Introduction to nietzsche book

Karl jaspers 18831969, a founder of existentialism, studied law and medicine at the university of heidelberg in germany, and received his m. The philosophy of friedrich nietzsche was the first book ever to appear in english on the german philosopher, and h. It clearly merits, though, the level of attention it receives and can justifiably be regarded as one of the key texts of european. The philosophy of friedrich nietzsche 18441900 was almost wholly neglected during his sane life, which came to an abr. If you have some background in philosophy, chapters 14 of my nietzsche on morality will introduce you to nietzsche s moral philosophy. Nietzsches life, his philosophical influences, and his basic philosophical ideas are covered in a short and compact way. Nietzsche saw theognis as the intellectual champion of the defeated megarian aristocracy, who sought to preserve the dorian spirit and its noble virtues. This is a somewhat dated introduction to nietzsches thoughts. A very short introduction provides an introduction to the philosophers life and work examines the numerous ambiguities inherent in his writings. With his wellknown idiosyncrasies and aphoristic style, friedrich nietzsche is always bracing and provocative, and temptingly easy to dip into. Some of nietzsches best writings are included in this book, all translated by walter kaufmann kaufmann being, of course, one of the greatest scholars of german literature and nietzsche in particular of the twentieth century. In this lecture we provide an introduction to some of friedrich nietzsches main ideas. Pdf nietzsche a very short introduction download full.

He is the author of nietzsche on morality and coeditor of several books on nietzsche s work. Arguably the most systematic and coherent of nietzsche s works. If youre looking for quick introduction to nietzsche, this book will do the job. Nietzsches topic for his valedictorian dissertation at the school of pforta was the poet theognis, focusing on his life in megara, his lyrical production, and his views on the gods, morality, and politics. Although it has come to be prized by many commentators as one of his most important texts, nietzsche conceived on the genealogy of morality 1887 as a small polemical pamphlet that might help him sell more copies of his earlier writings. This volume offers introductory essays on all of nietzsches completed works and also his unpublished notebooks. As walter kaufmann, one of the worlds leading authorities on nietzsche, notes in his introduction, few writers in any age were so full of ideas, and few writers have been so consistently. Whats the best book of nietzsches to start out with. It is thus a multiauthor work, but leaving aside a certain degree of overlap in the prefatory biographical outlines in each essay, it is none the worse for that. The gay science marks a decisive step beyond the books that came before it because it introduces two of what were to become nietzsches bestknown themes, the death of god and the eternal recurrence. God is dead, by friedrich nietzsche 867 words bartleby. It seems like nietzsche is one of the few philosophers whom lots of.

What is the best order to read nietzsches books in. An introduction to nietzsche as political thinker by keith. The spck introduction to nietzsche logos bible software. Friedrich nietzsche, a key figure of modern and postmodern western thought, is associated with many slogans and buzzwordsperhaps most famously, god is dead. An introduction to the work of nietzsche, including discussion of his major works, beyond good and evil, the genealogy of morals and thus spoke zarathustra. Id like to read and understand nietzsche, but im not sure im ready. It shows his anticipation of existentialism, psychoanalysis, semiotics and postmodernism and explores his theories on the existence of god and human evolution. After making this claim, the madman becomes horrified by his. I would argue that book 1 of thus spoke zarathustra is a pretty good place to start. Instead, for nietzsche philosophy had a definite practical purpose. This text provides an introduction to nietzsches philosophy and seeks to reflect the diversity and depth of the 19thcentury thinker. Jaspers insists on forcing the bulk of nietzsches work into a coherent metaphysics something that n. An accessible short introduction to the man who decla. When nietzsche called his book the dawn of day, he was far from giving it a merely fanciful title to attract the attention of that large section of the public which judges books by their titles rather than by their contents.

There are absolutely loads of biographies of nietzsche. I think the virtue of this book is that it has a detailed and readable narrative of the life, but it combines it with an introduction to the philosophical works, which is written at a very appropriate level for the beginner. Friedrich nietzsche, german classical scholar, philosopher, and critic of culture, who became one of the most influential of all modern thinkers. I wrote a nifty little book called reading the way of things. The antichrist 1888 christianity remains to this day the. Nietzsche has been thought by some people to have had a brutal and ruthless attitude to the world. Pdf introducing nietzsche download full pdf book download. He has also published widely on topics in moral, political and legal philosophy, and runs the influential philosophy blog leiter reports.

This is the first introductory book on nietzsche to engage explicitly with his affirmative religious perspective and highlight what exactly christians can learn from it. Thus spoke zarathustra was my introduction to nietzsche, so id. I thought his book the gay science may be one of his easier works. Recommendations for books to introduce someone to philosophy. Its value is surrounded by a great deal of controversy among scholars. Gay science, 126 this harsh statement remains among friedrich nietzsches most powerful and disturbing quotes, spoken by a proclaimed madman to a crowd of disbelievers. An introduction to nietzsche as political thinker book. This book is both a concise and lucid introduction to nietzsche and an original contribution to critical debates concerning nietzsche interpretation and reception. For everything nietzsche, this unusual introduction provides a separate introductory essay for each of his major works. Nietzsche remains the most influential philosopher of the modern era. Nietzsche believed that such a pursuit would provide one with the ability to completely affirm life in the face of suffering, pain, and tragedy. An introduction to the work of nietzsche great thinkers.

The basic writings of nietzsche book by friedrich nietzsche. The works of friedrich nietzsche have fascinated readers around the world ever since the publication of his first book more than a hundred years ago. Friedrich nietzsche stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. This book is an uptodate and authoritative overview of the thought of this fascinating figure. An introduction to nietzsche by lucy huskinson goodreads. Michael tanners introduction to the philosophers life and work examines the numerous ambiguities inherent in his writings and explodes many of the. So i came to this book with knowledge, and id say its an accessible, entertaining and fairly incisive read.

Pippins collection introductions to nietzsche cambridge, 2012. What can christians learn from the man who declared that god is dead. Nietzsche and zen self overcoming without a self studies. George morgans old what nietzsche means may, in some ways, be the best single volume introduction though perhaps with too much quotation and paraphrase, compared to exposition. The eminent nietzsche scholar mazzino montinari went so far as to call it a forgery.

It seems entirely appropriate that the topic of one of the earliest books by the foremost iconoclastic journalist of the first half of the twentieth century was the foremost iconoclastic philosopher of the latter half of the nineteenth century. Nietzsches best 8 books an ebook to search the spirit of friedrich nietzsche edited by bill chapko contents editor notes introduction to nietzsches life and writings the gay science ecce homo thus spoke zarathustra the dawn twilight of the idols the antichrist beyond good and evil genealogy of morals appendices a timeline biography. The book uses a structure that mirrors the way nietzsche is studied on many university courses, with chapters looking at nietzsches life, the birth of tragedy, the revaluation of all values, the will to power, thus spoke zarathustra, truth and perspectivism, religion, politics, and nietsches legacy. Towards a new technology of sense published by zero books. The most famous misreading of nietzsche was a deliberate one, orchestrated by his antisemitic sister elisabeth, friend and admirer of hitler, who corrupted her brothers late work and adapted it to nazi ideology. This book provides an account of the existentialist movement, and of the themes of individuality, free will, and personal responsibility which make. It traces the development of nietzsches thinking on politics from his earliest writings to the. His attempts to unmask the motives that underlie traditional western religion, morality, and philosophy deeply affected generations of intellects. I taught adjunct in the department for many years and then a few more years teaching critical theory to mfas at the sf art institute. My sister and i is an apocryphal work attributed to the german philosopher friedrich nietzsche. A very short introduction very short introductions new ed by tanner, michael isbn.

Very interesting because thomas mann is on record as saying kaufmanns book was a great advance on all previous critical books about nietzsche almost. But displeased with academia, ive been writing independently and doing a series of podcasts. This introduction rescues nietzsches religious project. Offers an engaging introduction to friedrich nietzsche, his writing, as well as his wellknown idiosyncrasies and aphoristic style examines the numerous ambiguities inherent in his writings and explodes many of the misconceptions that have grown in the hundred years since nietzsche wrote do not, above all, confound me with. An accessible short introduction to the man who declared god is dead. It includes a chronology of nietzsches life and works and a guide to further reading.

The philosophy of friedrich nietzsche 18441900 was almost wholly neglected during his sane life, but since then he has been appropriated as an icon by an astonishingly diverse spectrum of people. At the end of my edition of the book there was an essay that said that thus spake zarathustra is the most inaccessible of nietzsches works, and it should be read only after having read the rest of his body of work. A fastpaced overview of nietzsches life, philosophy, influence and legacy. This textbook will be essential for all students of nietzsche and of the history of political ideas. And yet, despite nietzsches seeming disdain for what he vaguely termed, among other things, an under race of common people, he also loathed antisemitism and nationalism and. We do so within the context of what he saw as the purpose of his philosophical endeavors. I would add that my introduction to nietzsche was greatly enhanced by a.

Since most folks have neither the time nor the inclination to take on the task of reading. First and foremost, a confession that the views stated here reflect the lecturers opinions, but are not to be considered the truth of the matter. For the beginning student of nietzsche, it will propel you to further study. Which of nietzsche writing would be a good introduction to. The last time i devoted an entire course to nietzsche, the first assignment was ecce homo. Nietzsche published his first book, the birth of tragedy out of the spirit of music, in 1872. His work inspired a long study by martin heidegger and essays by a host of lesser disciples. Following the nietzsche scholar walter kaufmann, most consider the work to be a literary forgery, although a small minority argues for the books authenticity it was supposedly written in 1889 or early 1890 during nietzsches stay in a mental asylum in the thuringian city of jena. Book description jaspers find nietzsches philosophy to be extraordinary not only because he foresaw all the monstrosities of the twentieth century, but also because he saw through them.

As walter kaufmann said in his introduction to the book, nietzsche could have included these notes in his published. That can be found in the book nietzsche, genealogy, morality, a. Similar to which of kants writings would be a good introduction to his work. This was because i wanted to set up the question why read nietzsche.

A very short introduction by michael tanner available from rakuten kobo. The first book i read by nietzsche was thus spake zarathustra. Its a little overly allegorical and rhetorical but that is part of nietzsches style. The book questions the dominant eighteenth and early nineteenth.

Introduction to the philosophy of friedrich nietzsche. The best nietzsche books five books expert recommendations. Friedrich nietzsche developed his philosophy during the late 19th century. But if you wanted someone to patiently introduce you then safranski is good on that score. The birth of tragedy, beyond good and evil, on the. This overview takes issue with the prevailing tendency to focus on nietzsches later work, which reaches its extreme with heideggers almost exclusive focus on the group of late notes posthumously collected as the will to power. Keith ansellpearson this is a lively and engaging introduction to the contentious topic of nietzsches political thought. The book concludes with an assessment of nietzsches enduring relevance and of the insights afforded by contemporary liberal and feminist readings. Ive been planning to read some of nietzsches work for a while, but have no idea where to start. Friedrich nietzsche 18441900 has often been referred to as one of the first existential philosophers and is perhaps bestknown for challenging the foundations of christianity and traditional morality.