Stanley Corngold Books

Between 1938 and 1941, Princeton became a hub for a remarkable group of émigré intellectuals, notably including Thomas Mann, Hermann Broch, Albert Einstein, and Eric Kahler, a lesser-known yet influential professor at the Institute for Advanced Study. This narrative explores their collaborative artistic, political, and intellectual endeavors during Mann's tenure as a Professor of Humanities. Frequently gathering at Kahler's or Mann's home, this collective was dubbed the "Kahler-Circle" by young poet Charles Greenleaf Bell. During this period, Mann completed his "Goethe-novel" Lotte in Weimar, crafted the surrealistic novella The Transposed Heads, and continued his epic tetralogy Joseph and His Brothers, sharing drafts with Kahler and Broch. Kahler provided critical feedback on Mann's fiction while discussing his own political essays. Although Einstein shared political views with Mann, he preferred the company of Kahler and Broch, whom he supported financially. Kahler was writing his notable work, Man the Measure, for which Einstein contributed a foreword. Corngold aims to illuminate the intertwined lives and thoughts of these four thinkers during a politically and culturally tumultuous time, utilizing rich sources like Mann's diaries and correspondence among the group, filling a gap in the understanding of their vibrant intellectual life.

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ADAM THIRLWELLOne morning, Gregor Samsa wakes up to find himself transformed into a giant insect. His family is understandably perturbed and he finds himself an outsider in his own home. In Metamorphosis and the other famous st

This account explores the ideas and writings of a significant figure in twentieth-century intellectual life, Walter Kaufmann (1921-1980). A charismatic philosopher, critic, translator, and poet, Kaufmann fled Nazi Germany at eighteen and became a prolific writer until his untimely death at fifty-nine, producing around a dozen major works characterized by erudition and a provocative style. He played a crucial role in rehabilitating Nietzsche's reputation post-World War II and introduced American readers to existentialism. Until now, no comprehensive study has examined Kaufmann's intellectual legacy. Stanley Corngold offers the first in-depth analysis of Kaufmann's thought, addressing his major works and their relevance to contemporary issues such as the value of philosophy, the impact of religion, the nature of tragedy, and the humanities' crisis in a technological age. Kaufmann's interests spanned philosophy, literature, intellectual history, comparative religion, psychology, photography, art, and architecture. Corngold presents a heartfelt portrait of a man who transformed his personal experiences into his writings. This original study is both appreciative and critical, serving as the definitive intellectual biography of one of the twentieth century's most engaging yet overlooked thinkers, introducing Kaufmann to a new generation while honoring his profound thirst for knowledge.