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The first time that Nietzsche crossed the path of Dostoevsky was in the winter of 1886-87. While in Nice, Nietzsche discovered in a bookshop the volume L'esprit souterrain. Two years later, he defined Dostoevsky as the only psychologist from whom he had anything to learn. The second, metaphorical encounter between Nietzsche and Dostoevsky happened on the verge of nihilism. Nietzsche announced the death of God, whereas Dostoevsky warned against the danger of atheism.
This book describes the double encounter between Nietzsche and Dostoevsky. Following the chronological thread offered by Nietzsche's correspondence, the author provides a detailed analysis of Nietzsche's engagement with Dostoevsky from the very beginning of his discovery to the last days before his mental breakdown. The second part of this book aims to dismiss the wide-spread and stereotypical reading according to which Dostoevsky foretold and criticized in his major novels some of Nietzsche's most dangerous and nihilistic theories. In order to reject such reading, the author focuses on the following moral dilemma: If God does not exist, is everything permitted?
List of contents
Contents: Nietzsche discovers and reads Dostoevsky - If God does not exist, is everything permitted? - Contextualization of the Problem - Dostoevsky contra Nietzsche? - Conclusive Remarks: Rethinking the Relation between Nietzsche and Dostoevsky.
About the author
Paolo Stellino is a postdoctoral fellow at the Nova Institute of Philosophy (IFILNOVA), New University of Lisbon. He is a member of the Nietzsche International Lab (NIL). His publications mainly focus on Nietzsche¿s philosophy. On this topic, he has co-edited two books and published several articles in international journals.
Report
«About Nietzsche's relationship with the great Russian novelist, Paolo Stellino has written the most erudite commentary in any language. [...] The result is a model of clear-headed scholarship that blends disciplinary skills as seamlessly as it does stylistic fluidity, as pleasurable to read as it is informative.»
(Anthony K. Jensen, The Dostoevsky Journal 19/2018)
«S.s Monographie reiht sich in einige wichtige Untersuchungen der letzten Jahre zum Verhältnis Nietzsche/Dostojewskis ein. Die heute geforderte philologische Arbeit und die interpretatorischen Leistungen stehen in einem guten Verhältnis.»
(Silvio Pfeuffer, Nietzscheforschung Band 23, Heft 1/2016)
