Von Philosophen und freien Geistern. Neuerscheinungen zur Figur des Freigeistes

Abstract Of Philosophers and Free Spirits. New Publications on the Figure of the Free Spirit. This review essay examines recent scholarship on Nietzsche’s figure of the free spirit, arguing that this figure is central for understanding his middle works and their response to the death of God. It first shows, with Barbara Neymeyr’s commentary on the Untimely Meditations , how the free spirit emerges from Nietzsche’s critique of philistinism and his evolving notion of justice as a dangerous yet indispensable virtue. It then uses Sebastian Kaufmann’s extensive commentary on The Gay Science to clarify how the free spirit navigates a godless world through practices of critique, affirmation, and confrontation with the doctrines of the death of God and eternal recurrence. Finally, drawing on Matthew Meyer’s and Michael Ure’s monographs, the review contrasts systematic and therapeutic readings of the free spirit, highlighting both their strengths and their blind spots regarding style, narration, and metaphysical ambition. Overall, it contends that the free spirit condenses Nietzsche’s philosophical project beyond any single work or period.