Inspirational Quotes by Walter Kaufmann (German-American Philosopher)

Walter Arnold Kaufmann (1921–80) was a renowned German-American philosopher, translator, and poet who made remarkable contributions to existentialism, Nietzsche scholarship, and the study of religious philosophy.

Born in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, Kaufmann immigrated to the United States as a lone individual at 17. He pursued higher education, obtaining his B.A. from Williams College in 1941 and later earning a PhD from Harvard in 1947. However, his academic pursuits were interrupted by three years of military service with the U.S. Army 1943–46. He became a distinguished philosophy professor at Princeton, teaching for three decades.

Kaufmann was a prolific author who delved into various subjects, including authenticity, death, moral philosophy, existentialism, theism, atheism, Christianity, Judaism, and the intersection of philosophy and literature. His influential works encompassed acclaimed translations of Nietzsche’s writings and his notable book Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist (1950,) which played a pivotal role in popularizing Nietzsche’s philosophy in the English-speaking world.

Kaufmann’s writing possessed a deliberate provocation, as he believed being provocative was the most effective way to stimulate independent thought. Notably, his edited works, including Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre (1975,) served as a gateway to introduce existentialist thought to a broader audience. Furthermore, his repertoire consisted of other noteworthy works such as Critique of Religion and Philosophy (1958,) Hegel: A Reinterpretation (1965,) Religions in Four Dimensions (1976,) and Discovering the Mind (3 vols., 1980.)

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