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Synopsis
Ralph Waldo Emerson was a great moral philosopher. One of his principle contributions is the theory of self-reliance, a view of democratic individuality. _Nietzsche was Emerson's best reader,_ and George Kateb provides an accessible reading of Emerson that is friendly to the interests of Nietzsche and to later Nietzscheans such as Weber, Heidegger, Arendt, and Foucault.
Booknews
This reprint is distinguished by a new preface reconsidering Emerson's , a work that goes undiscussed in the text proper (Kateb moves toward the notion that Emerson's divinization of humanity renders the balance with nature lost, "its mute appeal denied"). Nonetheless, Kateb (politics, Princeton U.) views Emerson as a radical for his commitment to individualism as an ideal suitable for democracy. Emerson calls it "self-reliance" and Kateb distinguishes between the mental and active kinds, suggesting Emerson elevates intellectual independence above independence of character and practical achievement. Nietzsche is held up as Emerson's best reader, Kateb aspiring to a reading of Emerson friendly to Nietzsche's interests. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)