Nietzsche reading tips

[Maniac]

Hi. I am interested in reading some books from Nietzsche. Though I know his general ideas pretty well, and I know quite a few of his book titles, I do not know what book was written when, what was written in which book, and what are considered his most important works. Therefore I was thinking of asking on Apolyton, as there seem to be a few Nietzsche experts here (GePap for example comes first to mind). So what would be the book of Nietzsche you would recommend me to read first? And what books should I focus on after that? Are there any that aren't worth reading?

Thanks.

[Kropotkin]

The book called "The gay Science" in english is a good starter imho.

[GePap]

Yeah, the Gay Science and Dawn are both good openers. I think that Beyond Good and Evil and Geneology of Morals, while both dense also help explain his general philosophy best, coming as they do in the tail end of his career.

[chequita guevara]

Don't bother. Nietzsche is crap! Hegel and Marx are the way to go.

[GePap]

Quite you Neo-con in the making!

Nietzsche is great, and better reading as well.

[Maniac]

Thanks for the tips.

Is "Dawn" the book called "Morgenröte" in German and "Morgenrood" in Dutch? (Crap English translation if so )

[Whaleboy]

Nietzsche reading tips

Dont. Never read philosophy, except perhaps Satre, Wittgenstein and Platos Republic. In all else, get summaries.

This is why philosophy sucks (as a subject). Its like bloody literature!! It's meant to be about concepts, if I want to read god knows how much irrelevant paperwork, I'll be a bureaucrat! Just read summaries that tell you about the concept, the argument, the problems etc etc. Then use your brain. I hate flowery philosophers that base their entire profession around what some dead guy wrote (sorry Agathon ). Theyre not philosophers, theyre lovers of philosophy. The real philosophers are the ones that are out thinking new stuff, even if its crap, theyre the ones that are at least making a damn effort!

[GePap]

Yes: sometimes they translate it as 'daybreak" in english as well.

[Japher]

Me thinks Elijah is Asher's overworked DL

[GePap]

Originally posted by elijah


Dont. Never read philosophy, except perhaps Satre, Wittgenstein and Platos Republic. In all else, get summaries.

This is why philosophy sucks (as a subject). Its like bloody literature!! It's meant to be about concepts, if I want to read god knows how much irrelevant paperwork, I'll be a bureaucrat! Just read summaries that tell you about the concept, the argument, the problems etc etc. Then use your brain. I hate flowery philosophers that base their entire profession around what some dead guy wrote (sorry Agathon ). Theyre not philosophers, theyre lovers of philosophy. The real philosophers are the ones that are out thinking new stuff, even if its crap, theyre the ones that are at least making a damn effort!

When tyring to think of "new things", you might as well try to see if in actuality what you are saying is old, since someone else already got there...

Reading philosophy is great.

[Whaleboy]

When tyring to think of "new things", you might as well try to see if in actuality what you are saying is old, since someone else already got there...

Hence summaries. It won't be old because you can always bring new things to it. I haven't found a philosopher I entirely agree with yet, or even to a significant degree. Like I said on another thread, perhaps Protagoros more than most, but only on the relativism thing, and pre-elijah relativism sucked!

Reading philosophy is great.

Thinking it is better.

Me thinks Elijah is Asher's overworked DL

How many times do I have to tell you people. Its a lowercase "e" And I thought Asher was Bill Gates? . Wheres my money?!?!

[Japher]

yup "e"LIJAH, beitchin', just like Asher would

[Whaleboy]

Asher goes off on a rant at the very notion that someone should even think about the possibility that they might contemplate the notion of toying with the idea of having access to source code. I, on the other hand, don't really give two ****s.

[GePap]

Originally posted by elijah


Hence summaries. It won't be old because you can always bring new things to it. I haven't found a philosopher I entirely agree with yet, or even to a significant degree. Like I said on another thread, perhaps Protagoros more than most, but only on the relativism thing, and pre-elijah relativism sucked!



Thinking it is better.

If thinking is best, then the last thing you should do is read a summary: that was not the creation of the philosopher, but the output of some third parties who's ideas are totally foreign to you, so if thinking for one's selves is the key, summaries are the last thing to read. But there is even more: your vocabulary limits your thoughts: you can not think in ways for which you have no concepts or words. Reading is fundamental for vocabulary building, and if what you aim to do is to think philosophically, well, then build up your philosophical vocabulary, doing so will make you much more capable of original thought.

[Japher]

I'm going to read Nitschqezz too... That poll a while ago said I was most like him.