More Nietzsche
Here is a book review written on Nietzsche's The Geneology of Morals
Nickhil Singh
Title: Nietzsche
If Nietzsche were alive today and he was a rapper (two impossible scenarios for sure), he would probably say the following phrase in one of his rap songs, "For all you pathetic ascetics out there, we's about to clean you out. If you don't know who's playing, well, it's the overmen and our domination over you will leave no doubt"
Now, as pathetic as my rap impression was, there contained some salient points in that little verse. Anyone who has read Nietzsche knows he is all about the "will to power." Indeed, man's ultimate greatness in life consists of expressing his will to power over as many people as he possibly can. On The Genealogy of Morals describes man's evolution from a naturally power loving animal to a weak, pathetic and soul filled ascetic. The main goal of Nietzsche's work is to inspire all those overmen, those he deems capable of truly expressing their will to power, to come to the forefront of society and take over the world.
Having read Thus Spoke Zarathustra, I was already a fan of Nietzsche and some of his ideological beliefs. In this book, Nietzsche's humor and true beliefs are more evident because the book is written as a series of 3 essays, not in a parable form, which is at times very hard to discern. Depending on the edition of the book you buy, you will also get Nietzsche's Ecce Homo with the book as well, so even more laughs will be in store for you. (In Ecce Homo, the chapter of each title has a hilarious heading. For example, one chapter is entitled "Why I am so great").
So why should you read On the Genealogy of Morals? Honestly, much of Nietzsche's thought and plans for the future are unclear, at best. In addition, his antipathy for society borderlines on craziness and you could quite easily characterize Nietzsche's writings as those of a nerd locked in his room and not allowed out. Nevertheless, I would read Nietzsche's on the Genealogy of Morals for three reasons:
Nietzsche is incredibly funny
If I have not made this clear by now, then I will restate it again: Nietzsche has a knack for patronizing the most virtuous components of modern Christian thought. As long as you take his tongue and cheek humor lightly, you will not be offended. Moreover, you will probably broaden your taste in humor.
Nietzsche makes some valid social commentaries
Despite some of his nonsensical rambling, Nietzsche raises some salient points about society. (This is true, of course, when he is not lamenting man's weakness). In particular, Nietzsche's unique form of investigation (using etymology to discover the origin of certain ideals in society) deserves praise because it identifies man's original intention for several words. Also, Nietzsche's explanation of the origin of guilt is very good, too. It is hard to dispute his claim that guilt was self-imposed punishment man brought on himself to avoid pain. Additionally, his "will to power" critique of the artist, the philosopher, etc. in his third essay has some merit because it identifies how everyone tries to impose their beliefs on another.
Nietzsche forces you to think from a different perspective
In my opinion, this is the most important reason to read Nietzsche because one can be used to reading philosophers with similar ideas and thus one adopts a train of thought similar to theirs. By reading the works of someone like Nietzsche, you can avoid this fate. In fact, Nietzsche evens says the same thing in his book. (He says this in the preface, which may be the most important part of the book because the first paragraph outlines his entire plan for the book). Their is a value in understanding another perspective even if you don't wholeheartedly agree with it.
So there you have it. Three great reasons to read Nietzsche... So what are you waiting for?! Click on the link and see what the man is all about.
Want to reach me? E-mail me at nickhil@nickhil.com
