- “The Reception of Existentialism in the United States,” Midway, vol. 9 (1) (Summer 1968), pp. 97–126. Reprinted in Existentialism, Religion, and Death (New York: New American Library, 1976).
- Foreword to Frau Lou: Nietzsche's Wayward Disciple, by Rudolph Binion. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1969.
- Introductory essay, Alienation Richard Schacht, Garden City, N.Y., Doubleday, 1970
- “The Future of Jewish Identity,” The Jerusalem Post Magazine August 1, 1969, pp. 607. Reprinted in Congressional Bi-Weekly, April 3, 1970; in Conservative Judaism, Summer 1970; in New Theology no. 9, 1972, pp. 41–58, and in Existentialism, Religion, and Death (New York: New American Library, 1976.)
- Foreword to An Introduction to Hegel's Metaphysics, by Ivan Soll. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1969.
- “The Origin of Justice,” Review of Metaphysics v. 23, December 1969, pp. 209–239.
- “Beyond Black and White,” Midway, v. 10(3) (Winter 1970), pp. 49–79. Also Survey no. 73 (Autumn 1969), pp. 22–46. Reprinted in Existentialism, Religion, and Death (New York: New American Library, 1976).
- "Hegel's Ideas about Tragedy" in New Studies in Hegel's Philosophy, ed. Warren E. Steinkraus (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1971), pp. 201–220.
- “The Death of God and the Revaluation,” in Robert Solomon, ed., Nietzsche: A Collection of Critical Essays (New York: Anchor Press, 1973), pp. 9–28.
- “The Discovery of the Will to Power,” in Robert Solomon, ed., Nietzsche: A Collection of Critical Essays (New York: Anchor Press, 1973), pp. 226–242.
- Foreword in Truth and Value in Nietzsche: A Study of His Metaethics and Epistemology by John T. Wilcox. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1974
- “Nietzsche and Existentialism,” Symposium: A Quarterly Journal in Modern Foreign Literatures, v. 28(1) (Spring 1974), pp. 7–16. Reprinted in Existentialism, Religion, and Death (New York: New American Library, 1976).
- “Hegel's Conception of Phenomenology” in Phenomenology and Philosophical Understanding, Edo Pivcevič, ed., pp. 211–230 (1975).
- “Unknown Feuerbach Autobiography,” Times Literary Supplement 1976 (3887): 1123-1124.
- “A Preface to Kierkegaard,” in Soren Kierkegaard, The Present Age and Of the Difference Between a Genius and an Apostle, trans. Alexander Dru, Harper Torchbooks, pp. 9–29. Reprinted in Existentialism, Religion, and Death (New York: New American Library, 1976).
- “On Death and Lying,” Reprinted in Existentialism, Religion, and Death (New York: New American Library, 1976).
- “Letter on Nietzsche,” Times Literary Supplement 1978 (3960): 203.
- “Buber's Failures and Triumph,” Revue Internationale de Philosophie v. 32, 1978, pp. 441–459.
- “Buber: Of His Failures and Triumph,” Encounter 52(5): 31-38 1979.
- Reply to letter, Encounter 55(4): 95 1980.
- “Art, Tradition, and Truth,” Partisan Review, XVII, pp. 9–28.
Sound recordings
- "Prof. Kaufmann discusses Sartre, Jaspers, Heidegger, Kierkegaard"
- "Kierkegaard and the Crisis in Religion" Part 1 of 3 Lectures
- "Nietzsche and the Crisis in Philosophy" Part 2 of 3 Lectures
- "Sartre and the Crisis in Morality" Part 3 of 3 Lectures
- "Oedipus Rex"
- "Homer and the Birth of Tragedy"
- "Aeschylus and the Death of Tragedy"
- "The Power of the Single Will"
- "Three Satanic Interludes"
- "The Will to Power Reexamined"
Critical assessments
- Pickus, David. "The Walter Kaufmann Myth: A Study in Academic Judgment", Nietzsche-Studien 32 (2003), 226-58.
- Ratner-Rosenhagen, Jennifer. "'Dionysian Enlightenment': Walter Kaufmann’s Nietzsche in Historical Perspective", Modern Intellectual History 3 (2006), 239-269.
- Sokel, Walter. "Political Uses and Abuses of Nietzsche in Walter Kaufmann’s Image of Nietzsche", Nietzsche-Studien 12 (1983), 436-42.
External links
- Walter Kaufmann Web Project with useful links to his work and life.
- Selected works of Walter Kaufmann.
- Manuscripts of Walter Kaufmann, Princeton University Library, 2004 (Archived 2007-12-19)