The Legend of Nietzsche's Syphilis:

by Richard Schain

In this unique exploration of Nietzsche's life and behavior, Dr. Richard Schain challenges the widely held view that this important philosopher's actions and erratic writings were due to general paresis, or syphilis of the brain. The author offers a detailed biography of Nietzsche's life, at each major turning point offering his own thoughts regarding why the diagnosis of syphilis is unsatisfactory to explain Nietszche's behavioral and thought patterns. With an accessible writing style and close attention to detail, Schain offers important reasons for one to reevaluate the claims made regarding Nietzsche's mental illness.

Schain also explores another common diagnosis, namely, that of schizophrenia. While this diagnosis, seems more plausible than that of general paresis, it is still inadequate to fully explain the aberrant behavior and eventual mental deterioration of one of the leading Western philosophers of our time. By examining Nietzsche's life and challenging the medical opinions of the time, Schain lays the foundation for rigorous reexamination of the diagnoses of both general paresis and schizophrenia as causes for Nietzsche's actions, thoughts, and philosophies.

152 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2001

Reviews

[Randy Schain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never mind my biased opinion about this (remarkable) book - the author is my father. But a factual point missing from these pages are his likely unique qualifications for providing its central thesis:
Along with being a genuine scholar of Nietzsche's life and work, Dr. Richard Schain is also a retired Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry (and Pediatrics) from the UCLA School of Medicine.
His primary conclusions challenging the widely held assumptions about Nietzsche's syphilis and/or schizophrenia are hardly a layman's diagnosis. There are countless volumes dealing with this subject, but the combined expertise at work herein may well be unique.

[Joe Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flawless work that really debunks a very old myth that never made a lot of sense—Nietzsche’s syphilis. Neurosyphilis has a morality rate of no more than 5-6 years, at most, with severe cases, like Nietzsche supposedly had, of 3-6 months. It makes no sense then that he would survive for eleven years after succumbing to the psychological symptoms.

My money is on “buddy stared into the abyss too long.”

[Hoyden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm only half-way through... but I LOVE IT! It makes wild conjectures out of almost nothing... but it's also proving Nietzsche's my soul mate. Nietzsche as a soul mate. I have problems.