Author Description

The philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was almost wholly neglected during his sane life, which ended abruptly in 1889. Since then he has been appropriated as an icon by an astonishingly diverse spectrum of people, whose interpretations of his thought range from the highly irrational to the firmly analytical. Thus Spake Zarathustra introduced the ubermensch, or "superman," and The Twilight of the Idols developed the notorious "will to power" concept. These terms, together with Sklavenmoral and Herrenmoral became confused with the rise of nationalism in early twentieth-century Germany, and more particularly with the advent of Adolf Hitler.With his well-known idiosyncrasies and aphoristic style, Nietzsche is always bracing and provocative, and temptingly easy to dip into. Michael Tanner's readable introduction to the philosopher's life and work examines the numerous ambiguities inherent in his writings and explodes many of the misconceptions that have grown in the hundred years since Nietzsche wrote "do not, above all, confound me with what I am not!"A new addition to the acclaimed Past Masters series, this volume offers a wealth of insight into the mind of one of the most fascinating--and most misunderstood--western philosophers.