Amazon.com
A better title for this book might be The Indispensable Writings of Nietzsche. Indeed, the six selections contained in Walter Kaufmann's volume are not only critical elements of Nietzsche's oeuvre, they are must-reads for any aspiring student of philosophy. Those coming to Nietzsche for the first time will be pleased to find three of his best-known works--The Birth of Tragedy, Beyond Good and Evil, and On the Genealogy of Morals--as well as a collection of 75 aphorisms drawn from Nietzsche's celebrated aphoristic work. In addition, there are two lesser known, but important, pieces in The Case of Wagner and Ecce Homo. Kaufmann's lucid and accurate translations have been the gold standard of Nietzsche scholarship since the 1950s, and this volume does not disappoint.

Anyone who has slogged their way through the swamps of German philosophical writing---in Kant or Hegel or Heidegger--will find Nietzsche a refreshing and exhilarating change. The selections are well chosen, and a cover-to-cover read will aptly depict Nietzsche's philosophy. In this volume the reader will find many of Nietzsche's polemical (and frequently misunderstood) ratiocinations on Christianity, Socrates, Germany, and art. Here, too, are his seminal and unforgettable critiques of Western morality ("That lambs dislike great birds of prey does not seem strange: only it gives no ground for reproaching these birds of prey for bearing off little lambs"). For philosophical fireworks, Nietzsche can hardly be matched. His brazen defiance of intellectualism's conventions still rings in contemporary thought because he practiced philosophy with a hammer. --Eric de Place Book Description
One hundred years after his death, Friedrich Nietzsche remains the most influential philosopher of the modern era. Basic Writings of Nietzsche gathers the complete texts of five of Nietzsche's most important works, from his first book to his last: The Birth of Tragedy; Beyond Good and Evil; On the Genealogy of Morals; The Case of Wagner; and Ecce Homo. Edited and translated by the great Nietzsche scholar Walter Kaufmann, this volume provides a definitive guide to the full range of Nietzsche's thought.

Included also are seventy-five aphorisms, selections from Nietzsche's correspondence, and variants from drafts for Ecce Homo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

almost perfect. all you'll ever need, but maybe not all you'll want.
a great collection...i don't think it includes 'thus spake zarathustra', though. if it does, my apologies. if i'm right, then that's an odd omission. otherwise, i love it.

Not for the faint of heart, but good reference material
I think youhave to be highly intelligent or very bored to read Nietzsche, and understand him. It seems you have to live with his books for a long time to really get it.While I love to read, I have taken a few stabs at this one, and I find I don't have the dedication to finish just yet, and will reserve full judgment until I do.In the meantime, I see Nietzsche being quoted in almost everything else I read, so maybe over time I'll pick up enough in passing that I will be spared having to read him first hand. From what I've gathered so far he is tedious, depressing and often insightful.When Nietzsche says "I am not a man, I am dynamite" he means to explode all preconceptions of morals, or the concept of good and evil.He questions everything, while enjoying nothing.I think he was one miserable wretch, but that is his loss and our gain.It could take years to crack his code...don't know how necessary that is, so I choose to keep him around as reference material instead.He is easier to digest that way, on your own terms, in small chunks rather than as an elephant, although you are likely to get indigestion either way.

This is what you've been waiting for.
Nietzsche IS the greatest philosopher of modern times, and this anthology is the perfect place to start if you're a student or new to Nietzsche. It's also a great bargain and collects several works together that one would be spending extra money on to get separately. I strongly reccomend this, as the works in here ( especially the Geneology of Morals, and Beyond Good and Evil) are key. I have been highly satisfied with this purchase and I recommen buying this along with Viking's Portable Nietzsche.

Flashes of Genius
I picked up this book to get a feel for Nietzsche and have reviewed several commentaries on the other works available on or translated from Nietzsche.For those of you who are not intimately familiar with his work, let me summarize what I've learned:

From a modern point of view, Nietzsche is racist, sexist, anti-religious (including Jews, Christians/Catholics, etc.), and sometimes even anti-German.Given this concise but inflammatory list, you can imagine why very few people get over their critical anger and stop to figure out if there's anything worthwhile left in his work.If you can come to terms with the fact that much of this attitude is a relic of his times (pre WWII Germany) and skim by this material without getting hostile to his body of work as a whole, there is a lot of valuable insight in his works.

To this book specifically, Kaufmann is well regarded as one of the best translators of Nietzsche's work, derived particularly from his fluency in both German and English.As a native German speaker, he understands all the subtle aspects of Nietzsche's artistic writing style.When Kaufmann translates this into English, he remains extremely fluent but is willing to translate the subtexts plainly, to the benefit of readers who might not otherwise understand those subtexts.

To be fair Kaufmann is also criticized (by some) as a mediocre philosopher who showed unrestrained favor to Nietzsche, going so far as to attack Nietzsche's critics both with his reviews and his power in the philosophical community.While this opinion of Kaufmann may or may not be true, this book relies primarily on Kaufmann's translation and not his commentary, making the concern largely moot.

With a fair mind, Nietzsche's writings make a few major philosophical contributions:
-The greatest is certainly his master-slave framework of morality including the philosophical term/concept ressentiment.See wikipedia for an overview.
-Nietzsche offers an interesting commentary on art and decadence which I believe is enlightening though poorly communicated.
-He also makes some characterizations of "the masses," their desires, and their leaders (embodied in priests of the church).Especially when generalized/taken out of its anti-Christian framework, this discussion is an interesting perspective on what "the masses" really want and how their leaders operate.When we replace "the priest" with any modern populist, I found the comments especially relevant even today.
-No doubt there are others, but these have struck me particularly.

In summary, Nietzsche's work contains a number of very powerful ideas, often lost in the soup of controversial and inaccurate comments.If you try to analyze Nietzsche's concepts as complete units, they will come out as dated and consequently of little modern value.If you are willing **and able** to read Nietzsche for his flashes of genius, many of the elements of his work are timeless and should be integrated into your understanding of philosophy and "truth" -- and if you read Nietzsche, you'll realize that this is put in quotes for a very specific reason.

Oh How I Love this Book!!!!
The Basic Writings of Nietzsche, ah one of my dear, dear friends, this book contains, in their entirety, The Birth of Tragedy (1872, 1886), Beyond Good and Evil (1886), Genealogy of Morals (1887), The Case of Wagner, and my personal favorite, Ecce Homo, (both 1888). It also contains selected aphorisms from Nietzsche's transitional period (1878-1882), that is aphorisms from the book Human, All-Too Human (1878), its two sequels - Mixed Opinions and Maxims (1879) and The Wanderer and his Shadow (1880), The Dawn, or Daybreak (1881) and, of course, The Gay Science (1882), the book in which Nietzsche first coined his "God is Dead" fraise for which he is so famous (and infamous).

Also, there is priceless commentary by not only the editor of the book, the great Professor Walter Arnold Kaufmann, but modern philosophers such as Martin Heideggar, Albert Camus (probably my favorite philosopher besides Dostoevsky), and Gilles Deleuze.

I would advise the newcomer to Nietzsche not to start with this volume though. The best and most compact edition with selections from all of those books and others (including Thus Spoke Zarathustra) in their entirety is Kaufmann's The Portable Nietzsche. The latter volume also contains Nietzsche's priceless letters he wrote to his friends after he went insane in 1889. ... Read more

Book Description
The Anti-Christ is a work originally published in 1895 and written by philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. This is a book which is seen as an assault by Nietzsche on the institution of Christianity and focuses on the "slave morality" and the apathy of Western Christianity. Believeing that Christianity is a poinoner, the author uses a systematic and detailed attack upon the popular interpretation of Christ's words by St. Paul and his followers. This edition also features an introduction written by H. L. Mencken. The Anti-Christ is highly recommended for those who are interested in the religious beliefs of Friedrich Nietzsche and also those who enjoy his writings.Download Description
Nietzsche's final assault on institutional Christianity, written during the last sane year of his life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

Rip offof other publishers
The Cosimo publisher is ripping off other editions of this book.This book has been published by other publishers *with* all the footnotes, but Cosimo strips out all of the editorial material and offers up a second-rate printing.

An essay against the Platonism for the poor
In this essay Nietzsche denounces Christianity"as the institutionalized negation of the will to live" (as did Adorno in his Negative Dialectics).

For Nietzsche decadent morals, such as the Christian one, refer to an ideal order and make their codes conform to it, not to the reality. But the genesis of an ideal hides human (very human) reasons. Values and categorical imperatives arise from a resentment of weak man towards the reality and life, so Christianity is characterized by the humility's virtue ( that is unconfessed hate against the powerful people and the not so secret will to subject them) and by value of pity (that is in antagonism to all the self-preserving instincts.

The phylosopher deplores Christian morals also because it represents the highest intellectual values as sinful, as misleading, as full of temptation. according to N, only Protestant theologians, defined by Nietzsche "hemiplegic paralysis of Christianity and of reason", could take Kant under their patronage and accept the pernicious idea of a virtue which has its roots in mere respect for the concept of "virtue". Kant's categorical imperative is, for Nietzsche, a dangerous abstraction. It is the idea, developed by a Nihilist embedded in the fumes Christian dogmatism, that regards "pleasure as an objection".


By sharing or not the Nietzsche's ideas, the reader greatly will enjoy the lively style of this excellent writer, "the first immoralist", who all in all had a liking for The Galilean, considered as "heiliger Anarchist" and one and only Christian.

Cosimo Classics Anti-Christ -- A Sleazy Ripoff
Please be aware that this refers ONLY to the Cosimo Classics edition of H.L. Mencken's translation of "The Anti-Christ," not to any others.

This is a slipshod ripoff of the 1999 See Sharp Press edition of "The Anti-Christ." First, the "editors" at Cosimo Classics makes two gross errors on the copyright page: 1) They put the original publishing date of the Mencken translation at 1895, when in fact it was published in 1920; 2) They claim copyright of this work which is in the public domain. The kindest terms for these these things are incompetent and sleazy.

Worse, Cosimo omitted the Publisher's Note from the See Sharp edition, which dealt with Mencken's anti-semitic comments in his Introduction. They also omitted ALL of the footnotes from the See Sharp edition, both those of the See Sharp editor and those of Mencken. The only reason for this that seems plausible is that they feared legal action and were too lazy to track down a copy of the original 1920 Knopf edition to check whose footnotes were whose. So, they chose to publish an incomplete version of Mencken's translation rather than go to such small bother.

Their laziness runs so deep that they didn't even bother to scan in the See Sharp edition and then produce their own type. No, they simply reproduced the type from the See Sharp edition while stripping out the footnotes. (Compare the interior pages via "Look Inside the Book" -- they're identical. Same typeface, same line breaks, even the same typos.)

Please buy any other edition of this very good book other than this very sleazy Cosimo Classics edition.

Phoney edition
The publisher does something common but sleazy on the copyright page, claiming copyright for the entire work, which is in the public domain. Secondly, they incorrectly state on the copyright page that the original edition was published by Knopf in 1895(!), not 1920. Third, and this is what really pisses me off, is that they simply reproduced the See Sharp Press edition type, while omitting the footnotes and the introductory publisher's note (the layout matches exactly, and there's even the same typo -- misplaced quotation mark -- in the second line of the first page of the text (p. 21).
It's sad when a publisher tries to rip off another publisher, and poorly.This Cosimo edition even cuts out the footnotes in an effort to create a cheapo book.

A valuable pointof view
A coherent, if vehement essay into the damage done to mankind by reliance on religion as replacement for knowledge. Nietzsche clearly places the blame for suppression of knowledge and extension of suffering at the door of religion and lays bare the collusion of the Priesthood in the perpetuation of ignorance as a means to power. This lends further credence to the essays of Hitchens and Harris.
Menken's introduction is priceless. ... Read more

Book Description
New chronology and further reading

Translated by R. J. Hollingdale
Introduction by Michael Tanner. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (69)

Completely Overrated
Abstract open ended type of book with Nietzsche's opinions and beliefs on good and evil. Opinions on 'slave morality', philosophy, the will to power with a little bit of history thrown in the mix.

There were some great quotes in here that I did agree with. Then we come towards the middle of the book that contains the maxims and interludes part and all goes wrong...

There were some things in here I extremely disagreed with... regarding women. Where he came up with this I have no idea but it was completely off base... I can see how many parts of this book could be misinterpreted and used in the wrong way.

He talks about individuality but the truth is this is for people who need to be told what to think. If you think like Nietzsche thinks- you are 'better'- he has the mentality of a nazi.

This book is not as dramatic as Zarathustra but it's close. I think he feels if he stresses his point enough maybe you will believe him. This book is the opposite of religion yet the same- on the other end of the spectrum.

The bottom line is these are HIS opinions and shouldn't be taken as truth or fact. It's not a completely bad book though I disagree with most and wouldn't take it too seriously- its a pretentious piece of work.

A living thing seeks above all to discharge its strength--life itself is will to power
This was required reading for a graduate course in the Humanities.
Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of a "will to power" is central to his philosophical beliefs, and a recurring theme in his book "Beyond Good and Evil."When Nietzsche was a budding philosopher, he admired and was influenced by the writings of another philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer.However, Schopenhauer, like most scientists and philosophers of his day, attributed the "will to live" as the highest motivational life force in nature.Nietzsche observed that the "will to live" was not life affirming enough and that humankind needed a higher power.Therefore, Nietzsche theorized that living beings were not just motivated by a survival instinct to live.He understood that beings had a higher need, which he called the "will to power."One can easily interpret Nietzsche's "will to power" as a method by which people strive to grow and nurture their creative energies, and interact with the world.Nietzsche thinks that "will to power" was coupled with humankind's innate nature and passion to create.Nietzsche thinks that this "will to power" was the true driving force of humankind."A living thing seeks above all to discharge its strength--life itself is will to power, self-preservation is only one of the indirect and most frequent results" (Nietzsche Aphorism 13).The "will to power" causes humans to dominate and impose their will on others.Thus for Nietzsche, humankind's "will to power" meant that life and will is the exploitation of others, and it has been since the beginning of time, immemorial (Nietzsche Aphorism 258).In fact, Nietzsche believed that one could take his concept of the "will to power" one-step further, and use it to explain the motivations of whole societies, and nation states, as well as the individual (Nietzsche aphorism 257, 259).

Nietzsche tends to be very passionate and absolutist in his aphorisms.He wrote so much that one could find plenty of instances in his works where he has contradicted himself.Nietzsche's concept of "will to power" is a philosophic thought, which led to many interpretations.To assume that Nietzsche thought that the primary instincts of the human being came down to violence and little else, amounts to a gross underestimation of Nietzsche's views of humankind.However, most of his writings on the concept of a "will to power," if interpreted as being violent, have to be understood more in vain with what he saw as the constant struggle of overcoming one's individual weaknesses (Nietzsche aphorism 22, 260).Nietzsche envisioned his "will to power" more along the lines of applying one's will in self-overcoming.Nietzsche's writings about violence are usually meant as violence against giving in to the herd or slave morality.The herd, as Nietzsche names it, is the vast majority of humans who throughout history have obeyed and followed the status quo.The herd has stymied human development with their slave morality (Nietzsche aphorism 198, 199).The slave morality invented the dichotomy of good and evil."Moral judgments and condemnations constitute the favorite revenge of the spiritually limited against those less limited" (Nietzsche aphorism 219).The herd morality causes people to sublimate their creative drive.Thus, Nietzsche is imploring the few noble humans--the few geniuses to struggle against following the herd morality.Nietzsche wants the noble people to invent their own morality and values to live their lives by, and to fulfill their own "will to power" and not indulge in an effort to attract others to their values (Nietzsche aphorism 199, 201, 260).

Recommended reading for anyone interested in philosophy, history, and psychology.

Beyond Good & Evil: Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future
If you are in high school or college, you must read this.Friedrich Nietzsche is / was a man of deep thoughts, odd thoughts and yet they are as fitting today as they were them..... READ THIS, you will understand history of some things much better.

A Systematic Follow-Up to Zarathustra
If you were a little confused or put off by the poetic/fictional delivery in Zarathustra, this is the book for you.It sets out to say practically the same thing, but in a more literal sense.
To understand Nietzsche, I suggest starting with this and Zarathustra.

Enjoyable
Nietzsche looks at life and characterizes it without blinking.Not that his philosophy is particularily USEFUL; essentially, you have to come up with your own.He has no answers, poses no real questions, and simply posits that the man of the future will make his own answers to the questions that he finds.

Some parts of this are actually funny, such as his characterizations of the nations.Nobody comes off completely flattered, but the English get it worst!

My favorite part is probably the thoughtfully collected section of aphorisms.Nietzsche was a master of these, knew it, and served them up like some sumptuous dessert in the middle of a formal meal. ... Read more

Book Description
Beyond Good and Evil is an important philosophical writing by Friedrich Nietzsche, in which he attempts to deliver his philosophy to be interpreted by the masses who read his work. The goal of this work is to give the reader a comprehensive view of Friedrich Nietzsche's thought and style. This work should not be passed up by anybody who either studies or is interested in writings and works of philosophy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A living thing seeks above all to discharge its strength--life itself is will to power
This was required reading for a graduate course in the Humanities.
Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of a "will to power" is central to his philosophical beliefs, and a recurring theme in his book "Beyond Good and Evil."When Nietzsche was a budding philosopher, he admired and was influenced by the writings of another philosopher, Arthur Schopenhauer.However, Schopenhauer, like most scientists and philosophers of his day, attributed the "will to live" as the highest motivational life force in nature.Nietzsche observed that the "will to live" was not life affirming enough and that humankind needed a higher power.Therefore, Nietzsche theorized that living beings were not just motivated by a survival instinct to live.He understood that beings had a higher need, which he called the "will to power."One can easily interpret Nietzsche's "will to power" as a method by which people strive to grow and nurture their creative energies, and interact with the world.Nietzsche thinks that "will to power" was coupled with humankind's innate nature and passion to create.Nietzsche thinks that this "will to power" was the true driving force of humankind."A living thing seeks above all to discharge its strength--life itself is will to power, self-preservation is only one of the indirect and most frequent results" (Nietzsche Aphorism 13).The "will to power" causes humans to dominate and impose their will on others.Thus for Nietzsche, humankind's "will to power" meant that life and will is the exploitation of others, and it has been since the beginning of time, immemorial (Nietzsche Aphorism 258).In fact, Nietzsche believed that one could take his concept of the "will to power" one-step further, and use it to explain the motivations of whole societies, and nation states, as well as the individual (Nietzsche aphorism 257, 259).

Nietzsche tends to be very passionate and absolutist in his aphorisms.He wrote so much that one could find plenty of instances in his works where he has contradicted himself.Nietzsche's concept of "will to power" is a philosophic thought, which led to many interpretations.To assume that Nietzsche thought that the primary instincts of the human being came down to violence and little else, amounts to a gross underestimation of Nietzsche's views of humankind.However, most of his writings on the concept of a "will to power," if interpreted as being violent, have to be understood more in vain with what he saw as the constant struggle of overcoming one's individual weaknesses (Nietzsche aphorism 22, 260).Nietzsche envisioned his "will to power" more along the lines of applying one's will in self-overcoming.Nietzsche's writings about violence are usually meant as violence against giving in to the herd or slave morality.The herd, as Nietzsche names it, is the vast majority of humans who throughout history have obeyed and followed the status quo.The herd has stymied human development with their slave morality (Nietzsche aphorism 198, 199).The slave morality invented the dichotomy of good and evil."Moral judgments and condemnations constitute the favorite revenge of the spiritually limited against those less limited" (Nietzsche aphorism 219).The herd morality causes people to sublimate their creative drive.Thus, Nietzsche is imploring the few noble humans--the few geniuses to struggle against following the herd morality.Nietzsche wants the noble people to invent their own morality and values to live their lives by, and to fulfill their own "will to power" and not indulge in an effort to attract others to their values (Nietzsche aphorism 199, 201, 260).

Recommended reading for anyone interested in philosophy, history, and psychology.
... Read more

Book Description
The four early essays in Untimely Meditations are key documents for understanding the development of Nietzsche's thought and clearly anticipate many of his later writings. They deal with such broad topics as the relationship between popular and genuine culture, strategies for cultural reform, the task of philosophy, the nature of education, and the relationship among art, science and life. This new edition presents R. J. Hollingdale's translation of the essays and a new introduction by Daniel Breazeale, who places them in their historical context and discusses their significance for Nietzsche's philosophy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Nietzsche's Meditations on Culture
These four "Meditations" deal with, as has been noted in other reviews, a very diverse number of topics. Primarily, however (and apart from the scattered passages of philosophical interest), they are criticisms, or more accurately explanations, of culture. Although they deal with issues such as sholarship, literature, science, art, and of course philosophy, the recurring theme in all four is culture. What it is, what kind of culture is desirable, how culture comes about, etc. These discussions are found in each of the Meditations, some more fragmentary than in others.

These are some of Nietzsche's early writings and they reflect that fact. They are similar to "The Birth of Tragedy" to certain degrees in style and in content. They are not fully or even primarily philosophical works. Nietzsche is here still under the influence of Richard Wagner and Arthur Schopenhauer and although it can be seen that he is breaking away from those influences (for instance, the Meditation on Schopenhauer does not focus on Schopenhauer's actual philosophy as a source of education for Nietzsche so much as Schopenhauer the man, and the Meditation on Richard Wagner is not as strong and unified as the other Meditations are and it does not present a wholly flattering picture of Wagner, dwelling as it does on his psychology - it's tenor is not always one entirely of approval) he has not really begun his philosophizing yet.

The other way they show how early on in Nietzsche's career they are is in the writing itself. While "The Birth of Tragedy" had technical issues even ignoring the philological and philosophical concerns (as amazing a work in aesthetics and culture as it was), these four works do as well. Don't get me wrong, even in Nietzsche's first book his command of language shows itself and these are beautifully written pieces in their own right, but neither his first book nor the four Meditations can quite measure up, stylistically, to Nietzsche's later works like "Twilight of the Idols".

Still, the Meditations are interesting in their own right. "David Straus, the Confessor and the Writer" deals with a number of topics. One of these has to do with faith and doctrines of beliefs. Nietzsche, who used to enjoy reading Strauss's "Life of Jesus", blasts Strauss mercilessly (in a way that really hasn't changed if you happen to watch any TV at all) for putting up his own secular faith in place of religious faith and you can almost hear the unspoken words "Last Man" which Nietzsche would write so contemptuously of in "Thus Spoke Zarathustra". The fact that Strauss shared similar views on religion as such with Nietzsche mattered little. Strauss, in Nietzsche's opinion, tried to change the fundamental views of the world (from the supernatural to the material/deterministic) without drawing new conclusions from that. Basically, Strauss was viewed as one of those who saw Darwin and that which he stood for as of great benefit to mankind without realizing the kinds of change such a shift in worldview that implied. Essentially, Strauss represents the type (the Last Man) that has ultimately been victorious, in large parts of the world, over Nietzsche. The kind who shifts his superstitions to material science but keeps the Christian morality, or the Christian conclusions based on that premise (which, because of the shift from afterworld to this world, is no longer a valid premise).

Later on, Nietzsche bashes Strauss's prose, although the final examples of bad German that Nietzsche picked apart in the original are simply cut out of this version because of the translation difficulties. It would be somewhat pointless to hear a German criticism in German _of_ German if it has all been rendered (deliberately badly) into English.

"On the Uses and Disadvantages of History for Life" is an interesting piece which points out a central tenet of Nietzsche's philosophy of life. A thing may only be "good" to the extent that it is life-promoting. This is, I'm pretty sure, the main reason Nietzsche fought so hard against anything he perceived as nihilistic. Nietzsche says in here that to a certain extent, for man to function, he must be "unhistorical". On the other hand, he applauds the type who can be as historical as possible and still function. Throughout these meditations you get a sense of Nietzsche's approval of the "higher" or aristocratic type that was to culminate in his conception of the overman.

"Schopenhauer as Educator" is, as I have said, not so much about Schopenhauer's philosophy as it is about the lesson's Nietzsche took from Schopenhauer's life. Nietzsche claimed, towards the end of his life, that this essay was not written about Schopenhauer but about himself. While I don't really buy that, I am inclined to grant, after reading it, that some of the attributes Nietzsche praises in Schopenhauer were either slightly altered or completely fabricated and that Nietzsche was writing into this Meditation things he admired and wished to emulate. For one thing, I don't think you could really say that Schopenhauer was "cheerful" in any sense of the word. Schopenhauer was a pessimist in more than just a philosophical sense and his writings about anything contemporary or tangible seem bitter (not just the stuff about Hegel).

I'll leave off the final Meditation. It's not as clear as the others, but there is a lot of interesting cultural commentary, including a very great deal about art and culture. There is one passage I would like to quote as an example: "Wherever 'form' is nowadays demanded, in society and in conversation, in literary expression, in traffic between states, what is involuntarily understood by it is a pleasing appearance, the antithesis of the true concept of form as shape necessitated by content, which has nothing to do with 'pleasing' or 'displeasing' preciesly because it is necessary and not arbitrary." (Richard Wagner in Bayreuth pg. 216)

Although there was a revolt against form in the early part of the 20th Century, like most revolts it made certain gains and was summarily crushed.

These Meditations constitute necessary reading for any serious Nietzschean (and I use that term without any sense of irony - if Nietzsche hadn't wanted adherents he shouldn't have left any writings, unsystematic or not) and help greatly with a proper understanding of his ideas (which can be misconstrued if you start with later writings and don't read them analytically).

This translation is, of course, excellent and the Cambridge Texts series is about the best on the market right now. Even though I have the paperback editions of Nietzsche's works the binding is more durable than some hardcover books I have purchased.

Unfashionable Observations
Nietzsche wrote "David Strauss, the Confessor and the Writer" in 1873, the first of his Unfashionable Observations, at the behest of Richard Wagner.David Strauss was an eminent theologian, whose The Life of Jesus Critically Examined (1864) had had a tremendous impact due to its demystification of Jesus' life. Strauss had contended that the supernatural claims made about the historical Jesus could be explained in terms of the particular needs of his community.Although Strauss defends Christianity for it's moral ideals, his demythologizing of Jesus appealed to Nietzsche.

Nevertheless, Wagner had been publicly denounced by Strauss in 1865 for having persuaded Ludwig II to fire a musician rival.Not one to forget an assault, Wagner encouraged Nietzsche to read Strauss' recent The Old and the New Faith (1872), which advocated the rejection of the Christian faith in favor of a Darwinian, materialistic and patriotic worldview.Wagner described the book to Nietzsche as extremely superficial, and Nietzsche agreed with Wagner's opinion, despite the similarity of his own views to Strauss' perspective on religion.

This Unfashionable Observation, accordingly, was Nietzsche's attempt to avenge Wagner by attacking Strauss' recent book.In fact, the essay is at least as much an argumentative attack on Strauss as on his book, for Nietzsche identifies Strauss as a cultural "Philistine" and exemplar of pseudoculture.The resulting essay appears extremely intemperate, although erudite, filled with references to many of Nietzsche's scholarly contemporaries.The climax is a literary tour de force, in which Nietzsche cites a litany of malapropisms from Strauss, interspersed with his own barbed comments.

Nietzsche's second Unfashionable Observation, "On the Advantages and Disadvantages of History for Life" (1874) is "unfashionable" because it questions the apparent assumption of nineteenth century German educators that historical knowledge is intrinsically valuable.Nietzsche argues, in contrast, that historical knowledge is valuable only when it has a positive effect on human beings' sense of life. Although he acknowledges that history does provide a number of benefits in this respect, Nietzsche also contends that there are a number of ways in which historical knowledge could prove damaging to those who pursued it and that many of his contemporaries were suffering these ill effects.

Nietzsche contends that history can play three positive roles, which he terms "monumental," "antiquarian," and "critical."Monumental history brings the great achievements of humanity into focus.This genre of history has value for contemporary individuals because it makes them aware of what is possible for human beings to achieve.Antiquarian history, history motivated primarily out of a spirit of reverence for the past, can be valuable to contemporary individuals by helping them appreciate their lives and culture.Critical history, history approached in an effort to pass judgment, provides a counter-balancing effect to that inspired by antiquarian history.By judging the past, those engaged in critical history remain attentive to flaws and failures in the experience of their culture, thereby avoiding slavish blindness in their appreciation of it.

The problem with historical scholarship in his own time, according to Nietzsche, was that historical knowledge was pursued for its own sake.He cited five dangers resulting from such an approach to history:(1) Modern historical knowledge undercuts joy in the present, since it makes the present appear as just another episode.(2) Modern historical knowledge inhibits creative activity by convincing those made aware of the vast sweep of historical currents that their present actions are too feeble to change the past they have inherited.(3) Modern historical knowledge encourages the sense that the inner person is disconnected from the outer world by assaulting the psyche with more information than it can absorb and assimilate. ( 4) Modern historical knowledge encourages a jaded relativism toward reality and present experience, motivated by a sense that because things keep changing present states of affairs do not matter. (5) Modern historical knowledge inspires irony and cynicism about the contemporary individual's role in the world; the historically knowledgeable person comes to feel increasingly like an afterthought in the scheme of things, imbued by a sense of belatedness.

Although Nietzsche was convinced that the current approach to history was psychologically and ethically devastating to his contemporaries, particularly the young, he contends that antidotes could reverse those trends.One antidote is the unhistorical, the ability to forget how overwhelming the deluge of historical information is, and to "enclose oneself within a bounded horizon."A second antidote is the suprahistorical, a shift of focus from the ongoing flux of history to "that which bestows upon existence the character of the eternal and stable, towards art and religion."

Nietzsche's third Unfashionable Observation "Schopenhauer as Educator" (1874), probably provides more information about Nietzsche himself than it does about Schopenhauer or his philosophy.

Schopenhauer, in Nietzsche's idealizing perspective, is exemplary because he was so thoroughly an individual genius.Schopenhauer was one of those rare individuals whose emergence is nature's true goal in producing humanity, Nietzsche suggests.He praises Schopenhauer's indifference to the mediocre academicians of his era, as well as his heroism as a philosophical loner.

Strangely, given Schopenhauer's legendary pessimism, Nietzsche praises his "cheerfulness that really cheers" along with his honesty and steadfastness.But Nietzsche argues that in addition to specific traits that a student might imitate, Schopenhauer offers a more important kind of example.Being himself attuned to the laws of his own character, Schopenhauer directed those students who were incapable of insight to recognize the laws of their own character.By reading and learning from Schopenhauer, one could develop one's own individuality.

"Richard Wagner in Bayreuth" (1876), the fourth and final of Nietzsche's published Unfashionable Observations, was intended as an essay of praise to Wagner, much like "Schopenhauer as Educator." Nietzsche's relationship with Wagner had been strained by the time he wrote the essay, however, and the tension is evident in the text, which emphasizes Wagner's psychology (a theme that would preoccupy Nietzsche in many of his future writings).Nietzsche, himself, may have been concerned about the extent to which the essay might be perceived as unflattering, for he considered not publishing it.Ultimately, Nietzsche published a version of the essay that was considerably less critical of Wagner than were earlier drafts, and Wagner was pleased enough to send a copy of the essay to King Ludwig.

Ought to be Properly Introduced
Nietzsche and Wagner were adept at picking on their contemporaries in a way that is so thoroughly unpopular now that I would not be surprised if this book is never again printed with the Introduction by J.P. Stern whichwas in the 1983 version reprinted in 1989, and which I purchased in 1990. It is clear from that introduction that David Strauss had read the firstportion of this book and furnished his friend Rapp with a clear questionabout Nietzsche's character in a letter of 19 December 1873."Firstthey draw and quarter you, then they hang you.The only thing I findinteresting about the fellow is the psychological point -- how can one getinto such a rage with a person whose path one has never crossed, in brief,the real motive of this passionate hatred."(p. xiv)Those who arefamiliar with legal procedures, or how the media treats anyone who issuddenly perceived to be a fink, might enjoy this book as something thatmight be considered an unforgivable outburst today.Who could wish forsuch atriumph now, over intellectual paths which crossed twice?WhenNietzsche was young, he perceived a scholar who displayed the realStraussian genius.Later, Nietzsche could only find a writer who, "ifhe is not to slip back into the Hegelian mud, is condemned to live out hislife on the barren and perilous quicksands of newspaper style."(p.54)I could have rated this book a bit higher, for being much moretruthful than is expected of scholarly work today, but the kind of scholarswho read these books might have no idea what I meant, or they know thatthey are better off not raising questions about those political issueswhich are most questionable.Nietzsche's real fearlessness began here.

From the acorn . . .
Herein lie the seeds of Nieztsche's notion of Eternal Recurrence, which will germinate in The Gay Science, and bear fruit in Zarathustra.

Neitzsche's treatment of the four "types" of history in"On the Uses and Disadvantages of History for Life" isfacsinating, both in its own right, and as a prelude to the notion ofeternal recurrence.

This is really a book that must be read by anyoneserioulsly interested in Nietzsche's philosophy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

A Correction of False Vulgarization of Neitzsche
A recent interesing discussion encouraged this reviewer to comment on this book edited by the late Walter Kaufmann. This anthology undermines the false popularlization of Nietzsche, and serious readers get a better understanding of Nietzsche than is provided by critis many of whom have probably not read Nietzsche. One should avoid "slick manuals and canned opinions edited at the editor's table. Read Nietzsche for yourself.

To say Nietzsche was unconventional is an obvious understatement. Those who think he glorified war are badly mistaken and need a clear understanding. When Nietzsche talked about war, he was talking what might be called intellectual war or "a battle of wits." Nietzsche is clear in this collection that he opposed actual war, and his one quote,"How good bad music sounds when war is in the air." When writers who probably have not read Nietzsche talk about "The Blond Beast," they fail to realize that Nietzsche is using a poetic allegory and not physical violence. Nietzsche used aphorisms to explain his protest against what he saw as mass society and thoughtless conformity.

Those who have not read Nietzsche may be surprised that he was very well read in Ancient Greek poetry and drama which he cited to explain human dilemmas. Basically Nietzsche was trying to explain if a profound if possibly confusing way, was that the human condition was not rosy, and tragedy was certainly part of the human condition.

Sections of this anthology of Nietzsche's thinking undermine the notion that Nietzsche was somehow a bitter anti-Semite. The sections titled "Nietzsche vs Wagner" or "The Wagner Case" leave no misunderstanding of Nietzsche's views of Jewish people. For those who are not sure, they should read pages 88-89 of this anthology where Nietzsche gives unstinting praise of the Jews both from a historical and social point of view. Many readers will be surprised at this selection.

Some quotes and aphorisms of Nietzsche are worth noting and "food for thougt." The following examples were selected at random which are poignant and trenchent. They are as follows:

All truth is simple. Is that not doubly a lie.

The best way to corrupt a youth is to teach him to respect those who think alike rather than those who think differently.

...The errors of great men are more venerable than the truths of little men...

The better the state is established, the fainter is humanity.

Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.

And when they say, "I am just," it always sounds like, I am just-revenged."

Virtue is necessay, but at bottom they believe only that the police are necessary.

Nietzsche has obviously been critisized for attacks on religion. Yet, one must consider that Nietzsche was attacking organized religion for its demands of conformity, its hyopcracy, its intellectual dishonesty, etc. Nietzsche attacked organized religion for straying from its roots and original meaning.

Nietzsche was one of two men who commented on mass society. The other thinker was Karl Marx. Nietzsche was concerned about the thoughtlessness of mass men which could lead to intellectual stagnation. Marx saw the emergence of mass men as a tool for social and political revolution.

This reviewer thought Walter Kaufmann did a good job in editing and collecting the materials for this book. Other books that should interest readers are Kaufmann's NIETZSCHE: PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGIST, AND ANTICHRIST which the eminent British historian A.J.P. Taylor endorsed as follows: "This is the most sensible exposition of Nietzsche's philosophy ever made." Readers may futher consult BASIC WRITINGS OF NIETZSCHE also edited by Walter Kaufmann.

An excellent selection from an excellent phisopher
Nietzsche is without a doubt the most important philosopher of modern times - the voice of the spirit of modern humanity, demanding freedom through self-power and courage in the face of the absurdity of the universe. Opposing humanitarianism (Man-for-Mankind) Nietzsche presents a vision of Man-for-Himself, a philosophical viewpoint that can be incorporated seamlessly into libertarian class war practice - as Georges Sorel, the French syndicalist, did.

"We would not let ourselves be burned to death for our opinions: we are not sure enough of them for that."
Nietzsche has been interpreted to represent the last word in a line of thought which begins with Socrates, generally referred to as the era of Western classical philosophy. Like enormous bookends, Nietzsche and the object of so much of his thought, Socrates, sit, at the crucial intersections of the flow and development of ideas, and adjudicate, with all that came between and after somehow in the radius of their influence.Nietzsche, father of existentialism, intellectual father of the 20th century.
The battle will always rage (Nietzsche, true to the fire of his Herakleitian habit, would have liked that): which is better, the Penguin Hollingdale anthology, A Nietzsche Reader, or Kaufmann's anthology, the venerable Viking Portable Nietzsche? I'll cop on that one. But, for the prospective buyer, I'll attempt a brief, opinionated comparison.
1) Translation: I was nurtured on the Kaufmann, which I used to carry around with me in my high school days, 40 years ago. Thus, for me, the Kaufmann translation rings truer to my tinny ear and limited knowledge of German. Besides, Kaufman was German.But, as Nietzsche gets down on the Germans at least as much as the English (a fact to which his Nazi misinterpreters liked to turn a blind eye), and, as Hollingdale's translations are accepted in the academic world to be at least as accurate as the revered Kaufman, pas differance there, or one merely of taste.
2) Organization: The Hollingdale is far better organized for quick reference or for the first time reader who wants an easily accessed guide to Nietzsche "from the horse's mouth" (with Nietzsche - this way is best, for so much of Nietzsche's power is in his enormous literary gifts). The creme de la creme of much of Nietzsche's most powerful work is arranged under the key rubrics: Philosophy and Philosophers; Logic, Epistemology, Metaphysics; Morality; Art and Aesthetics; Psychological Observations; Religion; Nihilism; Anti-Nihilism; Will to Power; Superman; Eternal Recurrence. The book ends with a truly neat 20 page collection of many of Nietzsche's best aphorisms and summary statements.
The Kaufmann, on the other hand, sprawls, and weaves a tapestry of the man's conceptions, which coalesce finally into a remarkably comprehensive summation of Nietzsche's basic positions.One could say that if the Hollingdale is the digital approach, the Kaufmann is the analog. The Kaufmann, however, has one insurmountable advantage: included are the complete texts of Twilight of the Idols, The Antichrist, Neitzsche Contra Wagner, and Thus Spoke Zarathustra.The Kaufmann translation of the latter is widely regarded as the best ever, and the book is an awesome masterpiece, at once hilarious and deep, a classic among classics, which says almost all that Nietzsche wishes you to hear in one loud shot.
3) Construction: Both have useful introductory sections, the Kaufmann is a bit better, including a helpful chronology. Neither has a particularly huge Bibliography, but the Kaufmann has been updated fairly recently by Viking. The Hollingdale is svelte, 285 pages, in the time tested Penguin format, tightly bound, light in the pack. The Kaufmann is chunky, 700 pages, a number of which are falling out of my 1968 edition bought for a pittance at a good, old fashioned, independent used bookstore.
My advice: Take the Hollingdale to school, but take the Kaufmann to that proverbial desert island.

Aphoristic truths
When Wagner became a cult, Nietzsche left him.Nietzsche resigned from the university in 1879.He went to Italy and Switzerland and had his breakdown in 1889.

Nietzsche tried to be empirical, to deepen the enlightenment.He felt that Spinoza had been a precursor.Aphorisms spring from the dialectic method of Nietzsche's thinking.The editor advises that ZATHUSTRA is the work of an utterly lonely man.Nietzsche heard about Kierkegaard too late to become acquainted with his work.He felt that Dostoevski was a great boon.

Write in blood, learn by heart, do not be tender--such notions are brought out in ZARATHUSTRA.Men want danger and play.They should fear women when they love.Out of victory and freedom one should long for a child.Man needs to be delivered from revenge.Nietzsche believed his greatest danger was pity.Dante and Spinoza accepted solitude.Writing to his sister, he states he adamantly opposes anti-Semitism.

Wagner has reflected on redemption, Nietzsche contends.Everything about Socrates is exaggeration, buffo.Use of the dialectic arouses mistrust.Morality and religion fall under the heading of imaginary causes.Educators are required because one must be able to see, to speak, to write.This is the goal of a noble culture.

Nietzsche holds that Sainte Beuve knows how to mix praise with poison.Inidealizing the main features are brought out.Thomas Carlyle had a craving for a strong faith.Emerson possessed natural and gracious cheerfulness.Schopenhauer, like Goethe, Hegel, and Heine, represents a European event, not just a local one.The fight against purpose in art is always a fight against a moralizing tendency.Complaining comes from weakness.Read Thucydides between the lines.

This philosopher is a lifetime project.Thank goodness for the editorial and translating activities of Walter Kaufmann.

It's Nietzsche...only portable!!!
If you're anything like me, and if you're intelligent then you are, you can't get enough of Nietzsche. The only bad part is, I'll be walking around and I'll see some wimp in a christian T-shirt and I'll think of all those great lines from the books, but I can never remember them! I walk up to the kid and be like, "Hey Xtian(that's the cool thing to call christians) did you know that..." and I'll just trail off because I've forgotten. That happens to me all the time. That is, that USED to happen to me. Not anymore thanks to "The Portable Nietzsche." It's some of Nietzsche's greatest works in a condensed power-book! It also included the complete Zarathustra" which I admit is over my head. I like the simple meat and potatoes christian bashing that Nietzsche excels in. I like "The Anti-christ" the best because every page is just him making fun of christians. Well, actually that's how all his books are, that's why he was such a brilliant man. I just think it was so cool how he dedicated his life to attacking christians and I would like to be a person like that too.

PS: I've been trying to practice that menacing look he has on the cover of this book. I call this the Anti-christian gaze and I do it to every Christian I see. I'm getting better. ... Read more

Book Description
First English translation of Nikos Kazantzakis's 1909 doctoral dissertation on Nietzsche. ... Read more

Book Description
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) wrote THE ANTICHRIST (1888) after THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA and shortly before the mental collapse that incapacitated him for the rest of his life.This work is both an unrestrained attack on Christianity and a further exposition of Nietzsche's will-to-power philosophy so dramatically presented in ZARATHUSTRA.

Christianity, says Nietzsche, represents "everything weak, low, and botched; it has made an ideal out of antagonism towards all the self-preservative instincts of strong life."By contrast, Nietzsche defines good as: "All that enhances the feeling of power, the Will to Power, and power itself in man.What is bad?--All that proceeds from weakness.What is happiness?--The feeling that power is increasing,--that resistance has been overcome."

In attempting to redefine the basis of Western values by demolishing what Nietzsche saw as the crippling influence of the Judeo-Christian tradition, THE ANTICHRIST has proved to be highly controversial and continuously stimulating to later generations of philosophers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Anthony Ludovici
I have only read Thus Spoke Zarathustra so I am only beginning my exploration of Nietzsche, however, having read the Thomas Commons translation of that work in the Dover Thrift edition which contains commentary by Anthony Ludovici, I can at least warn you all that Mr. Ludovici was, apparently, an anti-semitic jerk and a moron. He wrote several anti-semitic works in 1938 under the psuedonym Cobbett, Jews and Jews in England. Yeah...not a very nice guy.

So, when I get around to it, I think I would much prefer to read Walter A. Kaufmann's translation.

i don't think nietzsche was an idiot
Unlike many other people who have reviewed this book, I do not believe that Nietzsche was an idiot. It is extremely obvious in The Antichrist, that Nietzsche was strongly right-wing, and therefore had a strongly right-wing outlook on life. This is NOT a book for someone who is NOT right-wing themself, and also CLOSED-MINDED TOWARD OTHER WAYS OF THINKING.
Its true, Nietzsche's beliefs are not democratic. He did not believe that all men were created equal. He believed that strength was good, that weakness was bad, and that the strong should rule over the weak. He saw Christianity as something that was embracing all the weaknesses in man, and therefore something that was universally wrong.
I am not saying that I am a supporter of Nietzsche's philosophy. In reality I am a very Left-Wing thinker. I am not racist in any way, and I am not against any religion in its entirety, but I do not think that it is harmful for me to once in a while take a glimpse into the world on the other side of the spectrum.

A superb book (not for the spiritually squeamish)
As Nietzche himself said, he is not a philosopher, he is dynamite. And there is certainly an explosive force to this book. Nietzche unmasks Christianity for the nihilistic life-denying system of belief that it is. Unfortunately his disrepectful style is likely to make believers sick with disgust and so prevent them from appreciating his message.

one of the greatest works of western philosohpy? I think not
OK, firstly, my rating refers to the ideas presented in this book, not the book itself, which is by all means an interesting read. However, this does not change the fact that this is simply a rant about christianity from a selfish, arrogant, petty man, who reckoned himself to be one of the greatest thinkers, when in fact he is not. Not only does he say that compassion towards our fellow humans is immoral, but he says that all humans are unequal (he sees himself as one of the more superior humans, unsurprisingly) and he also claims that the pursuit of power is the moral action. Right from the start he claims that feeling for another's misfortune is weak and weakness is immoral. Then he goes on to rip apart christianity, granted, he makes a couple of valid points, but most of what he says is complete trash, bases on lies. I'm not exactly the biggest fan of christianity, but some of the arguments presented here are absurd to say the least. Nietzsche is not a genious, he is an idiot. This book contains a few contradictions and not just little ones, there is certianly a very big one. I wonder if anyone else noticed it? Anyway, I suggest you get this book yourself and you can be the judge, who knows, you may agree with him, but if you have an IQ which is over 5, then you wont.

Powerful
Whether you agree with him or not, you gotta admit that Nietzsche had some very strong arguments about the validity of Christianity, and how he views it as a form of weakness posing as a strong institution. There is a section where he takes verses from the Bible itself and explains in a way on how it is evangelical and dictatorial. Nietzsche was a deep thinker, perhaps too deep because he got really sick shortly after this book, and he didn't seem like the type of guy to just ramble about a topic without knowing about it. Him quoting the Bible and many other religious texts porves that he well-researched Christianity and made enough valid points to defend his position on Christianity. I am not an antichrist myself, thoguh I more or less shun organized religion, but Nietzsche has some very thought-provoking concepts. Sure it is offensive to one devout to Christianity, and I'd probably be offended if I was a practicing Christian, but this is recommended for those who study religions and philosophy, or just a powerful book in general. ... Read more

Book Description
Beyond Good and Evil is an important philosophical writing by Friedrich Nietzsche, in which he attempts to deliver his philosophy to be interpreted by the masses who read his work. The goal of this work is to give the reader a comprehensive view of Friedrich Nietzsche's thought and style. This work should not be passed up by anybody who either studies or is interested in writings and works of philosophy. ... Read more

Book Description
Represents a selection from Nietzche's notebooks to find out what he wrote on nihilism, art, morality, religion, and the theory of knowledge, among others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (47)

going, going, ...insane.
a collection of notes and fragments from a brilliant philosopher having second thoughts before his brain went supernova on him. this kaufmann fella does a great job with f.n.'s work...thorough presentation, exhaustive annotations and footnotes, historical perspective, etc. not my favorite nietzsche book, but still intellectually light years ahead of what comprises the majority of modern thought. which isn't saying much...

not for those new to mr. n. i'd suggest one of the collections (kaufmann's obviously gets my vote) and then a look at 'zarathustra'. if you get into his writing the way many people do, then pick this up as a companion to 'ecce homo' and read them more as ABOUT the guy than BY him.

The Will to Power book is better than Prozac and Zoloft
This book is a better anti-depressant and energizer than any antidepressant in the market.This book will give you more physical and mental strength than any visit to your therapist, any prozac and zoloft.I say this because i suffer from depression and low self esteem, and any time i read this book, it makes me want to lift weights and do something great.So if you feel low, and want to overcome your low self esteem, try to read this book.This book is so great that i have read it 9 times already :-)

Nachlass
Nietzsche did not publish this book, it is a collection of scribbled notebook pages thrown together, some of which were taken from the garbage at his room at Sils Maria, so read it as such.It is not the final development of his philosophy, and many of the ideas in here are abandoned by Nietzsche.This is not the unfinished book he was planning, this at best is a supliment to ideas found in his other books.If you are studing Nietzsche, this is not a place to begin.This is the place to end.One must know what Nietzsche published to be able to recognize what aphorisms in this book he abandoned and did not use, and what aphorisms he modified and published in other books.

On the other hand, if you are not studying Nietzsche, and just want to read a thought provoking work of art, this is great.

another top 10 books ever
this book got ol fred in a lot o trouble.it was the "da vinci code" of his time or vice versa.its hardcore philosophy to most but i had no trouble with it.the 2 key phrases that stirred up all the stink were "god is dead" for obvious reasons.and"the world is a will to power and nothing besides and you are a will to power and nothing besides".its a great book.many people who were into philosophy read this like even down to the pop scene with jim morrison and paula cole.[everyone always says "who"?].she did the hit song "i dont want to wait".

A Terrifying, Powerful, Seductive, and DANGEROUS Book
"The Will to Power" is a terrifying and powerful book from a brilliant mind, F. Nietszche.In the wrong hands this book could be very dangerous, and in fact, when it found its way into the hands of a young Adolf Hitler it did become very dangerous.As I was reading this book I felt like I was reading the blueprint for the National Socialist Party.I am fully aware that Nietszche would have abhorred many elements of Nazism (anti-semitism, nationalism), but the underlying themes of his philosophy can easily be found in the life and ideas of Hitler.The idea of Art as the highest value, as the profoundest expression of the soul, the emphasis on aesthetics, on health, the complete disregard of morality in pursuit of goals, contempt for the weak, etc.What makes this book so terrifying is the thought that one man's pen, one man's creation, could cause so much utter destruction and chaos.If Nietszche knew what the end result of his philosophical creations would be (the annihiliation of 50 million people), what would he think?Would he regret writing it?All in all, this book is a phenomenal read, fantastic ideas and critiques, with the usual beautiful expressions Nietszche employs.This and Thus Spake Zarathustra are my two favorite Nietszche books, and I would recommend The Will to Power as a good starting book for Nietszche readers.It made the ideas in his other books, such as in Zaruthstra, much more clearer. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
An Attempt at Self-Criticism, Foreword to Richard Wagner, The Birth of Tragedy ... Read more

Book Description
Nietzsche regarded 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' as his most important work, and his story of the wandering Zarathustra has had enormous influence on subsequent culture. Nietzsche uses a mixture of homilies, parables, epigrams and dreams to introduce some of his most striking doctrines, including the Overman, nihilism, and the eternal return of the same. This edition offers a new translation by Adrian Del Caro which restores the original versification of Nietzsche's text and captures its poetic brilliance. Robert Pippin's introduction discusses many of the most important interpretative issues raised by the work, including who is Zarathustra and what kind of 'hero' is he and what is the philosophical significance of the work's literary form? The volume will appeal to all readers interested in one of the most original and inventive works of modern philosophy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent Piece of Philosophy--But have Kaufmann's at Your Side
This was the textbook to a college class on Zarathustra, and I have to say not only am I glad I took the class, I'm incredibly happy I have this book.First I'll tackle the negatives.The teacher used this instead of Kaufmann's translation because he noticed it packed in a few lines that Kaufmann's lacked:however it also discarded some.So essentially the translation is incomplete.Additionally, (my professor is fluent in German) there are many words that he himself thought would have been a better translation.Also, on one of the sections on women, the editor puts a notation where he says that Nietzsche says "Women are not yet ready [to be friends]."The text has to be read carefully:It most certainly does not say that.

All that said, if possible I would recommend reading this book with guidance;It is highly allusory (95% of allusions are to biblical scenes) and you have to both have a good knowledge of ancient Greece as well as a very good grasp of the New Testament to be able to more fully understand some of what he's saying.Be prepared for careful study--you cannot just pick it up and read it like a novel.Each section and subsection are poetically and carefully arranged, and all sections link to previous and upcoming sections.Nietzsche's straightforward argument only becomes apparent when the book is finished.

It did indeed personally affect me.It made me realize that I valued creativity and had lost touch with that in my pursuit of a degree in biotechnology.It made me switch to accounting so I can simply make a good living while having all the time in the world to write and engage in my artistic endeavors.

As far as what people say about his views on God, if you read this book carefully, you will realize that he critiques what people say about God, and attacks the image of God as western civilization has made it, not necessarily God itself.He is neither an atheist nor theist and could barely be considered agnostic, because agnosticism implies that there is some kind of absolute knowledge, an idea which he very early decries as nonexistant.Man's role in the world is to deal with infinite uncertainty, and the prescription is to be lighthearted in your dealings and to always work towards a goal, while respecting science albeit not to the point of declaring any of science as an absolute.

I could write much more about what this book has done for me but I'll rob you of your own interpretations.Good day!

Highly recommended especially for philosophy and college library reference shelves.
Part of the Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy series, Thus Spoke Zarathustra is a specially commissioned English translation of what the renowned philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche considered to be his most important work. Framed in the context of the story of the wandering Zarathustra, Thus Spoke Zarathustra applies homilies, parables, epigrams, and dreams to present philosophical doctrines. Written in a bullet-by-bullet style of short paragraphs and brief lines of dialogue, Thus Spoke Zarathustra solidly conveys Nietzsche's views of nihilism, theology, the role of compassion, and other complex subjects. An index rounds out this superb primary source of classic philosophical discussion and frame of reference. Highly recommended especially for philosophy and college library reference shelves. ... Read more

Book Description
The Birth of Tragedy, first Nietzsche's books. It was republished in 1886 asThe Birth of Tragedy, Or: Hellenism and Pessimism. An Attempt at Self-Criticism, wherein Nietzsche commented on this very early work. In this book Nietzsche characterizes the conflict between two distinct tendencies - theApollonian and Dionysian. Nietzsche describes in this book how from Socrates onward the Apollonian had dominated Western thought, and raises German Romanticism as a possible reintroduction of the Dionysian to the salvation of European culture... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

A good place to start
This was the first Nietzsche I read about 6 years ago at University.I only understood about 40% of it and have reread it about 3 times, each time understanding more.Anything of Nietzsche's is good.It's just a matter of rereading it if you really don't get it.The bits which at first seem like padding become the most interesting bits eventually.

This is a good place to start partly because of Michael Tanner's excellent introduction and also because it is not too long but covers the most important bits of his writing, his attack on Christianity (and the post-Christian mealymouthed morality we've inherited), the moral system which really made him puke.As Tanner says though, in many of his arguments against Christianity you can see he is arguing against it when practised by the overwhelming majority of people, not the person of Jesus or the philosophy itself which he often seems to appreciate and value.

Nietzsche is THE must read for all adults because I could have lived 1000 years and not figured so much of it out myself - that Christianity is a religion of hate, dressed up in 'love'.Sounds batty, but it's not.Because you can read Edmund Burke and others and have already thought these things yourself.Not Friedrich Nietzsche.

You won't read anything else like him anywhere.

Mental Roller Coaster
Ours is a time not that very different from that of Nietzsche's. We too live in a kind of Victorian hell, a genteel time of right thinking professors who would make Nietzsche feel as unwelcome as did his "betters," who recognized he was a genius but didn't want him around. "Twilight of the Idols" is a lot of fun to read. It is exhilarating to read such frankness, without the American way of combining honestly with profanity. It is straight talk on the decline of German culture. I will leave it to the reader to decide if this may be applied to our once great country. Nietzsche's great insight in his time was to return to the Greeks, but to cast Plato aside, in favor of the great historian Thucydides, who immortalized the rhetoricians, such as Pericles, and sang the praises of the speaker and doer of deeds in contrast to the "armchair" thinkers such as Socrates. Nietzsche seems to be the ultimate heavy, but he is a hoot to read and seems to have had as much fun writing this work as I have had reading it.

amazing...
This book was sooo interesting, I couldn't put it down. Despite being Christian or not, (I being in the latter category), it really shines new light on how you see the Christian faith, or any faith in general.

bastardized, trite, dogmatic, vulgar thinking relieved ocassionaly by a flash of wit
So much for the most "lucid" of German prose writers, doesn't anyone think it peculiar his style resembles that of a conspiracy theorist warning us of the perils of the illumati and the freemasons. It is dogmatic to the point of shrill, and surprisingly lacking in real self-confidence. (perhaps he using his rhetoric as a way to convince himself of things not even he can believe.) It is full of vulgar unnatural and irational opinions meant mainly to shock lacking true conviction in the end. There is a constant confusion of thought and feeling, a endless muddying of the waters of interesting thought by a kind of upside down stoicism that could only be the product of a thorougly dacadent romanticism. There is also a kind of disturbing right wing athuritarianism,that is obviously the product of (M. Andre Gide's words )Nietschze's insane jealousy of Christ. He distorts history into a recreation of his own amusing and rather twisted pysche. His rants against christianity, while amusing, are often a attack on liberal christianity, which Nietschze being the ultra right winger he is patently despises. They confirm always a midn that worships strength as a confession of weakness.

Nietzsche is NOT the antichrist!
Nietzsche is not fed up with christianity, he is fed up with christians, and the people who distort christianity. Nietzsche is not the antichrist, he is simply the Messenger in a greek tragedy. We are the antichrist.

"In reality there has been ofnly one christian, and he died on the cross. The Evangel died on the cross. what was called 'Evangel' from that moment on was already the oposite of what he had lived"

antichrist 39

Five stars for