Friedrich Nietzsche

Thus Spoke Zarathustra is a foundational work of Western literature and is widely considered to be Friedrich Nietzsche's masterpiece. It includes the German philosopher's famous discussion of the phrase 'God is dead' as well as his concept of the Superman. Nietzsche delineates his Will to Power theory and devotes pages to critiquing Christian thinking, in particular Christianity's definition of good and evil. Revised translation, 2017.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Soham Dasgupta

Behind thy thoughts and feelings, my brother, there is a mighty lord, an unknown sage- it is called Self; it dwelleth in thy body, it is thy body.

There is more sagacity in thy body than in thy best wisdom. And who then knoweth why thy body requireth just thy best wisdom?

Thy Self laugheth at thine ego, and its proud prancings. "What are these prancings and flights of thought unto me?" it saith to itself. "A by-way to my purpose. I am the leading-string of the ego, and the prompter of its notions."

The Self saith unto the ego: "Feel pain!" And thereupon it suffereth, and thinketh how it may put an end thereto- and for that very purpose it is meant to think.

The Self saith unto the ego: "Feel pleasure!" Thereupon it rejoiceth, and thinketh how it may ofttimes rejoice- and for that very purpose it is meant to think.

Der Übermensch, der Wille zur Macht und die ewige Wiederkehr des Gleichen. Das sind die zentralen Themen des Philosophen und Kritikers Nietzsche. Das sind die Lehren, die sein Zarathustra entwickelt, um gegen den lähmenden Nihilismus der Welt einen neuen Sinn zu verleihen.

ein Buch für Alle und Keinen

Also sprach Zarathustra

Luca Stromann

Wir müssen ihn hören, ihn, der lehrt: <Ihr sollt den Frieden lieben als Mittel zu neuen Kriegen und den kurzen Frieden mehr als den langen!>

Genuss und Unschuld nämlich sind die schamhaftesten Dinge: beide wollen nicht gesucht sein. Man soll sie haben - aber man soll eher noch nach Schuld und Schmerzen suchen!

Und wahrlich, das ist kein Gebot für heute und morgen, sich lieben lernen. Vielmehr ist von allen Künsten diese die feinste, listigste, letzte und geduldsamnste.

Man verlernt die Menschen, wenn man unter Menschen lebt: zu viel Vordergrund ist an allen Menschen - was sollen da weitsichtige, weit-süchtige Augen!

Mut aber ist der beste Totschläger, Mut, der angreift: der schlägt noch den Tod tot, denn er spricht: «War das das Leben? Wohlan! Noch einmal!»

Und tut dir ein Freund Übles, so sprich: «lch vergebe dir, was du mir tatest; dass du es aber dir tatest - wie könnte ich das vergeben!»

Der Mensch der Erkenntnis muss nicht nur seine Feinde lieben, sondern auch seine Freunde hassen können.

Manchem missrät das Leben: ein Giftwurm frisst sich ihm ans Herz. So möge er zusehn, dass ihm das Sterben um so mehr gerate.

Mancher wird nie süß, er fault im Sommer schon. Feigheit ist es, die ihn an seinem Aste festhält.

Ich will, dass dein Sieg und deine Freiheit sich nach einem Kinde sehne. Lebendige Denkmale sollst du bauen deinem Siege und deiner Befreiung.

Über dich sollst du hinausbauen. Aber erst musst du mir selber gebaut sein, rechtwinklig an Leib und Seele.

Nicht nur fort sollst du dich pflanzen, sondern hinauf!

Hinter deinen Gedanken und Gefühlen, mein Bruder, steht ein mächtiger Gebieter, ein unbekannter Weiser - der heißt Selbst. In deinem Leibe wohnt er, dein Leib ist er.

Oscar Kömpel

Nicht nur die Vernunft von Jahrtausenden - auch ihr Wahnsinn bricht an uns aus. Gefährlich ist es, Erbe zu sein. Noch kämpfen wir Schritt um Schritt mit dem Riesen Zufall, und über der ganzen Menschheit waltete bisher noch der Unsinn, der Ohne-Sinn. 

Viele sterben zu spät, und Einige sterben zu früh. Noch klingt fremd die Lehre: »stirb zur rechten Zeit! « Stirb zur rechten Zeit: also lehrt es Zarathustra. Freilich, wer nie zur rechten Zeit lebt, wie sollte der je zur rechten Zeit sterben? Möchte er doch nie geboren sein! 

Aber wie wollte ich gerecht sein von Grund aus! Wie kann ich Jedem das Seine geben! Diess sei mir genug: ich gebe Jedem das Meine.

 Ihr haltet es mit euch selber nicht aus und liebt euch nicht genug: nun wollt ihr den Nächsten zur Liebe verführen und euch mit seinem Irrthum vergolden. (…) Nicht den Nächsten lerne ich euch, sondern den Freund. Der Freund sei euch das Fest der Erde und ein Vorgefühl des Übermenschen.

Thank god I shower only once in a blue moon

Du kannst dich für deinen Freund nicht schön genug putzen: denn du sollst ihm ein Pfeil und eine Sehnsucht nach dem Übermenschen sein.

Ich und Mich sind immer zu eifrig im Gespräche: wie wäre es auszuhalten, wenn es nicht einen Freund gäbe? Immer ist für den Einsiedler der Freund der Dritte: der Dritte ist der Kork, der verhindert, dass das Gespräch der Zweie in die Tiefe sinkt.

Es ist wahr: wir lieben das Leben, nicht, weil wir an's Leben, sondern weil wir an's Lieben gewöhnt sind. Es ist immer etwas Wahnsinn in der Liebe. Es ist aber immer auch etwas Vernunft im Wahnsinn.

Einst war der Geist Gott, dann wurde er zum Menschen und jetzt wird er gar noch Pöbel.

Philosophy wrapped in poetry, myth, and madness.

Tanishq Khandelwal

I wonder what would be left in this book if every passage considering false hierarchies of nature or competition between men would be removed. I don’t think Nietzsche considered the intent to understand as a goal of (metaphorical) comparison—rather than only comparing to signify hierarchy. Maybe if that would be the case, women would not have been portrayed as “utmost a cow”. I wonder how this book influences young men’s perception of women (especially those who struggle with their own masculinity)

Lisa v O

I hate this book, it has broken me, I'll never be fine afterwards.

ラップの神 del ray🗡🐸

𓆨

part one was good but the rest were just a subtweet a lengthy obnoxious one at that plus i didn't like the biblical style of writing it's just...cringey

The Portable Nietzsche

a philosophical novel that explores themes of existentialism, morality, and the will to power. Through the character of Zarathustra, Nietzsche presents his ideas on the Ubermensch (Overman) as a goal for humanity to aspire to, free from the constraints of traditional morality and religion. The book challenges conventional beliefs and offers provocative insights into the nature of existence.

Lars M

C Fernando Maciel 

I can't really state that I fully understood this book. 
It's full of criticism about our society as it is ( or used to be back in the days of German Revolution ).

On the genealogy of morals

In this book, Nietzsche reaches the deepmost origins of our current moral code. 

It's very interesting to investigate with him, where such things as punishment, pain, sorrow and so forth came from.

So far, the best book I read from him.

y✦

✦ the girls that get it, get it, the girls that don't, don't
✦ all of us are doomed and distracted 😍

Mia Caven

I can’t remember a single word but I know what was said was smart and right:)

Barbara Williford

Hmmmm....so, God is dead but the author wants to use what is taught in the Bible as the personal Philosophy of Zarathustra. Interesting. God is dead but yet Zarathustra mentions evil, the devil and hell. Can’t have that without God. Oh! And women are just playthings for men and their soul purpose is reproduction. A book of philosophy from a self centered, egotistical “prophet” who thought himself God. Not seeing where this is the “masterpiece”. It’s self proclaimed to be.

This is a DNF. Managed to get halfway through. If you are going to have the thought that God is dead, do not use His work. There are some many stories, parables, scenes, beliefs that was taken from the Bible. Author needed to come up with own original material. There are also so many conflicting ideas. Maybe it’s revealed in the end, who knows. I’m done!

Matthew Royal

I enjoyed the preface by Nietzsche's sister, but most of the time I spent in this book felt tedious and despising him for constructing a wise-man figure into whose mouth he could cram his terrible poetry.

Just as the ancient Chinese curse says, "May you live in interesting times," much of what Zarathustra says seems like it might have some wisdom, until you realize they're shallow aphorisms that weren't strong enough to stand on their own, so needed a fictional man of mysterious Persian learning to lend authority. (Of course, the saying isn't ancient and it isn't Chinese, but it certainly sounds wise and memorable when you're told it is.)

Who knows, maybe there's real philosophical value in this volume. Perhaps I missed the picture because I couldn't get past the frame. I'll read a commentary before I consider reading more Nietzsche again.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra is a treatise by Friedrich Nietzsche, written in four parts and published in German between 1883 and 1885. The work is among the first of Nietzsche’s mature philosophy and is considered the masterpiece of his career. It received little attention during his lifetime, but its influence since his death has been considerable both in the arts and in philosophy. Written in the form of prose narrative, Thus Spoke Zarathustra presents Neitzsche's mature philosopy through the protagonist Zarathustra, 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 ideas of his philosophy, including those of the Übermensch (“superman”) and the “will to power.” Part of the bestselling Capstone Classics series, This high-quality, hardcover volume is a must-have for readers interested in the philosophy of Nietzsche.

The Philosophy Classic

Safiya 

Deviens ce que tu es !
By far the most religious book that Nietzsche ever wrote. Unparalleled in its poetry...
Qui possède est possédé !

a book for all and none

Thus spoke Zarathustra

Kieran Wood

A really great read, it's surprising how much depth you can get out of short parables like this. Definitely worth a read, but absolutely take your time going through it or you will miss a lot.

Major work on ethics, by one of the most influential thinkers of the last 2 centuries, deals with master/slave morality and modern man's moral practices; the evolution of man's feelings of guilt; and ascetic ideals.

The Genealogy of Morals

Lucas Coelho

Nietzche with the three essays in this book dives deep into the origin of morals. His ideas of master and slave morality are very powerful. 

Would recommend reading ‘Beyond Good and Evil’ and potentially ‘The twilight of the idols’ before this one, to get you a bit more familiar with Nietzche’s ideas and style. 

Recommend.

This astonishing series of aphorisms, put into the mouth of the Persian sage Zarathustra, or Zoroaster, contains the kernel of Nietzsche's thought. 'God is dead', he tells us. Christianity is decadent, leading mankind into a slave morality concerned not with this life, but with the next.

Thus Spake Zarathustra

Mihai Nueleanu

Most certainly a difficult read. Very dense in terms of the wisdom and information encoded in it. Miles ahead of its time. 

Nathan

Presents the author's ideas about the problem of living a fulfilling life in a meaningless world.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

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