Dancing in Chains: Narrative and Memory in Political Theory 9781503616301

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'DANCING IN CHAINS' Narrative and Memory in Political Theory

Imagination and memory are but one thing. -Thomas Hobbes

(Dancing in Chains'

NARRATIVE AND MEMORY IN POLITICAL THEORY

Joshua Foa Dienstag

STANFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Stanford, California 1997

Stanford University Press Stanford, California

© I 997 by the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University Printed in the United States of America CIP data are at the end of the book Stanford University Press publications are distributed exclusively by Stanford University Press within the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America; they are distributed exclusively by Cambridge University Press throughout the rest of the world.

To my parents and their parents

Acknowledgments

A work concerned with the passage of time and our apprehension of it forces upon its author a deep appreciation for the many people and multiple accidents ofhistory that went into shaping it. This project first took shape at Princeton University over five years ago. There I had the input and guidance of George Kateb and Alexander Nehamas, but I also received something else that I value much more: their display of an academic temper so judicious, restrained, and rigorous, and yet so good-natured, as to foster in me the belief (against much contrary evidence) that the institutionalized pursuit ofknowledge could be a good thing. They teach, as Aristode suggested, through the example of good character rather than the inculcation of doctrine. I hope it does not horrify them too much that I associate them here with that philosopher. David Steiner, into whose office I stumbled many years ago, endured my first, embarrassingly grandiose attempts to discuss political philosophy seriously and managed to suggest some wise choices without any display of contempt. For this, and for his continually thoughtful advice and friendship at every later stage of my education, and throughout this project, I owe him a deep debt. John Dilulio has similarly counseled me for an even longer period than David, and he has my permanent gratitude as well. Amy Gutmann, Alan Ryan, Elizabeth Kiss, Anne Norton, and Victor Preller all helped to realize this project with support both intellectual and material. My thanks as well to the "J-team" -Julia Faber, Judy Failer, John

Vlll

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Goldberg, Michael Jones, and Jeff Sacknowitz-for similar favors in more informal settings. Several chapters in the book benefited from the learned readings of Paul Vogt and Pratap Mehta. Their generous comments helped me to clarify and deepen my own arguments, as well as improve countless points of presentation. Conversations with Judith Barish, Sammy Basu, Cheryl Hall, and Mark Brandon also undoubtedly improved the work. Early versions ofseveral chapters were presented at annual meetings of the American Political Science Association and the Southern Political Science Association. I thank all the participants for stimulating conversations that helped to strengthen the chapters. I also want to extend my appreciation to the students and faculty of the University ofVirginia. George Klosko, Debra Morris, and Dante Germino each commented helpfully on portions of the manuscript. The students of my graduate seminar are also owed thanks, both for their comments and their patience as I tried to formulate some of the conclusions that appear here. Princeton University, the Society ofFellows at Princeton, and the Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation all supported the writing of this work with fellowships. Without their generous support, it could never have been completed in a timely fashion. A shorter version of Chapter 5 appeared in the Review cif Politics; I thank the editors for their permission to reprint it here. Brief portions of Chapters I and 2 appeared in articles in the American Political Science Review and the journal of Politics; I thank their editors also for permission to reprint these sections here. The index was prepared by Anna Kirkland with support from the University ofVirginia's Rowland Egger Fund; I am indebted to both. Stanford University Press and my editors there, Jan Spauschus Johnson, Peter Dreyer, and, especially, Muriel Bell, have been extremely patient and thoughtful in their efforts to make this a better book, and I am grateful to them. Jennifer Mnookin withstood the grumpy self-centeredness of a first-time author and met it with unflagging support, love, good humor, and useful commentaries. My intellectual respect for her is surpassed only by my passion and my general feeling that she is the best thing that ever happened to me. My debt to my family is embodied in the dedication to this work. It needs no embellishment here except to mention the constant delight my stepmother Jacqueline and sister Isabelle bring me, and my brother Jesse's consistent friendship, humor, and healthy disdain for all people and projects that take themselves too seriously.

].F. D.

Contents

Abbreviations

Xl

Introduction: The Plotters ofPolitical Theory PART I: JOHN LOCKE I.

A World Without Dreams

25

2.

Plotting Liberty Under a Gray Sky

48

PART II: FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

J.

The Reveries of the Solitary

4·

The Future ofPain

77 106

PART III: G. W. F. HEGEL

5·

The Temple of Memory

141

PART IV: VISIONS OF PAST AND FUTURE

6.

Reconciliation or Redemption?

183

X

CONTENTS

7-

The Politics of Memory

198

Notes

217

Select Bibliography

251

Index

261

Abbreviations

The following abbreviations are used throughout the book. Numbers following the abbreviations refer either to numbered sections, when these are customarily used, or else to page numbers in the cited editions. Full publication details for these editions will be found in the Bibliography. Very occasionally I have altered the translations from other languages given in these texts-this is usually indicated by the presence of the translated term in brackets. Emphasis in quotations is always original unless otherwise noted.

john Locke E

FCM LT1 RC SCM STCE 1Tor zT

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding Further Considerations ... on Money, in The Works ofjohn Locke, vol. 5 A Letter Concerning Toleration, in The Works cifjohn Locke, vol. 7 (the second Letter is LTz, etc.) The Reasonableness cif Christianity, in The Works cifjohn Locke, vol. 8 Some Considerations ... on Money, in The Works ofjohn Locke, vol. 5 Some Thoughts Concerning Education, in The Works cif john Locke, vol. 6 Two Treatises cif Government

xu

ABBREVIATIONS

Friedrich Nietzsche AC AOM BGE BT

cw D EH

HH GS GM OTL PTG

z TI

UM WP

ws

The Anti-Christ Assorted Opinions and Maxims Beyond Good and Evil The Birth of Tragedy The Case