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A Nietzsche Reader
The literary career of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) spanned less than twenty years, but no area of intellectual inquiry was left untouched by his iconoclastic genius. The philosopher who announced the death of God in The Gay Science (1882) and went on to challenge the Christian code of morality in Beyond Good and Evil (1886), grappled with the fundamental issues of the human condition in his own intense autobiography, Ecce Homo (1888). Most notorious of all, perhaps, his idea of the triumphantly transgressive übermann ('superman') is developed in the extreme, yet poetic words of Thus Spake Zarathustra (1883-92). Whether addressing conventional Western philosophy or breaking new ground, Nietzsche vastly extended the boundaries of nineteenth-century thought.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
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About the author
Friedrich Nietzsche
4,292 books25.3k followersFriedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a German classical scholar, philosopher, and critic of culture, who became one of the most influential of all modern thinkers. He began his career as a classical philologist before turning to philosophy. He became the youngest person to hold the Chair of Classical Philology at the University of Basel in 1869 at the age of 24, but resigned in 1879 due to health problems that plagued him most of his life; he completed much of his core writing in the following decade. In 1889, at age 44, he suffered a collapse and afterward a complete loss of his mental faculties, with paralysis and probably vascular dementia. He lived his remaining years in the care of his mother until her death in 1897 and then with his sister Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche. Nietzsche died in 1900, after experiencing pneumonia and multiple strokes.
Nietzsche's work spans philosophical polemics, poetry, cultural criticism, and fiction while displaying a fondness for aphorism and irony. Prominent elements of his philosophy include his radical critique of truth in favour of perspectivism; a genealogical critique of religion and Christian morality and a related theory of master–slave morality; the aesthetic affirmation of life in response to both the "death of God" and the profound crisis of nihilism; the notion of Apollonian and Dionysian forces; and a characterisation of the human subject as the expression of competing wills, collectively understood as the will to power. He also developed influential concepts such as the Übermensch and his doctrine of eternal return. In his later work, he became increasingly preoccupied with the creative powers of the individual to overcome cultural and moral mores in pursuit of new values and aesthetic health. His body of work touched a wide range of topics, including art, philology, history, music, religion, tragedy, culture, and science, and drew inspiration from Greek tragedy as well as figures such as Zoroaster, Arthur Schopenhauer, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Richard Wagner, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
After his death, Nietzsche's sister Elisabeth became the curator and editor of his manuscripts. She edited his unpublished writings to fit her German ultranationalist ideology, often contradicting or obfuscating Nietzsche's stated opinions, which were explicitly opposed to antisemitism and nationalism. Through her published editions, Nietzsche's work became associated with fascism and Nazism. 20th-century scholars such as Walter Kaufmann, R.J. Hollingdale, and Georges Bataille defended Nietzsche against this interpretation, and corrected editions of his writings were soon made available. Nietzsche's thought enjoyed renewed popularity in the 1960s and his ideas have since had a profound impact on 20th- and early 21st-century thinkers across philosophy—especially in schools of continental philosophy such as existentialism, postmodernism, and post-structuralism—as well as art, literature, music, poetry, politics, and popular culture.
Nietzsche's work spans philosophical polemics, poetry, cultural criticism, and fiction while displaying a fondness for aphorism and irony. Prominent elements of his philosophy include his radical critique of truth in favour of perspectivism; a genealogical critique of religion and Christian morality and a related theory of master–slave morality; the aesthetic affirmation of life in response to both the "death of God" and the profound crisis of nihilism; the notion of Apollonian and Dionysian forces; and a characterisation of the human subject as the expression of competing wills, collectively understood as the will to power. He also developed influential concepts such as the Übermensch and his doctrine of eternal return. In his later work, he became increasingly preoccupied with the creative powers of the individual to overcome cultural and moral mores in pursuit of new values and aesthetic health. His body of work touched a wide range of topics, including art, philology, history, music, religion, tragedy, culture, and science, and drew inspiration from Greek tragedy as well as figures such as Zoroaster, Arthur Schopenhauer, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Richard Wagner, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
After his death, Nietzsche's sister Elisabeth became the curator and editor of his manuscripts. She edited his unpublished writings to fit her German ultranationalist ideology, often contradicting or obfuscating Nietzsche's stated opinions, which were explicitly opposed to antisemitism and nationalism. Through her published editions, Nietzsche's work became associated with fascism and Nazism. 20th-century scholars such as Walter Kaufmann, R.J. Hollingdale, and Georges Bataille defended Nietzsche against this interpretation, and corrected editions of his writings were soon made available. Nietzsche's thought enjoyed renewed popularity in the 1960s and his ideas have since had a profound impact on 20th- and early 21st-century thinkers across philosophy—especially in schools of continental philosophy such as existentialism, postmodernism, and post-structuralism—as well as art, literature, music, poetry, politics, and popular culture.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
April 14, 2023
I liked this book. How does one comment on Nietzsche? For me, he is not easy. Unless a young person was extraordinarily well read, I don't see how a young person would get much out of reading Nietzsche, for he was extremely bookish, so there is a stew of maturity there. Nietzsche is not a comfortable read, and the ups and downs and back and forth of his reasoning can seem contradictory or hypocritcal, but one has to see Nietzsche as parts of the whole. I do not pretend to fully understand Nietzsche, regard to Nietzsche's affinity to men like Diogenes, but I do understand some small bits such as "amor fati", and it's those little bits that stick with me. Frankly, Nietzsche isn't for everyone, and I'm certain he can be infuriatingly offensive. He can be a jagged pill, but if you wait for the over all affect, you might chuckle. I sort of figured it out when Nietzsche talked about a dwarf on his shoulder. To me, he was a pop culture geek of his time.
October 4, 2007
This was my introduction to Nietzsche's philosophy. It is a collection of excerpts from all his major works. I was so enthralled with this book when I read it I hardly slept. Nietzsche is a great writer, and he will always have you chuckling evilly, one of the few philosophers with a sense of humor.
Nietzsche will make you look beyond good and evil and question all those things Biblical parables you were taught in parochial school. His philosophy is much more than a critique of God and religion however - there is so much more to the self-proclaimed Anti-Christ.
Nietzsche will make you look beyond good and evil and question all those things Biblical parables you were taught in parochial school. His philosophy is much more than a critique of God and religion however - there is so much more to the self-proclaimed Anti-Christ.
April 19, 2018
"When man no longer regards himself as evil he ceases to be so!"
R.J. Hollingdale compiles selections spanning thirteen years of Nietzsche's writings on certain topics (Philosophy, Morality, Will to Power etc.) and presents a brilliant overview of the author's most dazzling work. His choice to put Nietzsche's writing on each topic in chronological order presents the reader with a visible evolution of thought, and his decision to present the excerpts without commentary make the pieces more profound to read (this does, however, mean that sections are out of context, and humorous passages meant to be read sarcastically are presented alongside his most serious points).
Hollingdale writes that this selection from Nietzsche "is not presented as a substitute for studying all of Nietzsche: its ambition is to lure on to that undertaking". This book does a fine job of it.
R.J. Hollingdale compiles selections spanning thirteen years of Nietzsche's writings on certain topics (Philosophy, Morality, Will to Power etc.) and presents a brilliant overview of the author's most dazzling work. His choice to put Nietzsche's writing on each topic in chronological order presents the reader with a visible evolution of thought, and his decision to present the excerpts without commentary make the pieces more profound to read (this does, however, mean that sections are out of context, and humorous passages meant to be read sarcastically are presented alongside his most serious points).
Hollingdale writes that this selection from Nietzsche "is not presented as a substitute for studying all of Nietzsche: its ambition is to lure on to that undertaking". This book does a fine job of it.
September 18, 2016
This book sets out, after a very brief introdction, to give an overview to Neitzsche purely by giving excerpts of his writing without any discussion, notes or explanation arranged in a set of thematic groupings. In choosing this selection Hollingdale was not attempting to give an understanding of Neitzsche's thought, but merely a taster which he hoped would encourage the reader to go on and research Neitzsche more thoroughly. This is an exercise Neitzsche himself would probably not have approved of - as can be seen in one of the earliest excerpts in the book:
"The worst readers are those who behave like plundering troops: they take away a few things they can use, dirty and confound the remainder, and revile the whole."
However, I think Hollingdale's aim is laudable and as long as one is not expecting to come away with any profound understanding of Neitzsche, but merely a taster, then I think it largely works. I am not completely convinced by some of the thematic groupings Hollingdale uses, but overall this book achieves its aim. My rating is a reflection of this, rather than a comment on Neitzsche's writing itself. If you are looking for a place to start with Neitzsche, you could do a lot worse than this book.
"The worst readers are those who behave like plundering troops: they take away a few things they can use, dirty and confound the remainder, and revile the whole."
However, I think Hollingdale's aim is laudable and as long as one is not expecting to come away with any profound understanding of Neitzsche, but merely a taster, then I think it largely works. I am not completely convinced by some of the thematic groupings Hollingdale uses, but overall this book achieves its aim. My rating is a reflection of this, rather than a comment on Neitzsche's writing itself. If you are looking for a place to start with Neitzsche, you could do a lot worse than this book.
March 25, 2015
With Nietzsche’s emphasis on the will-to-power and its manifestation in the Superman, it’s easy enough to see him as the “bad boy” of philosophy, as a rebel who resonates, even though he may be extreme. In this selection of Nietzsche’s “mature” writings, it’s possible to interpret Nietzsche in a less extreme way.
Nietzsche yells out that God is dead and he’s glad for that. Christianity shuts us down, tells us we are bad and tells us how to be good. Christianity is his primary target, but he’s also against our tribal life that creates conformity (the herd mentality). Philosophers are prime targets as well. Plato, Kant and others insist on a universality that buries the individual. The will-to-power is about the will-to-live, to seek what we need and to defend against what we don’t need. Collectively, life is “appropriation” and “self-preservation.” There is nothing wrong with animal instincts he says, but there is everything wrong with religious, social, and ethical rules that tell us that we are bad beings.
At least in these selections, Nietzsche goes one step further. In a near Freud-like insight, he seems to be saying that when we are suppressed by external forces, we turn that repressed will-to-live energy against ourselves. This harms us and is harmful to others. Now we become dangerous. We take our anger out on others, through manipulation, domination, cruelty, etc. Power itself is not bad; the will-to-power is the essence of our being. But when life energy is repressed it comes out as a negative, as power to assert the self at the expense of others. “All instincts which do not discharge themselves outwardly turn inwards,” he writes, "all those instincts of wild, free, prowling man turned backwards against man himself.” But then they are expressed outward, as transformed, negative energy, expressed as “Enmity, cruelty, joy in persecuting, in attacking, in change, in destruction…as the consequence of a forcible sundering from his animal past.”
Mostly, Nietzsche’s emphasis is on those social forces that create a weak man. The dangerous social effects of repressed animal man are less clear. What may also be implied is that our animal instincts for self-preservation are benign. Leave man alone Nietzsche seems to be saying and he will do just fine. If man is not affirmatively social and compassionate he, at least, will not do harm. The repressed man is the man who should be overcome. And this is what Nietzsche, the existentialist, advocates: We are free to create our future and to be who we are meant to be.
Nietzsche yells out that God is dead and he’s glad for that. Christianity shuts us down, tells us we are bad and tells us how to be good. Christianity is his primary target, but he’s also against our tribal life that creates conformity (the herd mentality). Philosophers are prime targets as well. Plato, Kant and others insist on a universality that buries the individual. The will-to-power is about the will-to-live, to seek what we need and to defend against what we don’t need. Collectively, life is “appropriation” and “self-preservation.” There is nothing wrong with animal instincts he says, but there is everything wrong with religious, social, and ethical rules that tell us that we are bad beings.
At least in these selections, Nietzsche goes one step further. In a near Freud-like insight, he seems to be saying that when we are suppressed by external forces, we turn that repressed will-to-live energy against ourselves. This harms us and is harmful to others. Now we become dangerous. We take our anger out on others, through manipulation, domination, cruelty, etc. Power itself is not bad; the will-to-power is the essence of our being. But when life energy is repressed it comes out as a negative, as power to assert the self at the expense of others. “All instincts which do not discharge themselves outwardly turn inwards,” he writes, "all those instincts of wild, free, prowling man turned backwards against man himself.” But then they are expressed outward, as transformed, negative energy, expressed as “Enmity, cruelty, joy in persecuting, in attacking, in change, in destruction…as the consequence of a forcible sundering from his animal past.”
Mostly, Nietzsche’s emphasis is on those social forces that create a weak man. The dangerous social effects of repressed animal man are less clear. What may also be implied is that our animal instincts for self-preservation are benign. Leave man alone Nietzsche seems to be saying and he will do just fine. If man is not affirmatively social and compassionate he, at least, will not do harm. The repressed man is the man who should be overcome. And this is what Nietzsche, the existentialist, advocates: We are free to create our future and to be who we are meant to be.
February 22, 2024
"What if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness, and say to you, 'This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in your life will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence' [...] Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spoke thus? Or have you once experienced a tremendous moment when you would have answered him: 'You are a god and never have I heard anything more divine.'"
January 10, 2025
A good selection. But one needs to understand the context of the works the selections are found in.
November 17, 2018
A Nietzsche Reader is essentially a collection of essays (selected and translated by R. J. Holllingdale) that encompasses Nietzsche’s most influential ideas. The book includes snippets of his work on philosophers; logic, epistemology and metaphysics; morality; art; psychology; religion; nihilism; will to power; the superman; eternal recurrence; and a reflective section that ends the book strongly.
This is a must read for anyone looking to jump down the rabbit hole that is Nietzschean philosophy. Hollingdale’s selection of short essay’s and aphorisms effectively displays Nietzsche’s wit and sophistication, with some extracts piercing the subject matter at its core, and some requiring the reader to stop and reflect, and likely re-read in a slower, more alert manner. Either way, like the many influential philosophers in history, Nietzsche speaks to the soul and forces his readers to decipher allegories and aphorisms that speak on mediums that require self-evaluation and a sense of honest irony towards one’s own life.
This is a must read for anyone looking to jump down the rabbit hole that is Nietzschean philosophy. Hollingdale’s selection of short essay’s and aphorisms effectively displays Nietzsche’s wit and sophistication, with some extracts piercing the subject matter at its core, and some requiring the reader to stop and reflect, and likely re-read in a slower, more alert manner. Either way, like the many influential philosophers in history, Nietzsche speaks to the soul and forces his readers to decipher allegories and aphorisms that speak on mediums that require self-evaluation and a sense of honest irony towards one’s own life.
July 8, 2012
I appreciate this volume, not for the content and direction of the philosophy presented within (I disagree with large swaths), but for it's editor's (R. J. Hollingdale) astute ability to cull relevant passages from Nietzsche's works, creating what amounts to an excellent overview of the philosopher's thought in his own words. Divided by theme, Hollingdale includes sections on a wide variety of topics, including morality, art, religion, nihilism, and superman. Each section is organized in chronological order, drawing on Nietzsche's writings from the last ten years of his writing life (he lived in out of the public eye for the last decade of his life, struggling with mental illness).
Among the themes developed by Nietzsche in sections of this reader, we get a sense of his absolute determinism, his resulting belief that no one is accountable for their actions or natures, his absolute suspicion of religion, the opposition of the mythic with the scientific, his understanding of will to power, and his belief in the significant human pursuit of taking for oneself. Nietzsche strikes me as the prototypical modernist stripped of any illusions retained from non-Enlightenment sources. In this, Nietzsche offers a thoroughly materialist idea of humanity, and as a result a terrifying vision of the world. While I cannot recommend Nietzsche's ideas, as a fundamentally important figure in the history of ideas he deserves our attention.
Among the themes developed by Nietzsche in sections of this reader, we get a sense of his absolute determinism, his resulting belief that no one is accountable for their actions or natures, his absolute suspicion of religion, the opposition of the mythic with the scientific, his understanding of will to power, and his belief in the significant human pursuit of taking for oneself. Nietzsche strikes me as the prototypical modernist stripped of any illusions retained from non-Enlightenment sources. In this, Nietzsche offers a thoroughly materialist idea of humanity, and as a result a terrifying vision of the world. While I cannot recommend Nietzsche's ideas, as a fundamentally important figure in the history of ideas he deserves our attention.
March 23, 2009
I had this book sitting on my desk at a job I had, when I first read it about 14 years ago...a co worker saw it and asked where I was going to college...I replied I was not attending college, she said "you are reading Nietzshe without it being required?" I always laugh when I think of that. I love his philosophy, but maybe it takes a little bit of an off-kiltered person such as myself to enjoy that. :)
April 18, 2013
This is the type of thing that people who get bullied take seriously. Of course reading this book is not enough for overcoming the source of bullying, which is not the bully himself. Either way the Nietzschian really fails to grapple both with the bully and its source, and is thus a failure. Nietzsche is seen as completely contrarian, but his erection for brute power is ultimately conformist to the extreme.
June 15, 2022
I don't dislike it because he said God is dead. That was its redeeming value. His will to power seems to have gotten its full expression with the Nazis. And his eternal recurrence is something I would never want to read again and again for ever. And his Zarathustra attempt at prose as a way to turn his earlier negative narcissistic rants into an even more annoying attempt at expressing that narcissism in a positive manner.
December 29, 2014
I love Nietzsche... I love Nietzsche to death!
But this is such a fragmented way to read Nietzsche! Read "Truth and Lie in a Non-Moral Sense" or some sections of Zarathustra thoroughly, and you'll already get a sense of everything written in this book.
Nietzsche's to be read in depth. But it's nice to be able to go theme by theme.
But this is such a fragmented way to read Nietzsche! Read "Truth and Lie in a Non-Moral Sense" or some sections of Zarathustra thoroughly, and you'll already get a sense of everything written in this book.
Nietzsche's to be read in depth. But it's nice to be able to go theme by theme.
December 4, 2012
3 Stars to the book, 4 to the philosophy. He was way ahead of his times. His philosophy strikes at the very basic and unconscious fundamentals of our moral instincts. If fully understood is utterly disturbing.
June 4, 2014
Not a great compilation -- there isn't enough context to get tone; often these selections are sarcastic, but you don't get that out of context. An alright-ish introduction, but you must supplement with reading about Nietzsche's thinking (such as Stanford's very helpful site).
January 30, 2025
A great old compilation which I enjoyed even more than twilight of the idols and co, filled with so so so many ideas. What I’ve found great about reading Nietzsche is when you grasp an idea when reading him you can think of so much , I can imagine myself being able to explain his thought well when I’m reading him being able to grasp certain ideas. I have to say I wish whoever wrote Aristotles works were exciting as Nietzsche’s writing but both styles are products of their time the Greeks probably weren’t thinking about being as charismatic as Nietzsche.
Nietzsche is a great ‘Prophet’ which I’m sure he’d be disgusted by my saying but what I mean is I think he was able to predict things extremely well that or things never changed for example the kind of new resentment toward philosophy which is more relevant than ever, he predicts there will be many wars in the future as man loves risk, also why kind of artsy people are more progressive (always looking for the new things). He was simply a visionary or a great observer if you like it or not.
One of Nietzsche’s most interesting ideas included in his philosophy is his anti moralism so of course it was very interesting to see it covered. He sort of covers a history of it, it starts with the powerful tribe who conquer set up their system of what’s right or wrong, then us in hindsight a happy to see a gentler group come and establish their set of morality, all morality is changeable and dictated by time Nietzsche would think and that’s why he doesn’t like it, why try and set something in stone that is always changing? That being his objection to other philosophies especially religions. The Ubermensch evokes contradiction, morality is not supposed to have contradiction, no morality for Mr Ubermensch. An intresting observstion is that animals change to survive so why should we not? ‘Man’ is too broad a concept. It was in this book where I first read and started to understand the master slave morality though I still wouldn’t say I’m proficient in his thought there but through my limited comprehension I understand his quote ‘The Only Christian died on the cross’ Jesus’s self empowerment was through the life he led, though not as Nietzsche would define his Ubermensch, Jesus was his own Ubermensch, but Nietzsche finds it wrong for a King to have a figure like Jesus as an example, a person who’s collectivism was his empowerment, collectivism isn’t for everyone, collectivism will destroy some that’s why Neitzche doesn’t want us to blindly follow as sheep.
There’s just so so so much to cover here, I get quite worried when I feel obligated to cover lots of ideas. For about a week before reading this my reading was going of I tried reading Decartes then crime and punishment my mind wasn’t in the game but this pulled me back which I’m obviously grateful for, adding to the rating.
Psychologically the observations are sound but I feel this is expected. The section on religion had tonnes of psychological observations which were fantastic on the reality than religion can become an incredibly defeating device, Christian Nihilism is talked about as an idea again which is such an interesting idea. The concept of the ‘Death of God’ and the bad things which come with that is covered, despite being disgusted at Abrahamic faith he was quite alarmed at its fading away at the time.
I just can’t wait to Re-read some of this stuff and be able to talk about it more proficiently.
Overall a pretty fantastic read all people who want to be torn apart a bit should read Nietzsche you will probably adopt some of his philosophy along the way whilst you still may keep your prior beliefs.
September 23, 2020
A Nietzsche Reader. Friedrich Nietzsche, R.J. Hollingdale (Translator).
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“Philosophy, as I have hitherto understood and lived it, is a voluntary living in ice and high mountains - a seeking after everything strange and questionable in existence, all that has hitherto been excommunicated by morality.”
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I feel that I am now one step closer to gaining some sort of rudimentary understanding of Nietzsche. This book is a great starting point as it is a collection of selected passages from all of the philosopher’s main works, grouped thematically.
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The writing is powerful and readable, warmer than I was expecting, poetic and even humorous at times - a far cry from the cold Hitler-ish caricature of him I’d had in my head. As expected the ideas are deep and weighty and I read it in small doses, slowly chipping away a few pages at a time.
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I was fascinated by the thoughts on Morality, Will To Power, and the Psychological Observations that seemed Freudian but I believe pre-date him. He totally dismantles Religion, especially Christianity!
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This book is just a taster and it is impossible to get the full context of Nietzsche’s thoughts. I felt the subjects mentioned in the above paragraph worked best in this format. I was a little more lost in the nihilism, anti-nihilism, Superman and Zarathustra sections and feel these especially need to be read in full. It was also interesting to see his progression over the years.
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This book has definitely given me an appetite to delve into some of Nietzsche’s complete works.
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4/5 ⭐️
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#peterruysbookreviews
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“Philosophy, as I have hitherto understood and lived it, is a voluntary living in ice and high mountains - a seeking after everything strange and questionable in existence, all that has hitherto been excommunicated by morality.”
.
I feel that I am now one step closer to gaining some sort of rudimentary understanding of Nietzsche. This book is a great starting point as it is a collection of selected passages from all of the philosopher’s main works, grouped thematically.
.
The writing is powerful and readable, warmer than I was expecting, poetic and even humorous at times - a far cry from the cold Hitler-ish caricature of him I’d had in my head. As expected the ideas are deep and weighty and I read it in small doses, slowly chipping away a few pages at a time.
.
I was fascinated by the thoughts on Morality, Will To Power, and the Psychological Observations that seemed Freudian but I believe pre-date him. He totally dismantles Religion, especially Christianity!
.
This book is just a taster and it is impossible to get the full context of Nietzsche’s thoughts. I felt the subjects mentioned in the above paragraph worked best in this format. I was a little more lost in the nihilism, anti-nihilism, Superman and Zarathustra sections and feel these especially need to be read in full. It was also interesting to see his progression over the years.
.
This book has definitely given me an appetite to delve into some of Nietzsche’s complete works.
.
.
.
4/5 ⭐️
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.
.
#peterruysbookreviews
June 12, 2022
Never reading Nietzsche again, probably, but I might come back to this. I get it, we made up morality, God is dead, or whatever. Okay, so what is god, motherfucker? Dude set us down in the moral paradigm of the holocaust and we've never left. Man is a genius though, and it's really only because he said so.
I think he was right about a lot of stuff, which advanced my thinking and stuff, but he was also dead wrong about a lot of stuff, like women and men, and how history is made by great men who transcend the limits of their system. wrong.
Honestly, not much else to say about the reader. Christians are delusional, seize your life, follow your passions and embrace the moment, a part of your conscience is just the authority of others socialized into your brain. You know, tautological shit he spent his whole life on.
I think he was right about a lot of stuff, which advanced my thinking and stuff, but he was also dead wrong about a lot of stuff, like women and men, and how history is made by great men who transcend the limits of their system. wrong.
Honestly, not much else to say about the reader. Christians are delusional, seize your life, follow your passions and embrace the moment, a part of your conscience is just the authority of others socialized into your brain. You know, tautological shit he spent his whole life on.
January 7, 2024
I'm glad to read Nietzsche after reading so many others that his thinking was key to (Deleuze, Foucault, Sartre, Jung, Derrida, etc.). It almost feels like 99% of my favorite "modern" philosophers built off of some of his ideas (not that he's the exclusive origin, but he is immensely creative). I can also see how easily his ideas were misappropriated by those he would have hated.
I knew he didn't only pull from "western" thought, but I was surprised how much (often explicitly) his ideas aligned with my understanding of many of the Buddha's teachings, especially with regard to the nature of reality, emotions, causality, the self, suffering, and ideas of good and bad.
Especially valuable to me were his genealogical arguments about the source of our ideas of good and evil, his analysis of language, and his eternal recurrence of the same.
I knew he didn't only pull from "western" thought, but I was surprised how much (often explicitly) his ideas aligned with my understanding of many of the Buddha's teachings, especially with regard to the nature of reality, emotions, causality, the self, suffering, and ideas of good and bad.
Especially valuable to me were his genealogical arguments about the source of our ideas of good and evil, his analysis of language, and his eternal recurrence of the same.
November 12, 2018
Great selection of Nietzsche's work. Read this one backwards as it is organized thematically, which ends up being a sort of chronological journey through Nietzsche's works. Reading the individual works of Nietzsche, one will find that he often repeats concepts from book to book, and it is hard to say in particular what a given book is 'about', this thematic organization is far more effective for doing this, though one should certainly read the original texts. Best chapters: morality, will to power, the superman, ie. that which we know Nietzsche for.
January 28, 2021
Without properly studying Nietzsche, it is difficult to say whether this is a proper collection of his thoughts, however it does work well as an introduction. The collection breaks ideas down and groups them together throughout all his works. Paradoxically, while I don't think I enjoy this reordering of his thoughts, I likely wouldn't have known where to start if it wasn't for this book. I will likely move to "Beyond Good and Evil" now to complete some of the context lacking in this collection. All in all I believe it does what it intended: piqued my interest in a further study of Nietzsche.
April 1, 2025
An interesting book for sure. It gives little snippets of things Nietzsche has written, and these snippets had been organized into chapters which I suppose deal with certain aspects of his philosophy.
His writing, as scattered and everywhere as it is in this collection, has definitely boosted him up in my TBR list.
I recommend this book to anyone who just wants to dip their toes into Nietzsche!
His writing, as scattered and everywhere as it is in this collection, has definitely boosted him up in my TBR list.
I recommend this book to anyone who just wants to dip their toes into Nietzsche!
February 14, 2018
This basically consists of extracts from Nietzsche's works, organised thematically. I only read a small number of pages at a time because I liked mulling it all over in between reading fiction books. It's quite a good introduction to his world view if you haven't read any of his writing before.
June 26, 2022
While I enjoy Nietzsche's works, I found this selection quite disconnected and difficult to follow. I think this is just my personal preference.
I wouldn't start out reading this work if you wish to read Nietzsche, but rather arrive at later in on into your studies of him.
I wouldn't start out reading this work if you wish to read Nietzsche, but rather arrive at later in on into your studies of him.
May 25, 2017
Fun. You need to know a little about Nietzsche for it to make sense, it wouldn't work as an introduction to his thought.
February 18, 2020
bit of a melter
December 10, 2020
Magnificent. Fight back, destroy your enemy, conquer the enemy territory.
June 2, 2021
Big yes
June 23, 2021
A great to introduction to the life and work of a man much maligned by popular media. Especially appreciated the chapter on his maxims and reflections.
June 14, 2023
In my opinion it makes no sense to 'rate' philosophy works. So in general I give any philosophical work I read 5/5 as long as I engaged with it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews