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Nietzsche and Modern Times: A Study of Bacon, Descartes, and Nietzsche
This major work by Laurence Lampert provides a new interpretation of modern philosophy by developing Nietzsche's view that genuine philosophers set out to determine the direction of culture through their ideas and that they conceal the radical nature of their thought by their esoteric style. From this Nietzschean perspective, Francis Bacon and René Descartes can be considered the founders of modernity.
Lampert argues that Bacon's positive claims for science aimed to destroy the dominance of Christianity. Descartes continued Bacon's radical program while providing it with the mathematical physics required for its success. Far from being solely an epistemological and metaphysical thinker, says Lampert, Descartes was a master writer whose comic ridicule helped bring down the Church to which he paid lip service. Both Bacon and Descartes used the Platonic art of dissimulation to achieve their ends by making their revolutionary aims appear compatible with Christianity.
Once we recognize Bacon and Descartes as legislators of modern times in a specifically Nietzschean sense, we can also see Nietzsche in a new way―as the first thinker to have understood modern times and transcended it in a postmodern worldview. According to Lampert, Nietzsche provides a new foundation for culture, a joyous science that reveals the grandeur and purposeless play of the cosmic whole and yet avoids enervating despair or destructive, dogmatic belief.
Lampert argues that Bacon's positive claims for science aimed to destroy the dominance of Christianity. Descartes continued Bacon's radical program while providing it with the mathematical physics required for its success. Far from being solely an epistemological and metaphysical thinker, says Lampert, Descartes was a master writer whose comic ridicule helped bring down the Church to which he paid lip service. Both Bacon and Descartes used the Platonic art of dissimulation to achieve their ends by making their revolutionary aims appear compatible with Christianity.
Once we recognize Bacon and Descartes as legislators of modern times in a specifically Nietzschean sense, we can also see Nietzsche in a new way―as the first thinker to have understood modern times and transcended it in a postmodern worldview. According to Lampert, Nietzsche provides a new foundation for culture, a joyous science that reveals the grandeur and purposeless play of the cosmic whole and yet avoids enervating despair or destructive, dogmatic belief.
- GenresPhilosophy
491 pages, Paperback
First published May 26, 1993
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About the author
Laurence Lampert
16 books22 followersLaurence Lampert is a leading scholar in Nietzsche studies. He received both his master's and doctorate degrees from Northwestern University (in 1968 and 1971).
He taught at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis for over thirty years and is now a professor emeritus there.
An informative interview with Laurence Lampert, conducted by the Nietzsche Circle, can be found here (pdf).
He taught at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis for over thirty years and is now a professor emeritus there.
An informative interview with Laurence Lampert, conducted by the Nietzsche Circle, can be found here (pdf).
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 28, 2025
In many ways this is a very good book. People should read it. Its only major flaw is that he tries to lead you to a false interpretation of Nietzsche’s science. This is to be expected given who the author is though. He is a Straussian, so it is tacitly his job to try and prevent eugenics and an ascendance of talented youth. But his close readings of other philosophic-scientific programs are invaluable. As long as the vibes-based science he ascribes to Nietzsche based on an interpretation of book 5 of the Gay Science is discarded.
January 3, 2011
Comment:
Excellent. Lamperts first book. It treats Bacon and Descartes as Esoteric writers whose interventions led to the necessity of Nietzsche's intervention. Unfortunately, this work has been almost entirely overlooked by students of early modern philosophy.
Excellent. Lamperts first book. It treats Bacon and Descartes as Esoteric writers whose interventions led to the necessity of Nietzsche's intervention. Unfortunately, this work has been almost entirely overlooked by students of early modern philosophy.
thesisavoidance
October 18, 2007More Descartes. This is a library book. I've coveted it for awhile. No expenditures, here.
August 1, 2022
Thank (the dead) god for this book - it is basically writing my final paper for me.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews