Product Description

Nietzsche: The Key Concepts is a comprehensive guide to one of the most widely-studied and influential philosophers of the nineteenth century. This invaluable resource helps navigate the often challenging and controversial thought outlined in Nietzsche’s seminal texts.

Fully cross-referenced throughout and in an accessible A-Z format with suggestions for further reading, this concise yet thorough introduction explores such ideas as:

• decadence
• epistemology
• modernity
• nihilism
• will to power

This volume is essential reading for students of philosophy and will be of interest to those studying in the fields of literature, religion and cultural theory.

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This English translation of Friedrich Nietzsche in seinen Werken offers a rare, intimate view of the philosopher by Lou Salomé, a free-thinking, Russian-born intellectual to whom Nietzsche proposed marriage at only their second meeting.

Published in 1894 as its subject languished in madness, Salomé's book rode the crest of a surge of interest in Nietzsche's iconoclastic philosophy. She discusses his writings and such biographical events as his break with Wagner, attempting to ferret out the man in the midst of his works.

Salomé's provocative conclusion -- that Nietzsche's madness was the inevitable result of his philosophical views -- generated considerable controversy. Nietzsche's sister, Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, dismissed the book as a work of fantasy. Yet the philosopher's longtime acquaintance Erwin Rohde wrote, "Nothing better or more deeply experienced or perceived has ever been written about Nietzsche."

Siegfried Mandel's extensive introduction examines the circumstances that brought Lou Salomé and Nietzsche together and the ideological conflicts that drove them apart. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

why would you read this book?
you would not read this book to understand nietzche's philosophy. it is not even clear to me why anyone needs to understand neitzche's philosophy. but lou salome is this crazy incredible lady. while married she become lovers with rilke and remained his intimate correspondent for all his life. she became intimate with nietsche. and later conquered freud, so to speak. so to me this book is an interesting artifact of this incredible woman's mind -- you don't read this book except as a way of knowing salome's mindfullness after rilke and nietzsche. that is, you read this book to learn something that you have to extrapolate from and fit into your life. it is not a passive reading. it is not school learning or becoming educated. it is trying to understand what sort of mind a woman would have that has done such gloriously free and courageous acts such as standing and lying toe2toe with three of the most visionary humanitarian thinkers -- it's an artifact. you read this to be your own archeologist into the human psyche. the content itself literally is of little interest if you want to become an expert in philosophical thinking in order to be a professional. this book isn't that at all. nobody would publish something like this today -- that is, without the hindsight of knowing who nietzsche and salome are now -- at the time this was published, that wasn't apparent, and without that apparentness, this book is no longer a kind of book our educated culture tolerates -- it is too subjective and does not follow any accepted rules of discourse that are recognized by our cultural canon. that is, you don't read this book for any of the reasons it was written or published. you read it because of who nietsche and salome turned out to be in terms of our intellectual flowering. of course, he was destroyed by his sister, who allowed the fascists to make shameful use of him the same way they made ill-use of evolution to justify genocide. you take nietzsche and darwin and if you are powerful enough you get 70-100 million dead without anyone believing they were not morally justified in their actions. nowadays, people seem to once again need religion to justify such pain and suffering for personal advantage. so i think everyone should buy this book and try to make sense of its author -- this is after rilke and N, but i think before freud. a snapshot of a brillian mindful woman articulating her extraordinary experiences ...

A personal psychological expert on Nietzsche
The German version of this book, published in 1894, about 108 years ago, was among the first books written about the books of Nietzsche.The photograph on the cover was taken in May, 1882 and a portion of it (as shown on p. 132) appeared in her book with the caption, "Friedrich Nietzsche, formerly professor and now a wandering fugitive" (p. ix), as Nietzsche had described himself in a letter to the third person in the picture in 1879, "referring to the severance from his ten-year position at the University of Basel."(p. ix).These people are all dead now.When she was 20, Lou wrote a poem "To Sorrow" (pp. xlviii-xlix) which praises it as "the pedestal for our soul's greatness."(p. xlix).

Lou reported a conversation about the changes in his life in which Nietzsche raised the question, "When everything has taken its course--where does one run to then?" and told her, "In any case, the circle could be more plausible than a standing still."(p. 32).She described his books as the product of "his last period of creativity, Nietzsche arrived at his mystical teaching of the eternal recurrence:the picture of a circle--eternal change in an eternal recurrence--stands like a wondrous symbol and mysterious cypher over the entrance to his work."(p. 33).

This book does not have an index, and the notes on pages 160-8 merely clarify a few things, such as the date of the letter from Nietzsche to Lou at the beginning of Part III Nietzsche's "System" on page 91 which Lou used without the final comment, "be what you must be."The possibilities might not be considered so great."In that regard, if the sickliness of man is, so to speak, his normal condition or his specific human nature itself, and if the concepts of falling ill and of development are seen as almost identical, then we will naturally encounter again the already mentioned decadence at the culmination of a long cultural development."(p. 102).The ascetic ideal "is also a third kind of decadence which threatens to make the described illness incurable and threatens the possibility of recovery.And that form of decadence is embodied in a false interpretation of the world, an incorrect perception of life encouraged by that suffering and illness. . . . every kind of intellectualism extols thinking at the expense of life and supports the ideal of `truth' at the expense of a heightened sensation of living."(p. 103)."In respect to Nietzsche's own psychic problem, it is of less interest to determine correctly the historicity of master morality and slave morality than it is to ascertain the fact that in man's evolution he has carried these contrasts, these antitheses, within himself and that he is the consequent sufferer of this conflict of instincts, embodying double valuations."(p. 113).Ultimately, "Nietzsche's thought of the Dionysian orgy as the means for release of the emotions" (p. 127) are considered "the necessary conditions for the creative act out of which one shapes the luminous and godly."(p. 127).Nietzsche and Schopenhauer are tied to "the deeply pessimistic nature of the Greeks because their innermost life, as revealed through the orgiastic, was one of darkness, pain, and chaos."(p. 127).Art is the answer, here."The highest or the most religious art is the tragic because within it the artist delivers beauty from the terrifying."(p. 128).Modern society can hardly be comprehended without accepting that much of what is popular is produced in the attempt to satisfy that desire for art.

An Important Addition to Nietzsche Studies
To scholars and admirers of Nietzsche, Lou Andreas-Salome has always been seen as his Irene Adler, the intellectual equal who got way or was driven away, depending on one's point of view. Although their affair lasted for only a few months, it left an indelible mark on both, for it came at a turning point in Nietzsche's life where he would leave the realtively safe nests of academia and the Wagners for a peripatetic life in the Eupopean Alps.

Over the years we have heard from almost everyone who was anyone in Nietzsche's life, except Lou Salome. This makes the published reprint of her 1894 even more important for those involved in Nietzsche studies. To say that Salome brings a unique perspective to her work is a bit of an understatement, but those who simply expect this to be memoir of the man she knew will be, I think, somewhat joyfully disappointed. Instead she has written what well may be the first attempt to view the persona behind the works. After giving us an excellent analysis of Nietzsche's philosophy, she comes to the conclusion that perhaps Nietzsche's madness was the inevitable result of his philosophy. Was this, as Nietzsche's sister said, merely a fantasy of female revenge? Then simply compare the last page of her book with the events of Nietzche's last days in Turin, events which she cannot have known. Hers is a provactive and illuminating look at Nietzsche, made more powerful by the fact that she was first to the gate and that the strength of her book is the analysis, not the memories.

As with any book on Nietzsche that comes to us in a foreign language, translation is most important if we are to have not only a working understanding, but also a deeper understanding than we would ordinarily expect. That the translator should be the late Siegfried Mandel is only to the reader's advantage. His translation is crisp and clear. His excellent introduction makes it all the more clear to me that this man is, or should be at least considered, one of the formost Nietzschean scholars of his time. (For further reference, see his excellent "Nietzsche and the Jews.")

This is a book every serious student of Nietzsche should have in his or her library and a book that may contribute to a new vision of the tortured harbinger of the overman. ... Read more

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Newly translated and edited by Taylor Carman, On Truth and Untruth charts Nietzsche’s evolving thinking on truth, which has exerted a powerful influence over modern and contemporary thought. This original collection features the complete text of the celebrated early essay “On Truth and Lie in a Nonmoral Sense” (“a keystone in Nietzsche’s thought” —Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy), as well as selections from the great philosopher’s entire career, including key passages from The Gay Science, Beyond Good and Evil, On the Genealogy of Morals, The Will to Power, Twilight of the Idols, and The Antichrist.

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A refute of dogmatic Christianity, said best in his own words: "An action demanded by the instinct of life is proven correct by the pleasure that accompanies it; yet Christian dogma considers pleasure an objection. What could destroy us more quickly than working, thinking, and feeling without any inner necessity, without any deeply personal choice, without pleasure as an automaton of duty?" Nietzsche challenges the ethical-moral value system that the West has so deeply inherited from the belief and practice of Christianity, maintaining that the Christian emphasis on sympathy and pity multiplies the experience of suffering, which has weakened, rather than strengthened its followers.Readers are invited to embrace questions and topics, otherwise off-limits in mainstream society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

The AntiChrist Reviewed
Nietzsche's most incisive criticism is that Judeo-Christian morals invert the truly noble human virtues (honor, pride, beauty, and power), replacing them with diminutive human qualities such as pity, humility, meekness, submissiveness. Born of an enslaved people creating values for slaves, Nietzsche believes that Judeo-Christian values represent a resentment on the part of the Israelites--a resentment aimed at turning slave virtues into a morality for all people. By this accomplishment, the slave class becomes the truly ethical class and perhaps even God's people once again. That's Nietzsche's opinion.

However, I disagree with Nietzsche while remaining an admirer of his analysis. Nietzsche's ideal is the ubermensch ("the Superman"), but Judeo-Christian virtues are an expression of something far deeper that was born in the earliest days of human civilization. Specifically, Judeo-Christian values have a broader aim than creating a superman; that is, to create a Super People. They aim to tame selfish urges which, if unchecked, threaten to sever relationships, create division, and disband the greater whole. Judeo-Christian morality aims to transform selfishness so that the individual can balance self interest with the good of the greater whole. Accordingly, Judeo-Christian values increase cohesion and unity among people, enabling human civilizations to scale in numbers and become a super-people.

Early in our history, humans discovered the secret of their humanity--the power of scale; the power of increasing our social unions to achieve critical advantages that only humans can achieve. It can be summed up simply as: what unites us is good; what divides us is evil. The power of scale truly unlocked human potential, enabling tribes to become civilizations. The power of scale gave rise to societal advantages such as a stronger collective defense against enemies, more effective hunting, the division of labor, trade, commerce, skilled labor and specialization, education and learning, and the political state.

While incomplete early on, the Israelites articulated the will of a people to unite and scale. What unites us is good; what divides us is evil.

A passionate philosopher expressing his disgust
I have just finished reading Friedrich Nietzsche's "The Antichrist: A Criticism of Christianity". The theme of this book or perhaps extended essay is the criticism and/or condemnation of the Christian faith.I must admit I am surprised how many of Nietzsche's points are still very relevant today despite the fact this book was written 1888. I will address the former statement in a moment.

I viewed this book more as critique, than some written abomination that should never see the light of day.I should state I am more of a spiritual person than a religious one, so I wasn't offended by Nietzsche's views.So for all you Christians out there before you become upset with this book just remember it is a man's opinion and everyone is entitled to have one.

As I noted prior, many points presented in "The Antichrist" are still very relevant today.For instance, it speaks about how Christianity uses sin as a propaganda tool.Therefore followers of faith (Nietzsche states that faith is an "incurable falsity" because to shut one's eyes in order to avoid any suffering is ludicrous) must live their lives based on fear of breaking a sin.This then leads into stating that some "so called sins" are part of the human experience and allows a person to grow and learn.Christianity cripples this life experience.This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as Nietzsche's ideas go.

Another idea I liked presented in this book was how Christianity promotes fundamental thinking, seeing things only in black and white.I believe this same notion can be transferred to politics.Nietzsche doesn't just spit off his opinion he does reference quotes and passages from the Bible.When he presents these quotes and then his views a strong argument is created.This makes the content in this book philosophy not just a glorified opinion.

Although I respect Nietzsche critical presentation, I don't agree with all of it.Some of his notions went totally over my head.In addition to state that every person who practices Christianity is a warped individual is equivalent to every person who does practice Christianity has a heart of gold.On a final note, Nietzsche's father was a Lutheran pastor who died when Nietzsche was only four years old.It states in the introduction of this book that a bit of a void was left for Nietzsche after his father died.Perhaps this early experience might have been the foundation for his disgust towards religion.Which leaves us with the inquiry, aren't we all products of our environment?

A few overdue remarks
Needless to say, I find this book meaningful - and enormously so, independently from the ideas that are professed in it, with which I do not directly agree or disagree. More than discussing the book itself, in this review I would like to point out a couple of things that have not been mentioned yet in other reviews.

After having been read for entire generations principally by delusional emo teenagers, the Antichrist seems to have gained renewed fortune lately after the recent "I hate religion at all costs" cultural trend that has originated in America in reaction to the increasing loudness of Christian Creationist/Anti-homosexual/anti-Atheism propaganda.
This comports essentially that the focus that is given to the book is on whether Christianity is evil and not on other aspects that I find more relevant.

Firstly, this book was not intended to be an attack on Christianity because Nietzsche one afternoon got bored and did not know what else to do. The Antichrist was the preface, in a sense, to a much larger and unaccomplished literary work ("The Transvaluation of all values") for which a critique of Christianity was a necessary beginning.

Secondly, Nietzsche was a philologist. All his books to an extent are philology works and the Antichrist is no exception.
After reading it some time ago, what I still remember well of the Antichrist is how Nietzsche created an incredibly insightful and brave interpretation of an hypothetical 'real' story of Christ basing himself on his philological analysis of the Gospels.

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. ... Read more

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Written between 1873 and 1876, The "Untimely Meditations", or "Thoughts out of Season" is a collection of four essays by famed philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. In the first essay 'David Strauss: the Confessor and the Writer', Nietzsche attacks David Strauss' "The Old and the New Faith: A Confession". In the second essay 'On the Use and Abuse of History for Life', Nietzsche presents an alternative way of reading history, one where living life becomes the primary concern. In the third essay 'Schopenhauer as Educator', Nietzsche describes how the philosophic genius of Schopenhauer might bring on a resurgence of German culture. In the fourth and final essay 'Richard Wagner in Bayreuth', Nietzsche investigates the music, drama and personality of Richard Wagner. Nietzsche originally planned this work to comprise thirteen essays but it is suggested that he lost interest in the work after writing just four. In this early philosophical work one can begin to see the development of a brilliant philosophical mind, which would become more evidenced by his later works. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The Transvaluation of All begins here:
The timeliness of these essays belies the political radicalism they express. Taken with his later works, especially

Beyond Good and Evil and the Genealogy of Morals, one catches the man with his ideological 'pants-down'.

--These essays contain in clearest definition, his project of revaluation, and there is no better 'clarification' of

what George Brandes named "aristocraticradicalism" than as it appears here, standing against the currents

of the timely and 'all-too-human' with a vision of what is to come: in all its danger, banality and glory. This is

the aurora before the greatbattle for Noontide, a Ragnarok for mediocrity and everything socialist.

Best place to start
I consider Nietzsche to be the most honest, profound and relevant thinker available to those who are lost and nauseated in a godless, overly- democratised world. This is not to say that Nietzsche is without faults, and serious ones at that. Nevertheless, at his best he combines an honesty, seriousness and profoundity that are, in my view, unsurpassed.
With this in mind I would recommend to anyone who wishes to undertake a serious study of Nietzsche to begin with the Untimely Meditations, and particularly the essays on "History" and "Schopenhauer". These two works especially illustrate Nietzsche's obsessions, his character and his general orientation.

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. ... Read more

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Titles: Homer and Classical Philology, We Philologists, Complete Works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Volume 8, and The Antichrist ... Read more

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The conjunction of Friedrich Nietzsche and anarchism will sound like an audacious proposal to many, especially those who still associate Nietzsche with fascism, and anarchism with a simplistic notion of class struggle. However, anarchism — the project which aims at the abolition of all forms of power, control and coercion — should be free to appropriate the work of one of the greatest iconoclasts of all time. Although Nietzsche was rather harsh on his anarchist contemporaries, he nevertheless in some respects shared with them a vision of the total transformation of life. The notion of a transvaluation of all values clearly remains not merely compatible with, but an integral component of the anarchist project, and the idea of philosophy with a hammer underlies the anarchist commitment to radical social transformation. I Am Not A Man, I Am Dynamite! examines the historical, political and philosophical linkages between Nietzsche’s transgressive thought and the transformative political vision of anarchism. ... Read more

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This volume offers, for the first time, accurate translations of a selection of writings from Nietzsche's late notebooks, dating from his last productive years between 1885 and 1889. Many of them have never before been published in English. They are translated by Kate Sturge from reliable texts in the Colli-Montinari edition, and edited by RÜdiger Bittner, whose introduction analyzes them in the context of Nietzsche's philosophy as a whole. This volume will be widely welcomed by all those working in Nietzsche studies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The translation is garbage
"Deferential unhooking of judgment"? (See section 36[36], page 27.)

Are you kidding me? Kate Sturge is no translator, and this publication is a travesty.

The Kaufmann-Hollingdale Will to Power is bad enough. This is insufferable.

Beneath contempt.

Sturge v. Hollingdale
Kate Sturge's translations are competitive with Hollingdale's, and her rendering of the textual emphases are quite effective; it's a shame she was not contracted to translate the rest of FN's published works starting from where Hollingdale left off for the Cambridge series.

The editor's introduction is academic on par with Maudmarie Clark. It is less helpful than useful, and less useful than accurate: it amounts to a smug repudiation of the WTP, and gloats at FN's 'failure' to translate it into a 'consistent' epistemological-ontological account. Skip it. It can only prejudice a beginner, and those familiar with the material will likely find it to be much ado on next to nothing in terms of thought.

The other reviews are mostly correct regarding the lack of citations as to which passages appeared in the WTP. A non-Kaufmann interfered, existentialised (read: bastardized) translation is much appreciated by this reviewer though. And the excuse for leaving out comments on women is a thoroughly stupid move, not a single thought towards regarding 'them' as an ideogram for Romanticism-Christianity-Socialism ect. and instead following their knee-jerk bourgeois reactions to guide editorial selection.

In short: great translation, reasonable selections of the otherwise yet to be translated into English Nachlass, facile and haughty introduction,access to specifics on Order Of Rank, detailed groundwork for BGE-GOM-AC-TW, and crucial political-economy questions, including those of 'breeding'. A great read and stimulating material, with some minor objections.

Leaves out comments about women, Germans
Modern readers are so picky in what they are willing to read that it is amazing so much has been picked from Nietzsche's late notebooks for our consideration. I even found something that I thought was good because it conforms entirely with my own way of thinking, when I am not thinking about women and Germans.

Just checking in WRITINGS FROM THE LATE NOTEBOOKS, which only has 2 pages mentioned in the index for superman, the idea seemed to apply to anyone whom Nietzsche did not consider part of the herd. It came up in his consideration of beauty:

The beautiful exists as little as does the good, the true. Each separate case is again a matter of the conditions of preservation for a particular kind of man: thus the value feeling of the beautiful will be aroused by different things for the man of the herd and for the exceptional and super-man. (p. 202).

Generally Nietzsche associates the superman with the secretion of a luxurious surplus from mankind, rather like Marx's theory of capitalists living off the surplus value of factory labor made possible by whoever owns the factory. For Nietzsche, the superman is only a metaphor for a stronger species, a higher type. To quote:

To show that an ever more economical use of men and mankind, a `machinery' of interests and actions ever more firmly entwined, necessarily implies a counter-movement. I call this the secretion of a luxurious surplus from mankind, which is to bring to light a stronger species, a higher type, the conditions of whose genesis and survival are different from those of the average man. As is well known, my concept, my metaphor for this type is the word `superman'. (p. 177).
That first path, which can now be perfectly surveyed, gives rise to adaptation, flattening-out, higher Chinesehood, modesty in instincts, contentment with the miniaturization of man -- a kind of standstill in man's level. Once we have that imminent, inevitable total economic administration of the earth, mankind will be able to find its best meaning as a piece of machinery in the administration's service: as a tremendous clockwork of ever smaller, ever more finely `adapted' cogs; as an ever-increasing superfluity of all the dominating and commanding elements; as a whole of tremendous force, whose individual factors represent minimal forces, minimal values. Against this miniaturisation and adaptation of men to more specialised usefulness, a reverse movement is required -- the generation of the synthesising, the summating, the justifying man whose existence depends on that mechanisation of mankind, as a substructure upon which he can invent for himself his higher way of being . . . (p. 177).
Just as much, he needs the antagonism of the masses, of the `levelled-out', the feeling of distance in relation to them; he stands upon them, lives off them. The higher form of aristocratism is that of the future. -- In moral terms, this total machinery, the solidarity of all the cogs, represents a maximum point in the exploitation of man: but it presupposes a kind of men for whose sake the exploitation has meaning. Otherwise, indeed, it would be just the overall reduction, value reduction of the human type -- a phenomenon of retrogression in the grandest style. (p. 177).
It can be seen that what I'm fighting is economic optimism: the idea that everyone's profit necessarily increases with the growing costs to everyone. It seems to me that the reverse is the case: the costs to everyone add up to an overall loss: man becomes less -- so that one no longer knows what this tremendous process was for. A `What for?', a new `What for? -- that is what mankind needs. . . (pp. 177-178).

Nietzsche's Immoral Psychology
Translator Kate Sturge gives us the Nietzsche our times deserve in this, a new edition of notes from the 1880s *Nachlass*. Based on the Colli-Montinari critical edition of Nietzsche's works, this book is not quite the "more accurate" portrayal of Nietzsche's late thought it claims to be: while Colli-Montinari vol. VIII offers both "pomes" and sketches for a reconstruction of society, for the most part we have here only Nietzsche's more traditionally "philosophical" thoughts. From the perspective of assessing the "uprightness" of the man, this is slightly unfortunate; although Nietzsche could genuinely claim to have predicted contemporary European economic and social integration, there is still truly much about his views that ought not to have been "rehabilitated" (e.g., defenses of slavery are thick on the ground). Praise of Nietzsche often serves as a sort of shell game, covering up revolting prejudices with more palatable criticisms: familiarizing oneself with Nietzsche's "detritus" is an important way to establish how far one can go with such sentiments. So this book will not serve all needs.

But setting this aside, the thoughts we are given are fine ones; and although Nietzsche's works on morality are usually viewed as examples of a Foucauldian "felicitous positivism", the picture of the mind offered here actually serves in many ways as a foundation for Nietzsche's view of ethics and society. Slogans are expanded upon: the cryptic "Truth is a kind of error without which a certain species of life could not live" gets an extensive gloss in terms of a theory of concepts as necessary simplifications of flux, and there are illuminating sections explaining just how "the prison-house of language" constrains our thought by inventing doers for deeds, and introducing a personalizing causality into natural phenomena. The selections made are full, relevant, and for the most part not available elsewhere: a fine introduction by Rudiger Bittner helps contextualize them. In fact, there is probably more about the will to power here than in *The Will To Power*; and all of what is in it is presented a more attractive and durable format, although it competes with that Vintage paperback in price.

In short: a must for anyone interested in Nietzsche's later thought. ... Read more

Product Description
This file includes: Also sprach Zarathustra; Ecce Homo: Wie man wird, was man ist; Die Geburt der Tragödie: Versuch einer Selbstkritik; Götzen-Dämmerung; Jenseits von Gut und Böse; Menschliches, Allzumenschliches: Ein Buch für freie Geister. According to Wikipedia: "Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900) was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist. He wrote critical texts on religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy, and science, using a distinctive German language style and displaying a fondness for metaphor and aphorism. Nietzsche's influence remains substantial within and beyond philosophy, notably in existentialism and postmodernism. His style and radical questioning of the value and objectivity of truth have resulted in much commentary and interpretation, mostly in the continental tradition, and some analytic philosophy. His key ideas include interpreting tragedy as an affirmation of life, an eternal recurrence (which numerous commentators have re-interpreted), a rejection of Platonism, and a repudiation of both Christianity and Egalitarianism (especially in the form of Democracy and Socialism)."
... Read more

Product Description
"The Pre-Platonic Philosophers" supplies English-language readers with a crucial missing link in Nietzsche's development by reproducing the text of a lecture series delivered by the young philosopher (then a philologist) at the University of Basel between 1872 and 1876. In these lectures, Nietzsche surveys the Greek philosophers from Thales to Socrates, establishing a new chronology for the progression of their natural scientific insights. He also roughly sketches concepts such as the will to power, eternal recurrence, and self-overcoming and links them to specific pre-Platonics. Greg Whitlock is the first scholar to have wrestled Nietzsche's difficult manuscript into English. This superbly readable translation, now in paperback for the first time, is complete with Nietzsche's own extensive sidenotes and philological citations, and is accompanied by a prologue, an introductory essay, commentary on the lectures, and voluminous bibliographical materials. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

briefly
The other reviews cover the details. I recommend this book; it is excellent and a bargain for the price and quality. Read this and R J Hollingdale's biography and you will have a strong grounding grounding to start with. Also: Mazzino Montinari's Nietzsche Lesen, also translated by Whitlock.

Important Text, but...
Let me start out by saying that this text is a welcome addition to the serious attempts made to bring Nietzsche's notebooks into publication.Not only, for those of us who are serious Nietzsche schorlars, does The Will To Power have many faults (see my review for it) but we also do not have much if any serious work being done in attempting to translate these 16,000 pages or so of notebook material.

One will see in this text Nietzsche's extraordinary knowledge of the greeks.Most of us know that Nietzsche started his academic life as a philologist, and found in the Greek culture something which pointed him towards the philosophical inquiry he would come to make in his life.I encourage all to partake in Nietzsche's discussion with the Greeks, for it will provide critical insight into the devlopment of his philosophy.

This text is the lecutre course that he gave at Basel in 1868.It provides an account of the most important thinkers before the time of Plato, in accordance to Nietzsche's own struggle with their (the thinkers) fragments.If one finds this text interesting, I would recommend looking into the Birth of Tragedy, Philosophy in the Tragic Age of the Greeks, and just to get some background info on the lives and fragments obtained from these thinkers, Kirk, Raven, and Schofield's The Pre-Socratic Philosophers.

With that said, this text does have its limitiations.At some moments the translation is very good, and at other moments rather poor.There are sections, for example, in the Chapter on Empedocles that are very important that do not make it into the English translation.Moreover, the translation seems to make use of common English expressions when the actual German dictates a more dramatic expression.Like I say in all my reviews of Nietzsche's notebooks, his texts makes one want to learn German, so do that if you can.If one cannot, read it alongside an expert in German and you will be able to see the rather superficial areas of translation.

So, an important text with some mechanical problems in the translation.Still worth the investment though, and it provides a good intro in NIetzsche's insight into the Greek world.

Amor fati

Could you worship this like an indefinite God?
As always, Nietzsche demonstrates an incredible grasp of theology, and it is merely our own stupidity that someone who is so much smarter than his teachers in this way is in so much trouble in the field of public opinion, which demands a much more comfortable stupidity than any reader of this book is likely to sympathize with.In the midst of this book, the judgment which Nietzsche pursues about very early Greek thinkers is "These religious insights originated from a need to eliminate anthropomorphism, but they still show the primordial Hellenic sensitivity toward the gods."(p. 78)The fragment of Xenophanes, given in Greek in footnote 15 on that page, which preceded his observation, was:"Always he remains in the same place, not moving at all; Nor is it fitting for him to go to different places at different times."As Nietzsche thought Plato and Aristotle understood this, "the entire dichotomy between spirit and matter, deity and world, is absent here.He resolves the identification of God and man in order to equate God and nature."(pp. 78-79).In humor, a high spot is a poem by Planudes about Seven Wise Men, with a line, "But Bias of Priene declared, The majority are the worse."(p. 22).Nietzsche makes the effort to sort them all out.On Anaximander, he said, "Thus he made two great advances over Thales, to wit, a principle of water's warmth and coldness and a principle of the Unlimited, the final unity, the matrix of continuous arising."(p. 33).People who are new to philosophy might think that there is too much which is new here, but it's really very old.

A milestone in Nietzsche scholarship
This book is remarkable on several levels. As a work of scholarship, it is an awesome achievement, considering that Greg Whitlock was able to produce a coherent text of Nietzche's lecture notes, and performed the most helpful task of looking up every citation, confirming its source, and providing extensive notes to clarify the details of the lectures.

But even more surprising and satisfying is the section that Whitlock modestly calls a "Translator's Commentary", which is actually a challenging and profound engagement with Nietzsche, the various Greek philosophers under discussion, Nietzsche's near contemporaries in German science, philosophy, and philology, and later thinkers as well. In fact, one of the more exciting parts of the text is where Whitlock challenges various statements by Heidegger and, I think, comes out on top. This is not mere history of philosophy, but a genuine encounter with some very provocative ideas.

At the end of this book, the reader must be absolutely conviced that the Pre-Platonic philosophers are not just interesting historically, but that each of them was a brilliant thinker with a highly developed intuitive gift for charging ahead into new intellectual territory. Nietzsche's deep passion for these thinkers is irresistible, and the reader cannot help but marvel at his ability to synthesize the Greeks with the science of his day and then use that to begin his own extraordinary philosophical journey. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first complete English translation of Nietzsche's poetry. "The Peacock and the Buffalo" presents the first complete English translation of the poetry of the celebrated and hugely influential German thinker, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). From his first poems, written at the age of fourteen, to his last extant writings, this definitive bi-lingual edition includes all his 275 poems and aphorisms. Nietzsche's interest in poetry is no secret, as evidenced in his literary and philosophical masterpiece, "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", not to mention the poetry included in his published philosophical works. This important collection shows that Nietzsche's commitment to poetry was in fact longstanding and integral to his articulation of the truth and lies of human existence. "The Peacock and the Buffalo" is a must-read for anyone with an interest in German literature or European philosophy. ... Read more

Product Description
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

DON'T BUY THIS BOOK IF...
you are looking to get all of Nietzsche's work. This book has none of Nietzsche's writing. There is just an introduction and an index. THAT IS IT. it is a waste of $30

Book Length
Did anybody who ordered this book expecting it to be the complete works of Nietzsche look at the listed book length? How could anybody expect his complete works to be less than 300 pages?

Thanks to previous reviewers of this item
There is no doubt the amazom,com is doing a disservice to itself and to the public by not having a BETTER item description on items like this. Fortunately I read the previous reviewers on time to withhold my purchase of this book.

The complete works of Friedrich Nietzsche, is a misleading title.
I enjoyed having this philosopher back in my life after a loss of my personal library. The title is misleading, however, this book is no where near the complete works. Amazon could do a much better job on product descriptions.

Very Misleading
I ordered this book thinking it was indeed the complete works of Nietzsche.It is not.It's "An attempt at self-criticism, Foreword to Richard Wagner, The Birth of Tragedy".Yep. No complete works.I'm going to file a complaint now.Don't get this book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

The Real F.W. Nietzsche would never
The Real F.W. Nietzsche would never argue against dissent of his views. He, unlike Wagner, wanted no disciples. He wanted critical commentary, and above all, he wanted to be challenged. The reality is that he was challenged everyday to write, even in extreme pain and half blind. This translation is an admirable effort, but it does fall short in emphasis on what Nietzsche tried to (really) say. His odd, broken, and subtle humor has been lost in many English translations. In truth nothing other than the original German, read by an accomplished student of the language, can really give insight into his mind. This is the same problem that exists in Carl Jung's writings. In my humble opinion Kaufmann is still one of the best German/English translations available. Kaufmann dispels many previous myths associated with Nietzsche especially when it comes to National Socialism, and Darwinism, both of which Nietzsche himself despised. One last note on Nietzsche: His opinion of Noble Morality vs Slave Morality is true even more today.

An Excellent Translation of a Transitional Work
Sometimes, as I channel surf past some WWF goon belting another with a chair, I can't help but feel that we suffer from the opposite of the problems Nietzsche discussed, and that a little more suffocating bourgeoisie-Christian 'good culture' couldn't hurt. But that's neither here nor there.

I believe this book is considered transitional Nietzsche, having been written after _The Birth of Tragedy_ but before _Beyond Good and Evil_, _The Genealogy of Morals_, et cetera. It consists of four essays: on David Strauss, history, Schopenhauer, and Wagner respectively. In my opinion the 'history' essay is the most interesting; Nietzsche asserts that too much awareness of history enervates the mind, robbing it of the raw vigor he considered so important. Not en entirely original thought, perhaps, but knowledgeably and poetically argued.

This translation seems to be clearly the best of the three I perused in the bookstore: the vocabulary is sharp, forceful, and true to what I know of the German. I don't think this is the place to begin one's study of Nietzsche, but if Walter Kaufmann's collections (The Portable Nietzsche, The Basic Writings of Nietzsche) don't give you your fill, you could certainly pick up this one next.

Timely and Unfashionable: the Truth
I take my title for this review from the final sentence of Nietzsche's essay on "David Strauss the Confessor and the Writer."Nietzsche was finding himself in a troubling position, commenting on a work which wasas subjective as it was without objective proof, while he was just anindividual trying to make himself heard against the entire world, in orderto adorn us with one more feather, "For as long, that is, as what wasalways timely -- and what today more than ever is timely and necessary --is still considered unfashionable: speaking the truth."(p. 81)Thismasterly translation removes an element of contradiction which has trippedup those who used the title, "Untimely Meditations" for thisbook, as if we, of all people, didn't need to read it.Walter Kaufmann didnot translate this early work by Nietzsche into English.While Kaufmann iswidely recognized as having provided translations which were superior towhat was previously available, Nietzsche in the original German ought to beconsidered better than any English version, and the truth with whichNietzsche was concerned in his essay on Strauss might have beenparticularly painful for any scholar who would like to remain at a highlevel in the esteem of his peers, for the insults in this work win everyargument.From the first words of the first section, "Public opinionin Germany," (p. 5) Nietzsche displays a worry about "defeat --indeed, the extirpation -- of the German spirit for the sake of the GermanReich."(p. 5)Perhaps Kaufmann was never comfortable enough withthe English language to make himself credible in a work that ends with asection on style: "perhaps Schopenhauer would give it the generaltitle 'New Evidence for the Shoddy Jargon of Today,' for we might consoleDavid Strauss by saying . . . indeed, that some people write even morewretchedly than he does. . . . We do this because Strauss does not write aspoorly as do the vilest of all the corrupters of German, the Hegelians andtheir crippled progeny."And Strauss of course, in Germany in 1873,was famous for providing the Germans with a guide to their beliefs andculture, much like the works of Walter Kaufmann on Goethe, Hegel,Nietzsche, etc., provide today's Americans with a view of individualself-control which seeks to guide public opinion above all, or over all, orwhatever.Perhaps, given our current status as civilizers of Europe,Nietzsche might even maintain a view of the Americans who study his work inaccord with what he said of Strauss, he "would by no means bedissatisfied if it were a bit more diabolical."(p. 20)This is onlyfrighteningly inappropriate for those who see nothing but manipulation inmatters of public opinion, which remains about as far from the truth as itcan be stretched, and who are afraid of these things snapping back all overthe place.I certainly think they are. ... Read more

Product Description
PREFACE THIS volume of Friedrich Nietzsche's private correspondence consists of a selection from the five-volume edition published in Germany between the years 1900-1909. Private letters are now recognized all the world over as a most important supplementary trait to a literary man's portrait, revealing as they do the more homely and intimate side of an author's mind and character. The special and additional value of Nietzsche's private correspondence consists in this, that here we have a writer of the most forbidding aspect, a prophet of almost superhuman inspiration, a hermit inhabiting a desert of icy glaciers, coming down, so to say, to the inhabited valley, to the familiar plain, where he assumes a human form and a human speech, where he exhibits a human heart and a human sympathy. He who still doubted that behind Nietzsche's violent denunciation of his age there was an ardent love of humanity and an eagerness to promote it to a nobler Destiny; he who still looked askance at

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.

Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to accurately preserve the original format of each page whilst digitally enhancing the difficult to read text. Read books online for free at www.forgottenbooks.org ... Read more

Product Description
Nietzsche narra en este libro la historia natural de la moral, y piensa la relacion entre naturaleza y cultura desde la optica original de su genealogia. Genealogia es un metodo con el que se detectan, bajo las ideas o los valores, las tendencias vitales que los originan. Al aplicar este metodo a la moral, Nietzsche no oculta un cierto aristocratismo intempestivo, pues concluye que dos mil anos de cristianismo, de metafisica dualista y de ciencia mecanizadora e instrumentalizadora han llevado a una completa inversion de las nociones de bien y de mal, debilitando cada vez mas los espiritus fuertes y sanos para que los debiles y enfermos ejercieran el poder. Asi se ha impedido que los individuos mas nobles y con una voluntad mas energica lideraran la dinamica social y contrarrestaran el inmovilismo y la mediocridad. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

La genealogia de la moral
Es una ensayo muy intersante que abre su mente de ciertas temas que efecto hasta hoy, una gran obra. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Unique and startling
This book is different than Nietzsche's well-known major works. It does not explicitly examine the nature of morality, the master/slave relationship, or related questions. Instead, it questions the relationship of historical knowledge to life in the present. By "present", Nietzsche does not mean some specific century or decade, but rather the present we perpetually find ourselves in as human beings.

Nietzsche asks: given that we always live in such a present, why do we want or need historical knowledge? Animals live without a historical sense: they do not reflect on the past or contemplate their future -- they simply live from moment to moment in the eternal present that humans perpetually avoid. And generally, Nietzsche notes, animals seem happier than human beings: more spontaneous, more cheerful, less given to morbid and resentful states of mind.

Given these differences, should humans abandon the study of history and try to live in the present like animals? No, says Nietzsche, this relation to history is the true source of human uniqueness and achievement. The question is not "Should we study history?" but rather, "What history should we study, and in what amount?" The answer, says Nietzsche, is history that gives us a proper appreciation of life's difficulties and the struggles that have preceded us, but which nonetheless spurs us to creative action in the present. We should never study history for history's sake; rather, we should study it with a view to understanding and surpassing our present.

This is a short, powerful volume, dense with ideas but astoundingly clear.

Recommended
A great primer on the problems of history and a great introduction to a brilliant mind.

presenta el peligro que un exceso de erudión de historia
he leido 6 capítulos. Es un tema interesante para abordar el estudio de la historia. Para Nietzcshe la historia es indispensable pero hay que saber tener el punto de equilibrio para que sea util para la vida: demasiadahistoria anquilosa. La tradición tiener un limite de utilidad; el excesomata la vida y la dinamica de la vida; pero la absoluta carenciaimposibilita entender el mundo en el que se vive. ... Read more

Product Description
The three works in this collection, all dating from Nietzsche's last lucid months, show him at his most stimulating and controversial: the portentous utterances of the prophet (together with the ill-defined figure of the Ãœbermensch) are forsaken, as wit, exuberance and dazzling insights predominate, forcing the reader to face unpalatable insights and to rethink every commonly accepted truth . Thinking with Nietzsche, in Jaspers words, means holding one s own against him, and we are indeed refreshed and challenged by the vortex of his thoughts, by concepts which test and probe. In The Twilight of the Idols, The Antichrist, and Ecce Homo Nietzsche writes at breakneck speed of his provenance, his adversaries and his hopes for mankind; the books are largely epigrammatic and aphoristic, allowing this poet-philosopher to bewilder and fascinate us with their strangeness and their daring. He who fights with monsters, Nietzsche once told us, should look to it that he himself does not become one, and when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you. Reader, beware. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

buy a different translation
For the sake of brevity, I will say merely that this translation was entirely successful in its aim to vulgarize Nietzsche's stylistic idiosyncracies for the sake of mass consumption.This is a beautiful book, and deserves a more sympathetic treatment.R.J. Hollingdale's translation is the best, but even Walter Kaufmann's is preferable to this one. It DOES matter!

Praising Nietzsches attacks on humanity
ALtough this isn't the best or most sophisticated work Nietzsche has to offer, it certainly is worth reading for anyone interested in his life and works. It is some kind of summary of everything he has said in his previousbooks. Christianity, morals, Kant.. it's all in here. His last attempt toshow the world what it's all about, just before he went insane. My favoritepart are the first couple of pages where statements can be found like"Is man just a mistake of God, or is God just a mistake of man?".Absolutely recommended for anyone whose interested in philosephy in generaland Nietzsche particulary. ... Read more

Product Description
Intent upon letting the reader experience the pleasure and intellectual stimulation in reading these classic authors, the How to Read series provides a context and an explanation that will facilitate and enrich your understanding of texts vital to the canon.Approaching the writing of major intellectuals, artists, and philosophers need no longer be daunting. How to Read is a new sort of introduction--a personal master class in reading--that brings you face to face with the work of some of the most influential and challenging writers in history. In lucid, accessible language, these books explain essential topics such as Nietzsche's thinking on beauty, truth, and memory.

Nietzsche's thinking revolves around a new and striking concept of humanity—a humanity that has come to terms with the death of God and practices the art and science of living well, free of the need for metaphysical certainties and moral absolutes. How, then, are we to live? And what do we love?

Keith Ansell Pearson introduces the reader to Nietzsche's distinctive philosophical style and to the development of his thought. Through a series of close readings of Nietzsche's aphorisms he illuminates some of his best-known but often ill-understood ideas, including eternal recurrence and the superman, and he brings to light the challenging nature of Nietzsche's thinking on key topics such as beauty, truth, and memory. Extracts are taken from a range of Nietzsche's work, including Human, All Too Human; The Gay Science; Thus Spoke Zarathustra; and On the Genealogy of Morality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

I cannot recommend this odd and poorly written book
Even the author Pearson admits up front that he can't do Nietzsche justice within ten short chapters, and his prediction turned out to be correct. An odd, stilted writing style that makes you dig too deep to find the nuggets. The book is better skimmed, where you can extract the necessary page or two that is relevant in each chapter. Much like Nietzsche himself, the author jumps all over the place, and makes 113 pages seem like a trudge.

Hate to be cruel, but I cannot recommend this book to students or amateurs. Your $10 is better spent buy one of Nietzsche's books and reading it yourself. Or better, just fill in the gaps online.

A succinct, lucid overview of Nietzsche's philosophy
Keith Ansell Pearson, Professor of Philosophy and the Director of Graduate Research at The University of Warwick, United Kingdom, has written a succinct, lucid introduction to Nietzsche's philosophy. In only 131 pages (ten enlightening chapters), Dr. Pearson surveys key ideas of Nietzsche's corpus: the death of God, the Superman, the eternal recurrence, the will to power, nihilism, and many others.

The chapter headings are: "The Horror of Existence," "Human, All Too Human -- Historical versus Metaphysical Philosophy," "Nietzsche's Cheerfulness," "On Truth and Knowledge," "On Memory and Forgetting," "Life is a Woman, or the Ultimate Beauties," "The Heaviest Weight," "The Superman," "Nihilism and the Will to Nothingness," and "Behold the Man."

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) is "the great anti-Platonist" and by extension a fearsome opponent of Christianity, which he regarded as "Platonism for the people." On this subject, Pearson writes: "At the centre of Nietzsche's mature work is an attack on modes of thought, such as Platonism, which posit a dualism between a true world and a merely apparent one. [According to Platonic and Christian thought] The true world is held to be outside the order of time, change, plurality and becoming--it is a world of being--while the world of change, becoming and evolution is held to be a false world, one of error and mere semblance. . . . He argues that the peculiar idiosyncrasy of philosophers in general is their lack of historical sense and their hatred of the idea of becoming, what he calls their Egypticism: philosophers dehistoricise things and int he process mummify the concepts they are using to comprehend them. What has not been adequately dealt with are processes of life, such as death, change, procreation, growth, so that whatever truly has being is held not to become and what becomes is held to be nothing real and to lack being." Well explicated, Dr. Pearson!

One other excerpt from "How to Read Nietzsche" will give the reader a sample of the author's style: "It is clear that Nietzsche feared that a widespread state of apathy and indifference towards life would emerge in the wake of God's death. The thought of eternal return is designed to combat this. . . . With the thought of eternal return Nietzsche is inviting us to unlearn the metaphysical universe so that we direct our energies on what is closest to us. It would be absurd to take it as offering a 'solution' to the problems of life. It necessarily has its limits and is a thought to be experimented with--creatively and conscientiously."

Undergraduate students especially will profit from studying "How to Read Nietzsche," and even more advanced scholars will be pleased with the facility with which the author deals with weighty subjects.

In an e-mail that I received from him, Professor Pearson writes: "I am delighted to hear you esteem Nietzsche so much.I have loved him for many years now and hope some of my passion comes across in the little book. The last two chapters of it were difficult to write, I still feel very ambivalent about them, but at the same time I felt a pedagogic responsibility to voice a few warning signs so as to ward off any 'fanatical' appropriation of him. I regard Nietzsche as one of the greatest human beings that have ever lived, as well as one of the greatest liberators of the modern period. I'll have more books published on him in the coming years, I haven't quite finished yet! With this little one it's heartening to hear that it has resonated with a reader and had an impact of some sort. As an author one never knows or very rarely, especially an 'academic' author, and with this book I didn't wish to write solely or even largely for a professional academic audience. It was a lot of fun to do . . . "

Intermediate Introduction to Nietzsche
It is necessary to acknowledge that Nietzsche's complexities, both as an individual and as a philosopher, are difficult to contain within one volume. Indeed, scores of works have been written about each individual aphorism of his; to discuss in any depth or serious consideration in such a small volume is, fundamentally, laughable. But, one must start somewhere, and while 'How to Read Nietzsche' is not an ideal starting point for an individual, it is an excellent companion to Nietzsche's own work...more It is necessary to acknowledge that Nietzsche's complexities, both as an individual and as a philosopher, are difficult to contain within one volume. Indeed, scores of works have been written about each individual aphorism of his; to discuss in any depth or serious consideration in such a small volume is, fundamentally, laughable. But, one must start somewhere, and while 'How to Read Nietzsche' is not an ideal starting point for an individual, it is an excellent companion to Nietzsche's own works, or as a follow up to a more basic introductory text ('Introducing Nietzsche' is excellent for one's first Nietzsche reader).

That said, the effort and scope of this book is laudable, and even occasionally remarkable. Pearson divides 'How to Read Nietzsche' into an introduction (laying the most basic framework for Nietzsche's works, life, ideas) and ten chapters. The ten chapters deal (loosely in chronological order) with main philosophies and ideas propagated throughout Nietzsche's canon.

What makes this book excellent is the ability for each of Pearson's chapters to serve as stand-alone commentary on concepts from Nietzsche's works. The chapter on, say, eternal recurrence is an excellent introductory examination of Nietzsche's ideas. One could then read Nietzsche's writings on the subject, and then return to Pearson's commentary.

This is an excellent intermediate text for any individual looking to explore Nietzsche's major philosophical works, and the points contained therein. As a companion to Nietzsche's works, Pearson's commentary offers some straightforward insights and interpretations. Certainly after reading this, one could feel comfortable reading and discussing some of Nietzsche's works (ideally in the Kauffman translation, to be noted).

As with any philosophical (religious, political, etc,) commentary, it is necessary to approach the information contained therein with a mix of caution, interest, and apprehension. What Nietzsche's written and espoused has been necessarily interpreted through Pearson's own experience and knowledge. While the author doesn't come off as necessarily biased or particularly groundbreaking (his interpretations of Nietzsche's major ideas seem fairly straightforward and traditional, which is definitely preferred in an introductory or intermediate text), he does provide the sound basis for developing a deeper understanding of, and intellectual comfort with, Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy

How to read one of the most unread thinkers...
The much romanticized Friedrich Nietzsche, writer of thousands of short aphorisms as well as essays and poetry, remains ominously difficult to summarize. Any short book that attempts to introduce this wildly diverse thinker will inevitably miss important aspects of his thought. Though this applies to "How to Read Nietzsche," the breadth and depth of this short book more than makes up for any missing elements. As it stands, the book provides apt coverage of Nietzsche's major ideas. Those covered include: "The Birth of Tragedy," historical versus metaphysical philosophy, Nietzsche's "cheerfulness," the "death of God," truth, memory and forgetting, eternal recurrence, "the beauties," the Superman, and nihilism. Each one receives a chapter that applies that idea to Nietzsche's entire oeuvre. For example, eternal recurrence isn't only discussed as it appeared in "The Gay Science," but also in his late notebooks. Most introductory books stop after a definitional exposition of the concept. This one looks at how the concept developed with Nietzsche's thought. Biography, when relevant, also weaves through the philosophical discussion, but the focus remains on the ideas listed above.

The book even covers some of the objections to Nietzsche's thought. This gives the discussion an extra dimension not seen in most introductions. For example, did Nietzsche simultaneously eschew metaphysics while creating his own via the eternal recurrence and the Superman? Also, how important is it that Nietzsche more or less ignored the social or economic strata of society? The author considers this a major oversight and claims that Nietzsche's "thinking can only instruct us so far."

"How to Read Nietzsche," complete with its neo-1950s textbook cover, provides an excellent introduction to a much discussed, but infrequently read, thinker. Though geared towards a philosophical audience, the text should remain accessible to general readers (those with no background whatsoever may struggle here and there). Also, passages from Nietzsche's works accompany each chapter, making each section a mini-exegesis extracted straight from the source. By the end of this text, newcomers will have in depth knowledge of many of Nietzsche's major ideas and also understand why no "Nietzschean" exist. Nonetheless, echoing Foucault, they will have a better idea of what use Nietzsche's thought can be put to.

the tasks Nietzsche bequeathed to us
In the Introduction,the author Keith Ansell Pearson gives us two reasons why we have to read Nietzsche today: 1) his works belong to the most beautifully written texts in the history of Western philosophy, and 2) he is one of the most important, and thought-provoking, philsosophers who probed the predicaments and pitfalls of modernity. Then he points out one peculiarity shared by many Nietzsche readers. While they may admire his works and avidly read them, they don't agree with all the points he makes. In fact, considering that aspects of his philosphy were often found quite troubling by many serious Nietzsche commentators, Pearson suggests, it would be safe to assume that there is no single "core" to be identifed, and designated, as "Nietzschean" in his thinking.

Hence, without having a "core" to be processed and packaged, what he thinks is the best way to introduce Nietzsche is to examine the tasks he bequeathed to us. They are: "practising 'the gay science' and cultivating philosophical 'cheerfulness', getting to grips with the problem of nihilism and conceiving in new ways the art and science of living well (the task of superman)."

I think this was an excellent choice, since it binds the author and reader alike to engage in philosophizing with history in mind, as Nietzsche himself would recommend. The result, however, is somewhat unfortunate in this regard. Chapters following the Introduction are usually organized in this order: 1) excerpts from Nietzsche, 2) historical background, which mixes biography and history, 3) Pearson's exegesis, and 4) views from other commentators. In other words, engagement with Nietzsche's ideas that might have been made much more interesting and relevant, with the question "Why read him now?" in mind, is really done in an all too familiar format of many introductory books.

Still, to me, this is one of the best of its kind I have come across. Pearson obviously not only reads and studies Nietzsche but feels the rhythm and temperature of his thought. Introduction to the views of commentators of our time is quite succint and useful as well. ... Read more