A Nietzsche Reader Book Notes i Background a Friedrich Nietzsche i Late 1800s ii German philosopher cultural critic poet and composer iii Lived during a time of 1 Growing German nationalism a Served in Franco Prussian War 1870 1871 i Germany united as single empire b Criticizes brute nationalism and anti Semitism that were growing and which eventually led Germany into the two world wars 2 Growing influence of science a Darwin s theory of evolution b Characterizes his age as nihilistic iv Atheist v Major influence in following fields 1 Existentialism 2 Postmodernism 3 Post structuralism 4 Humanism vi Major themes 1 Atheism Nihilism a Means to abandon all beliefs b God is Dead Europe c Science does not have values i Rise of science and decline of religion in 19th century i Saw importance giving life meaning and value d Does not want to revert back to Christianity but wants to find a way out of nihilism 2 Will to Power a A person desires power through independence and dominance b Will for power is stronger than will to survive i Ex martyrs c Nothing in life is constant except change 3 Perspectivist Conception of Truth a Critical of objective truth i Thinking that there is one right way of considering a matter intellectual inflexibility b Healthy mind is flexible and accepts there are many different ways to consider a matter c There is no single truth but many 4 Christianity as Life Denying Force a Prominent in the Antichrist b Christianity is fundamentally opposed to life c d Christians devalue current life Sin makes us ashamed of our instincts and sexuality i Morality is based on promise of afterlife 5 Revaluation of All Values Beyond Good and Evil a b Our values are not fixed and objective i Express an attitude toward life c Morality is fiction i Honesty Be honest about our drives and motives ii Realism in attitude we take toward life d Without morality we are a healthier species 6 Animal and Overman a Humanity is a transition not a destination b Humans not animals because we can control our instincts for the sake of greater gains c Resisting some natural impulses allows us to i Forge civilizations ii Develop knowledge iii Deepen ourselves spiritually d Direct our will power inward not outward to gain self mastery e Head toward the Overman i Destination in which we head when we control animal instincts ii Self mastery that animals lack iii Good conscience that humans lack iv In love with life does not complain even in constant suffering and struggle 7 Eternal Recurrence a Time is cyclical i We live every moment of our lives over and over an infinite number of times each time exactly the same ii We must embrace this b Metaphysical notions i There is no such thing as being ii Everything is always changing and always in the state of becoming ii Section 12 a From Thus Spoke Zarathustra i Philosophical novel ii 1883 1885 iii Part 1 1883 iv Zarathustra Zoroaster 1 Persian prophet who founded Zoroastrianism a First monotheistic religion v Tries to preach alternative to Judeo Christian worldview vi Atheism but not nihilism abandon all beliefs b On the Three Metamorphoses of spirit i Three stages of progress toward the overman 1 The camel a Must renounce comforts b Exercise self discipline c Accept difficulties for the sake of knowledge and strength 2 The lion a Assert independence b Say no to outside influences and commands 3 The child a Act of new creation iii Section 16 a From Beyond Good and Evil i Section 211 ii 1886 iii Accuses past philosophers of lacking a critical sense and blindly accepting premises in consideration of morality iv Reject traditional morality b Men of science vs philosophers i Lack critical sense focus on morality ii Rejects morality c Actual Philosophers i Truth 1 Not objective truth intellectual inflexibility 2 No single truth many ii Will to power 1 Stronger than will to survive 2 Desires power through independence and dominance 3 Nothing is constant except change iv Section 17 a From Human All Too Human i Preface 3 6 ii 1886 iii Collection of aphorisms iv Admiration of Voltaire 1 Enlightenment philosopher 2 Free expression religion 3 Separation of church and state b Free Spirit i What fetters a person 1 Men who are high and select their duties 43 a b reverence proper to youth gratitude for home the hand which led them and holy place they learned to worship ii Free spirit after great liberation can 43 1 2 3 4 crumbling away and calling into question the higher greater richer 47 See with your own eyes the problem of order of rank see how power and right and spaciousness of perspective grow into the heights together he knows what now he can what only he may do v Section 23 a From Ecce Homo i Written 1888 ii Weeks before his collapse into madness iii Purpose of the book 1 Offer his own perspective on his work as a philosopher and human being 2 Examine heroes he has identifies with iv Self celebrating and self mocking v Final definitive expression to his main beliefs b Foreword 3 51 i Philosophy is a seeking after everything strange and questionable in existence ii how much truth can a spirit bear 52 iii error is not blindness error is cowardice every acquisition every step forward in knowledge is the result of courage iv my philosophy will one day conquer for fundamentally what has hitherto been forbidden has never been anything but the truth vi Section 43 a From Human All Too Human i 39 b The Fable of Intelligible Freedom i man can be made accountable for nothing not for his nature nor for his motives nor for his actions nor for the effects he produces 71 vii Section 44 a From Human All Too Human i 44 b Gratitude and Revenge i Between man of power and benefactor ii Man of power owes benefactor gratitude for the help he has given him to reach sphere of power iii the powerful places gratitude among its first duties 72 iv men are grateful in the same degree as they are revengeful viii Section 45 a From Human All Too Human b Twofold prehistory of good and evil i 45 73 i Challenges the Christian idea of good and evil ii Good vs evil depends on rulers those with power iii our present morality has grown up in the soil of the ruling tribes and castes iv he who is powerless and cannot requite counts as bad 72 v he who has the power to requite good with good evil with evil and actually practices the requital is called good 72 ix Section 46 a From Human All Too Human i 57 b Morality as the self division of man i in mortality man treats himself not as individuum but