Fernando José Ludwig

Rethinking Gramsci by Marcus E. Green (ed.). Abingdon: Routledge, 2013. 336pp., £28.00, ISBN 978 0 415 82055 4

works, and is often seen as a transition point or a quiet interlude between the two storms that shape Nietzsche’s thought. Franco argues that this middle period, although it gave Nietzsche the means to break with the overly romantic influence of Wagner and Schopenhauer on his thinking, also reveals a Nietzsche who is more restrained in his critique of the Enlightenment and various Enlightenment thinkers. One thus sees a different Nietzsche to the one usually presented in much of the secondary literature of the past thirty years; one who offers a much more friendly critique of the use of reason in various Enlightenment thinkers than he does in either the earlier or later works. Franco’s examination of the middle period works shows a Nietzsche who preaches moderation and who sees the value of rationality instead of ‘Dionysian Frenzy’, and a philosopher whose philosophising is achieved through ‘the will to power’. Franco also argues that although the later works and their tone do break decisively with the moderation of the middle period, nonetheless key themes and concerns – such as a commitment to reason and intellectual honesty – remain in those later works as well. Franco’s work shows that the Nietzsche of the later period did not simply disregard all that was cultivated in the middle period, despite the radical break with regard to tone and style. Another important aspect of Franco’s book is its clear and relatively jargon-free style, which makes the reading experience enjoyable. Overall, this is a valuable addition to Nietzsche studies and will be a book that future scholars will be forced to address one way or another.

Book Review: Political Theory: Rethinking Gramsci:

works, and is often seen as a transition point or a quiet interlude between the two storms that shape Nietzsche’s thought. Franco argues that this middle period, although it gave Nietzsche the means to break with the overly romantic influence of Wagner and Schopenhauer on his thinking, also reveals a Nietzsche who is more restrained in his critique of the Enlightenment and various Enlightenment thinkers. One thus sees a different Nietzsche to the one usually presented in much of the secondary literature of the past thirty years; one who offers a much more friendly critique of the use of reason in various Enlightenment thinkers than he does in either the earlier or later works. Franco’s examination of the middle period works shows a Nietzsche who preaches moderation and who sees the value of rationality instead of ‘Dionysian Frenzy’, and a philosopher whose philosophising is achieved through ‘the will to power’. Franco also argues that although the later works and their tone do break decisively with the moderation of the middle period, nonetheless key themes and concerns – such as a commitment to reason and intellectual honesty – remain in those later works as well. Franco’s work shows that the Nietzsche of the later period did not simply disregard all that was cultivated in the middle period, despite the radical break with regard to tone and style. Another important aspect of Franco’s book is its clear and relatively jargon-free style, which makes the reading experience enjoyable. Overall, this is a valuable addition to Nietzsche studies and will be a book that future scholars will be forced to address one way or another.