Nietzsche / Robert Wicks.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wicks, Robert, 1954-

Series:

Oneworld thinkers

Oneworld thinkers series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, 1844-1900.

Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm.

Physical Description:

xii, 190 pages ; 20 cm.

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oneworld, 2007.

Summary:

Stimulating and insightful, this is an essential guide to the life and work of Friedrich Nietzsche, the philosopher whose startling declaration that 'God is dead' made him one of the key figures in modern thought. Author Robert Wicks moves deftly through the minefield of controversy that surrounds Nietzsche, presenting the philosopher's doctrines within the context of his Christian upbringing and the profound influence of his childhood experiences. Making difficult ideas clear and accessible, he provides a close examination of Nietzsche's best-known doctrines, and re-evaluates these not simply as a nihilistic, but as a positive and life-affirming system of belief. He also offers a survey of Nietzsche's profound influence on key modern thinkers, and a non-sensationalist reflection on his posthumous association with Nazism. Designed for students, scholars, and interested readers alike, this is a valuable account of an often misunderstood figure whose thought and philosophy had an indelible impact on the modern world.

Contents:

1 The churchyard echoes of Rocken 1

From Jerusalem to Athens 1

Arthur Schopenhauer and the problem of evil 10

2 The worship of wildlife 23

The feral Dionysus and the beautiful Apollo 25

European culture in decline 28

Greek tragedy as a transcendence-festival 30

The rebirth of tragedy in Nietzsche's Germany 35

Truth, from the perspective of life 40

3 God's death 47

Spiritual crisis and the healthful Greeks long lost 47

Nihilism and the "death of God" 50

Nietzsche as physician for modern Europe 53

The diagnosis: theism is a spiritual debilitation 55

Breaking the news: communicating to a senseless patient 59

Nietzsche's rejuvenating injections 62

4 Dissolving the shadows of God 65

Truth as a paralyzing Medusa 65

The nature of life: beyond good and evil 69

The tougher facts of life: the will to power 71

The religion of life: the eternal recurrence 77

The ideal of life: being in superhuman health 81

5 Nietzsche's seduction of truth 91

Ravaging knowledge 91

Amending reality's split 96

The truth as a face in the clouds 100

6 Embracing life versus embracing existence 105

Life-affirmation and the world's imperfection 105

Existence-affirmation and the world's perfection 109

The aesthetic justifications of life and existence 116

7 The contemporary shadows of Nietzsche 125

Nietzsche and Nazism 125

Nietzsche and twentieth-century French philosophy 136

Conclusion: Nietzsche, the jester of metamorphosis 145.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 155-182) and index.

ISBN:

1851684859

9781851684854

OCLC:

70765865