After earning his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago, Werner Dannhauser became a writer and editor at Commentary magazine. In 1968 he joined Cornell’s department of government to teach political philosophy, where he was known primarily as a dedicated teacher, receiving Clark award for his undergraduate teaching. He was a Fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities for the 1974–75 academic year, a Visiting Fellow at the National Humanities Center for 1981–83, and retired in 1992 as an emeritus professor.

William Shapiro is a professor of political science at Oxford College of Emory University. He earned his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1977. Also a devoted teacher, his classes range over classical and modern political, international relations, and American government. Friedrich Nietzsche is a special research interest.