Friedrich Nietzsche

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"An accessible, anecdotally rich" biography of the profoundly influential 19th century philosopher, author of Beyond Good and Evil and The Will to Power ( Kirkus Reviews ). Friedrich Nietzsche was the most fearlessly provocative and original thinker in Western history. The protean diversity of his writings make him one of the most influential of modern philosophers, yet his often paradoxical statements can be properly understood only within the context of his restless, tragic life. Physically handicapped by weak eyesight, violent headaches and bouts of nausea, this Nietzsche made short shrift of self-pity and ostentatious displays of compassion. The son of a Lutheran clergyman, whom he adored, he became a fearless agnostic who proclaimed, in Thus Spake Zarathustra that "God is dead!" Curtis Cate's refreshingly accessible new biography brilliantly distills and clarifies Nietzsche's ideas and the reactions they elicited. This book explores the musical and philosophical influences that inspired his thought, the subtle workings of his creative process, and the acute physical suffering he combated from his adolescence until his final mental collapse of January 1889. Cutting through the academic jargon and clearing away the prejudices that have become associated with Nietzsche's name, Cate reveals a man whose ideas continue to have prophetic relevance and incredible vibrancy today.

No modern philosopher has been more maligned and misunderstood or more cynically exploited than Friedrich Nietzsche.Physically handicapped by weak eyesight, violent headaches and bouts of nausea, this paradoxical thinker fashioned a philosophy, which made short shrift of self-pity and the ostentatious display of compassion. The son of a Lutheran clergyman, whom he adored, he became a fearless agnostic who proclaimed, in Thus Spake Zarathustra that "God is dead!" Of modest bourgeois origins, he detested middle-class conformity, and turned to an uncompromising cult of "aristocratic radicalism." Nietzsche was the first major philosopher to place psychology, rather than mathematics, logic, physics, or history, at the very center of his thinking. The wealth and diversity of Nietzsche's aphorisms and brief essays—close to 2,700—make him the most seminal and provocative thinker of modern times. Many of his aphorisms, highly personal statements of his likes and dislikes, are puzzling. They become truly comprehensible only within the context of his restless life, revealed in this enthralling biography. "Friedrich Nietzsche was, with little doubt, the most intensely personal, egotistically subjective, and fearlessly provocative thinker the Western world has yet seen. The protean diversity of his affirmations make him one of the most seminal and influential of modern philosophers, yet his often paradoxical statements can be properly understood only within the context of his restless, almost nomadic life." "Curtis Cate's new biography, written for the layperson rather than the academic, goes far towards clarifying Nietzsche's ideas and the reactions they elicited. The author does equal justice to the musical as well as philosophical influences to which Nietzsche was subjected, the subtle working of his incomparable mind, and the acute physical suffering he combated from his adolescence until his final mental collapse of January 1889." "Cutting through the academic jargon and complexities to clear away stereotypical prejudices that have accumulated around Nietzsche's name, Cate reveals a Nietzsche whose ideas continue to have prophetic relevance and incredible vibrancy today."--Jacket A Biography Of Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche Which Provides An Account Of His Ideas And Their Influence In The Context Of A Careful Analysis Of His Life And Character. Curtis Cate. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 577-643) And Index. This biography, published as we approach the millennium (a sufficiently Nietzschan concept) will provide a full account of his ideas and their influence in the context of a careful analysis of his life and character.