Eckart Goebel is Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Tübingen, Germany. Previously, he was Chair and Professor of the German Department at New York University, USA. He is the author of seven books, including Beyond Discontent (Bloomsbury, 2012).James C. Wagner, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the Department of German at New York University, USA.

• IntroductionI. Semantics of AmbitionII. Eris - Agon - AmbitionIII. Ambition in Modernity1. A New Era of Ambition (Jacob Burckhardt)2. The Ambition of Equals (Alexis de Tocqueville)3. Critique of Success (Gustav Ichheiser)4. Critique of Contemplation (Karl Mannheim)5. The Ambitious Spoilsport (Roger Caillois)6. Hesiod’s Return in the Achieving Society (David McClelland)7. Burning Ambition (Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler)The Ambition to Reject Ambition: An Afterword with a View to Montaigne Index

Goebel's book is an eloquent study of a chatoyant term and a timeless phenomenon. A brilliantly written essay that argues historically while teaching readers to turn to their own striving in a truly enlightened manner.

Eckart Goebel is Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Tübingen, Germany. Previously, he was Chair and Professor of the German Department at New York University, USA. He is the author of seven books, including Beyond Discontent (Bloomsbury, 2012).James C. Wagner, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the Department of German at New York University, USA.

• IntroductionI. Semantics of AmbitionII. Eris - Agon - AmbitionIII. Ambition in Modernity1. A New Era of Ambition (Jacob Burckhardt)2. The Ambition of Equals (Alexis de Tocqueville)3. Critique of Success (Gustav Ichheiser)4. Critique of Contemplation (Karl Mannheim)5. The Ambitious Spoilsport (Roger Caillois)6. Hesiod’s Return in the Achieving Society (David McClelland)7. Burning Ambition (Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler)The Ambition to Reject Ambition: An Afterword with a View to Montaigne Index

Goebel's book is an eloquent study of a chatoyant term and a timeless phenomenon. A brilliantly written essay that argues historically while teaching readers to turn to their own striving in a truly enlightened manner.

Eckart Goebel is Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Tübingen, Germany. Previously, he was Chair and Professor of the German Department at New York University, USA. He is the author of seven books, including Beyond Discontent (Bloomsbury, 2012).James C. Wagner, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the Department of German at New York University, USA.

• IntroductionI. Semantics of AmbitionII. Eris - Agon - AmbitionIII. Ambition in Modernity1. A New Era of Ambition (Jacob Burckhardt)2. The Ambition of Equals (Alexis de Tocqueville)3. Critique of Success (Gustav Ichheiser)4. Critique of Contemplation (Karl Mannheim)5. The Ambitious Spoilsport (Roger Caillois)6. Hesiod’s Return in the Achieving Society (David McClelland)7. Burning Ambition (Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler)The Ambition to Reject Ambition: An Afterword with a View to Montaigne Index

Goebel's book is an eloquent study of a chatoyant term and a timeless phenomenon. A brilliantly written essay that argues historically while teaching readers to turn to their own striving in a truly enlightened manner.