Meister Eckhart: Mystic and Philosopher. Translations with Commentary by R. Schrmann Review by: J. D. C. The Review of Metaphysics, Vol.

32, No. 4 (Jun., 1979), pp. 769-770 Published by: Philosophy Education Society Inc. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20127294 . Accessed: 30/11/2013 11:22
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SUMMARIESAND COMMENTS

769

in one's particular is grounded existence that one's thought sistence inclined and by the fact that he is among the most autobiographically of all philosophers. In his exposition proper of Nietzsche's thought, Ries begins with of reason and morality. He Nietzsche's tradition-breaking critique as one in who with ruthless dissects Nietzsche morality presents side" of actions and senti the discovers allegedly lofty "seamy tegrity, that there are no moral and finally comes to the realization ments, ac of phenomena. Nature, only moral interpretations phenomena, no de to for basis Nietzsche's Nietzsche, grants morality. cording structive analysis of reason runs parallel to this view, for he also thinks in nature. is an impotent Reason tool for that there is no reason is not rational. Since there is reality reality because understanding no inherent meaning in either nature or history, but reason is doomed to discover meaning Nietzsche feels compelled to expose everywhere, on teleology. to show the He attempts insistence its hallucinatory of distinguishing by pointing to the absurdity futility of all metaphysics between of thinking that there must seeming and being, the foolishness one that meets be a true world behind the apparent the eye. Nietzsche's formula for a world stripped of all transcendent meaning is "God is dead." With God's alleged death man must confront the a problem, seems permitted Nihilism becomes for everything abyss. if nothing ultimately matters. Nietzsche fights nihilism with a new and non-teleological doctrine of reality, the will to power, the revalua of the eternal return of the same, tion of all values, and the doctrine which asserts the innocence of mean that core of his new metaphysics is that Nietzsche Ries's final judgment However, ingless becoming. so incisively. the nihilism he diagnosed failed to surmount can be criticized on various grounds. Ries's analysis His compari sons of Nietzsche with Marx, Freud, and Kafka are not always illumi as the difficult to get into such central problems nating; he neglects the to between the doctrine of will power and the doc relationship trine of the eternal return; and he too readily dismisses the positive he has facilitated of Nietzsche's Nevertheless the aspects thought. access to a difficult but rewarding thinker.?W.J.D.

R. Meister Eckhart: Mystic and Philosopher. Translations Sch?rmann, in Phenomenology Phi with Commentary. Studies and Existential Indiana University 1978. 265 pp. Press, losophy. Bloomington: in English studies have recently taken a large $17.50?Eckhartian In to forward. addition the two other books present volume, step and a special issue of The Thomist have since 1977 been devoted to the Rhineland Sch?rmann's mystic who for so long lay in oblivion. in 1972. in French It is here translated study first appeared by the author himself, who now teaches at the New School. Sch?rmann's format in each of the three chapters is to offer a translation of a key sermon of the Meister, and then to weave the main themes of his

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770

DEREKCROSS AND STAFF

in a detailed and commentary upon each sermon. analysis teachings At the end of each chapter, and sometimes within it, five other sermons which treat of a cognate theme are also translated. The translations ren in view of the scarcity of good English alone are quite welcome is ex of Meister Eckhart. And Sch?rmann's commentary derings as well. The American edition follows the French tremely valuable has added a short conclusion to the edition quite closely. Sch?rmann a from he has third chapter, article. And added excerpted previous an additional "Blessed are the Poor," at the end of the book. sermon, This is a happy choice, for the sermon in question is to my mind Eck to the appendix, and it serves as an excellent hart's greatest, transition treats is also new in the American and of the Eckhart which edition, and Bud Christian interpretation proposed by Suzuki inMysticism: of the book has also been changed; the French dhist. The subtitle the wandering read "la joie errante," joy. on In general holds that Eckhart Sch?rmann taught a "peregrinal or one an is in who of which the soul ontology "underway," tology" its way towards God. This peregrinal is thought of as making ontology not in a metaphysics needs to be articulated of things and substances is found in the but of event and happening, which Sch?rmann argues The second chapter traces the four steps which the later Heidegger. as dissimilarity, its way. These are described soul takes in following is attentive to Eck and dehiscence. Sch?rmann similarity, identity, in the hart's sources and frequently the Meister's interprets teachings as he has thinkers such and drawn from of what Aris Augustine light He also takes issue with the traditional of the totle. interpretation as an analogy of attribution. in Meister Eckhart doctrine of analogy in Phenomenology to the "Studies and Existential Phi Subscribers are in to a will be interested which devoted pp. 192-213, losophy" and Meister Eckhart. confrontation of Heidegger The volume has a an index of technical annotated selected, bibliography, along with
terms.?J.D.C.

R. Zur Kritik der politischen Ernst Klett Spaemann, Utopie. Stuttgart: 1977. 211 pp. n.p. ?This work contains ten essays published Verlag, 1965 and 1975, as well as an exchange between (entitled by Spaemann "Die Utopie des guten Herrschers") between Spaemann and J. Habermas one of the essays der Herrschaftsfreiheit"). ("Die Utopie concerning on the Problem Another of the essays, "Remarks of Equality,"

is accessible in translation (Ethics 87 [July 1977]; the Publikations

nachweise lists the month as "April"); this essay embodies mistakenly in the other pieces re of the themes discussed many by Spaemann in the book. In the introduction written for the book, Spae printed a mann the theme common to the essays: "It is always summarizes of rational the abstract of radical question objections against utopia . . . The thesis of this book is that this rule of reason. emancipatory The irrationality consists both in utopia is irrational" (pp. vii, viii).

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