Thus Spoke Zarathustra - Softcover

Nietzsche, Friedrich

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1533620148 ISBN 13: 9781533620149

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016

Synopsis

This edition of Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche boasts an authoritative English translation, allowing the reader strong comprehension of the text.

First published between 1883 and 1891, this philosophical novel is written in a distinct and original style which combines dialogue with verse. It established Nietzsche as a bold and original thinker; a reputation that would only be enhanced by later works such as Beyond Good and Evil.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra has several recurring themes, placing the main character - the creator of one of the first monotheistic faiths - in a story which deals with ideas such as the "eternal recurrence of the same", the parable on the "death of God", and the "prophecy" of the Übermensch. This combination proved potent in philosophic circles, with the text passionately discussed in academic circles to this day.

As well as its digestible translation, the book also contains an introduction by the sister of Friedrich Nietzsche, Elizabeth Forster-Nietzsche, explaining her sibling's convictions and motivations behind authoring this philosophic book.

About this title

About the Author

Friedrich Nietzsche was a nihilist philosopher, critic and poet who wrote several works of philosophy which have proven strongly influential since their initial publication in the late 19th century. After beginning his academic career as an expert in ancient Greek and Latin, Nietzsche would steadily advance into philosophy, becoming more convinced and sure of his arguments as time went by. Gradually, his writings became more polemical and provocative, criticising earlier philosophers, established institutions such as the Christian church, and its moral tenets in a series of vehement and swiftly paced writings which at times veer into humorous sarcasm. Nietzsche's final work was The Antichrist, which was completed a short time before a mental breakdown which rendered the scholar incapacitated for the final decade of his life. By the time of his death in 1900 at the age of 55, Nietzsche had assembled a large and devoted following, particularly within academic and scholarly circles, which continues to this day.

Review

, also translated as Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Treatise by Friedrich Nietzsche, written in four parts and published in German between 1883 and 1885 as Also sprach Zarathustra. The work is incomplete, but it is the first thorough statement of Nietzsche's mature philosophy and the masterpiece of his career. It received little attention during his lifetime but its influence since his death has been considerable, in the arts as well as philosophy. Written in the form of a prose narrative, Thus Spake Zarathustra offers the philosophy of its author through the voice of Zarathustra (based on the Persian prophet Zoroaster) who, after years of meditation, has come down from a mountain to offer his wisdom to the world. It is this work in which Nietzsche made his famous (and much misconstrued) statement that "God is dead" and in which he presented some of the most influential and well-known (and likewise misunderstood) ideas of his philosophy, including those of the Ubermensch ("overman" or "superman") and the "will to power." Though this is essentially a work of philosophy, it is also a masterpiece of literature. The book is a combination of prose and poetry, including epigrams, dithyrambs, and parodies as well as sections of pure poetry. --The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1533620148
• ISBN 13: 9781533620149
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 254