Beatrix Himmelmann

With good reason, Nietzsche’s idea of the will to power is considered the focal point of his thinking. It allows for exploring the essential features of Nietzsche’s philosophical project, and for critically looking into its viability. Is Nietzsche right to claim that striving for power has to be regarded as the one and only pivotal drive that grounds human activity? Or do we have to assume counterforces, perhaps ethical counterforces in particular, that oppose or ought to oppose power and striving for power?1 Seeking an answer to this question appears to be challenging and puzzling, not least because Nietzsche’s philosophy of power includes and even highlights the aspect of “plurality,” a...

The Proceedings present the contributions to the 13th International Kant Congress which was held at the University of Oslo, August 6-9, 2019. The congress, which hosted speakers from more than thirty countries and five continents, was dedicated to the topic of the court of reason. The idea that reason stands before itself as a tribunal characterizes the whole of Kant's critical project. Without such a court, reason falls into conflict with itself. With such a court in place, however, it may succeed in establishing the possibility and limits of metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics, law and science. The idea of reason being its own judge is not only pivotal to a proper understanding of Kant's philosophy, but can also shed light on the burgeoning fields of meta-philosophy and philosophical methodology. The 2019 Kant Congress put special emphasis on Kant's methodology, his account of conceptual critique, and the relevance of his ideas to current issues in especially political philosophy and the philosophy of law. Additional sections discussed a wide range of topics in Kant's philosophy. The Proceedings will provide anyone who is interested in exploring the variety of present-day work on Kant and Kantian themes with a wealth of fruitful inspiration.

Nietzsche, Luther, and the Question of Evil. The article aims at illuminating Nietzsche’s critique of the discernment of good and evil by emphasizing his refusal of proposals Martin Luther develops in his famous writing De servo arbitrio (1525). In so doing, the well-known controversy between Luther and Erasmus of Rotterdam regarding free will and the question of evil serves as a background. Against this background, it will be shown how Nietzsche considers Christian approaches towards the question of evil to be still affecting the modern understanding of the problem.

Discussing three issues that are central to philosophical thinking, the article argues that each and every society requires the kind of reflection that philosophy entails. The first issue concerns the claim that we have to give reasons for our assertions, the second addresses the idea and significance of truth, and a third pivotal philosophical question deals with the importance of acknowledging standards of right and justice. It becomes apparent what we would lose if we abandoned, banished, or marginalized philosophical thinking.