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  • Letter from the Editor
  • Jessica N. Berry

Dear Readers,

Nietzsche's familiarity with the anti-Semitic literature of his era and its various tropes—the nature, depth, and extent of that familiarity, his references and appeals to seminal works, and even his employment of those tropes—have long been an object of grim fascination for Nietzsche scholars and casual readers. The mission of this journal is to advance our understanding of Nietzsche's philosophical thought and significance, and discharging that mission successfully requires our coming to terms with what seem to be even the least agreeable, most uncomfortable aspects of his legacy. In this issue, we bring you a symposium on "The Biology of Evil," by Ken Gemes (Birkbeck), a study that illuminates Nietzsche's use specifically of the rhetoric of "degeneration" (Entartung) and "Jewification" (Verjüdung). Gemes connects Nietzsche's use of this rhetoric to the ubiquitous concept of "health" in his work and argues for a nuanced reading on which Nietzsche aims to weaponize these ideas, turning them back on the reader and on those who harbor and promote the poisonous ideals of anti-Semitism.

Because our consideration of these weighty questions should be a conversation and not a monologue, we have invited critical commentary from Nietzsche scholars across disciplines—in philosophy (Leonard Feldblyum, Brown University), history (Robert Holub, The Ohio State University), and political theory (David Owen, University of Southampton). The fresh perspectives and challenges these scholars raise are met by a reply from Ken Gemes, in the final selection in the symposium.

By comparison, the articles in this issue strike a distinctly lighter note. Three extended discussions take us from Zarathustra's Blessed Isles to Epicurean gardens and ferret out the subtle differences between the characteristic Socratic and Apollonian passions for order.

As always, the editorship warmly welcomes your submissions electronically at http://www.editorialmanager.com/jns. For further information [End Page vii] on the journal, instructions for authors of submitted and accepted manuscripts, and for subscriptions and permission, please visit https://philosophy.gsu.edu/jns/, and note that the URL for our web site has changed.

All the best,

Jessica N. Berry [End Page viii]

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