Nietzsche: His Life and Works

by Anthony Mario Ludovici, Oscar Levy (Foreword)

Anthony M. Ludovici, philosopher and defender of aristocracy, gives us this brilliant introduction to the thought of Friedrich Nietzsche that also serves to counter the distortions of later commentators such as Walter Kaufmann.

Genres: Philosophy, Biography, Nonfiction

120 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 27, 2015

About the author

Anthony Mario Ludovici was an English philosopher, Nietzschean sociologist and social critic. He is best known, perhaps, as a proponent of aristocracy, and in the early 20th century was a leading British conservative author. He wrote on subjects including metaphysics, politics, economics, religion, the differences between the sexes, race and eugenics.

Ludovici began his career as an artist, painting and illustrating books. He became private secretary to sculptor Auguste Rodin. Ultimately, he would turn towards writing, with over 40 books as author, and translating over 60 others.

Reviews

[Matthew W · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief, but strong analysis of Friedrich Nietzsche and his works. In fact, I would recommend this book to those interested in studying Nietzsche and need a proper introduction. Anthony M. Ludovici was a Nietzschean, but was certainly a brilliant philosopher in his own right. Ludovici obviously took from Nietzsche some of his most common yet most important (and often misinterpreted) philosophies that would inspire his own aristocratic philosophies. Ludovici makes this clear in his work "Nietzsche: His Life and Works." So many leftists, nihilists, novelty intellectuals, and existentialists talk of Nietzsche today, but Ludovici was someone that truly followed in Zarathustra's footsteps.

[Sean Pendleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent biography by a solid & well-versed Nietzschean. A brief but strong introduction to Nietzsche's Philosophy.

[B.M.B. Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introduction to the philosopher and his teachings.

[Issen Alibris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nietzsche: His Life and Works offers an insightful examination of one of history's most influential and controversial philosophers. This biographical book explores the experiences and ideas that shaped Friedrich Nietzsche's perspective on religion, morality, culture, and human nature.

The author provides a compelling narrative of Nietzsche's unique life story, from his upbringing in a religious household to his estrangement from family and society. This background gives important context for understanding the evolution of Nietzsche's philosophy. His radical questioning of long-held beliefs and values shone a critical light on topics that many preferred to leave unexamined.

While Nietzsche's writing could be unrelenting in its criticism of norms, I appreciated this book's balanced approach in portraying the humanity behind his words. The picture that emerges is of a complex man troubled by the state of the world he observed, and determined to awaken people to actively question their assumptions.

Above all, this book succeeds in underscoring the relevance of Nietzsche's insights to our present-day struggles with constructing meaning, morality, and purpose. His timeless quotes and concepts, like the Übermensch and the death of God, continue to influence debates around human thinking and behavior. For anyone wishing to learn about one of history's deepest thinkers, Nietzsche: His Life and Works provides an engaging and insightful introduction

[La Pasión Inútil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impresionante disertación sobre el valor de la filosofía nietzscheana que tiene un doble valor: primero, el inscribirse en la primera época de recepción del autor (1910) y, segundo, estar bien lejos de todas las miradas políticamente respetuosas o correctivas de Nietzsche que abundan en la actualidad. Ludovici hace aquí un rastreo del pensamiento nietzscheano a partir de la ubicación de un deseo transversal del filósofo: la búsqueda de una clase superior de hombre. De este modo, los capítulos que dedica a la crítica de la moral, la transmutación, la ruptura con la teoría evolucionista y su mirada política son siempre sugerentes y llenos de una mirada especialmente fuerte.

[ItsReallyOliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid, concise introduction to Nietzsche. Written prior to WW1, this is a far better representation of Nietzsche's thought than you'll get from the bastardised nihilistic leftism you find common today.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This text is an interesting example of Nietzsche's appropriation by the extreme right of the English aristocracy in the years before Hitler, showing how Nietzsche's philosophy and Darwin were combined under nationalist rubrics and race "science" to justify war and class suppression. Ludovici read his Nietzsche in German and was associated with Oscar Levy, an early scholar in the field.