The Spinoza Problem (51 page)

The broad details of Rosenberg’s subsequent life are based on historical record: his family, education, marriages, artistic aspirations, experience in Russia, attempt to enlist in the German army, escape from Estonia to Berlin and then Munich, apprenticeship with Dietrich Eckart, development as an editor, relationship with Hitler, role in the Munich putsch, three-way meeting with Hitler and Houston Stewart Chamberlain, various Nazi positions, writings, his National Prize, and experience at the Nuremberg trial.

I have more confidence in my presentation of Rosenberg’s inner life than of Spinoza’s because I have far more data culled from Rosenberg’s speeches, his own autobiographical writings, and the observations of others. He was, indeed,
hospitalized twice at the Hohenlychen Clinic, for three weeks in 1935 and six weeks in 1936, for what were, at least in part, psychiatric reasons. I have accurately reproduced the letter from psychiatrist Dr. Gebbardt to Hitler describing Rosenberg’s personality problems (aside from the fictitious final paragraph dealing with Friedrich Pfister). Dr. Gebbardt, incidentally, was hanged in 1948 as a war criminal because of his medical experimentation in the concentration camps. The letter from Chamberlain to Hitler is cited verbatim. All newspaper headlines, edicts, and speeches are faithfully recorded. Friedrich’s attempts at psychotherapy with Alfred Rosenberg are based on how I personally might have approached the task of working with a man such as Rosenberg.

I
am grateful to many for reflections and suggestions after reading all or part of this text: Stephen Nadler, Van Harvey, Walter Sokel, the late Rudolph Binion, Rebecca Goldstein, Marianne Siroker, Alice van Harten, and members of the Pegasus writing group. My agent, Sandy Dijkstra, offered unflagging support and guidance. Many thanks to my research assistants, Kate McQueen, Moira van Dijk, Marcel Oden; to Maureen Lilla, who edited early versions of two chapters; and to a host of generous friends and colleagues who responded graciously to my many requests for consultation: Stephan Alder, Zachary Baker, Robert Berger, Daniel Edelstein, Lazar Fleishman, Dagfin Follesdal, Joseph Frank, Deborah Hayden, Lija Hirsch, Daan Jacobs, Ruthellen Josselson, Regina Kammerer, Jay Kaplan, Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Neumann, Molyn Leszcz, Pesach Lichtenberg, Miriam van Reijen, Aron Rodrigue, Abraham W. Rosenberg, Micha de Vries, Ori Soltes, David Spiegel, Daniel Spiro, Hans Steiner, Aivars Stranga, Carlo Strenger, Theo van der Werf, Hans van Wijngaarden, Simona van Wijngaarden-Bota, and Steven Zipperstein.

I am especially indebted to philosophers Rebecca Goldstein and Steven Nadler for their generous mentorship. My conversations with Rebecca and her remarkable work,
Betraying Spinoza,
were extraordinarily helpful in my understanding of Spinoza. Steven’s biographical and other works on Spinoza were also indispensable.

I had the great good fortune to work with Daniel Menaker, an extraordinary editor who enabled me to write the book I wanted to write. As always, I had in-house support: my first editor was my wife, Marilyn, who is my most demanding critic and constant helpmeet; my son, Ben Yalom, a fine editor, added final polishing to the manuscript.

Copyright © 2012 by Irvin D. Yalom

 

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

 

Yalom, Irvin D., 1931–

The Spinoza problem: a novel / Irvin D. Yalom

p. cm.

eISBN : 978-0-465-02965-5

1. Spinoza, Benedictus de, 1632–1677—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3575.A39S65 2012

813’.54—dc23

2011038770