ABSTRACT
This chapter explores Ferdinand Tönnies’ philosophical interests. It covers his early and short-lived infatuation with Nietzsche’s writings up to Zarathustra when he became disenchanted and recognized the danger in Nietzsche’s philosophy. It also covers Tönnies’ early and later studies of Karl Marx’s writings. Tönnies was unimpressed by Marx’s political ideas but was one of the first to appreciate his social-economic concepts. The major focus of this chapter is on Tönnies’ studies regarding Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes first attracted his attention because of his emphasis on the will. This prompted Tönnies to think about how the will functions in society and led to his ideas of the two wills discussed in Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft. Unlike Nietzsche and even unlike Marx, Tönnies had a life-long interest in and respect for Hobbes’ philosophy.
