Translating Nietzsche's Atheism(s)

A World Beyond the Ethical Imperative

Abstract

The paper will examine Kaufmann’s translation of Genealogy of Morals (GM), specifically a section of GM III §27, where the translator’s choice of a single word skews an important insight of Nietzsche’s on the question of modern atheism. Kaufmann’s influential translation, highly regarded for its stylistic refinement, has served as the starting point for most English translations that followed, and so his rendering of this section continues to impact the current Anglo-American reception of Nietzsche’s work. By challenging Kaufmann’s rendering of an important section of GM III §27, the paper will extrapolate a more nuanced understanding of atheism from Nietzsche’s position. This awareness problematizes current attempts to equate Nietzsche with a scientific naturalist program.