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Beyond Good and Evil

By: Friedrich Nietzsche
Narrated by: Alex Jennings, Roy McMillan
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Summary

Continuing where Thus Spoke Zarathustra left off, Nietzsche's controversial work Beyond Good and Evil is one of the most influential philosophical texts of the 19th century and one of the most controversial works of ideology ever written.

Attacking the notion of morality as nothing more than institutionalised weakness, Nietzsche criticises past philosophers for their unquestioning acceptance of moral precepts. Nietzsche tried to formulate what he called "the philosophy of the future".

Alex Jennings reads this new translation by Ian Johnston.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2008 Naxos Audiobooks (P)2008 Naxos Audiobooks
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What listeners say about Beyond Good and Evil

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Beyond ‘being’

A book largely lost on modern audiences. Nietzsche dissolves the idea of ‘morality’ as it is based on a Christian derivative; liberalism being the successor to Christianity. Therein lies the wasteland of modernity- a morality based on reason and science. Instead for the Leipzig Zarathustra there is a’will to power’ beyond morality, set in the fires of Zarathustra…..
Brilliant and worlding. Defies epochs and categories. Hilarious.

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brilliant

loved this book the way it was slightly changed to make it more accessible was brilliant done I've loved this book so insightful of the way society was becoming if you listen to this book and look at society you will see he saw it all coming

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Went too far beyond…

I thought this was instruction but guess I was wrong. A very good read, but unfortunately I did go beyond good and evil and nobody can stop me.

(40.767710) (-80.061720)

4/5

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Beyond a Good Review

How can one rate the philosophy Friedrich Nietzsche? How can a book written in 1886 be more relavent, brutal, beautiful, and uncompromising than anything and anyone today. Western society was falling in 1886, and this book holds a mirror to the modern soul.

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Beyond single reading material

This is deep this is a philosophy for already philosophers it's. big its bigger than you can think you have to read it more than twice two understand you trying to say. (the poem in the end is really emotional)

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Seminal, misguided work with powerful critiques

Nietzsche presents powerful challenges to anti-realist philosophy but falls far short of presenting a coherent alternative or effectively engaging with well grounded realist approaches.

The book is surprisingly short for German philosophy and very worth your time for academic purposes, even if there's little insight that can really be taken forward to building your own moral view.

He also holds the strange and conflicting positions of:

Finding all moral systems to be essentially baseless,

While presenting 'master' morality to be superior to 'slave' morality using what by his own standards can only be personal preference.

Also there is large sections of obviously false information and observations about Women that makes it difficult to take ideas that surround them as much more than confused ramblings.

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Discussion About Morals

I always heard that Nietzsche is difficult and takes time to understand. However, I think it’s great; it’s a very modern discussion about morals, good and evil, and our decisions and why we make them. It’s not hard to read or understand—it’s very approachable. I now think that people who told me it’s hard were just trying to appear as smarty-pants. It’s a very approachable and great read that makes you think. I’m sure I will read it again at some point and find something new. Highly recommend, and don’t be intimidated.

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Not for the uninitiated!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I came into this book as a complete philosophical novice, and I must say I've had an awful lot of difficulty grappling with the verbosity and name dropping of Nietzsche.

I've had some moments of lucidity where I think I've benefited from listening to Beyond Good and Evil, but mostly it has been impenetrable.

So if you're looking to dip your toe into western philosophy, I'd recommend looking for something more gentle to start with!

Has Beyond Good and Evil put you off other books in this genre?

Certainly not. But I'll be looking for a more broad introduction to the genre next.

What about Alex Jennings and Roy McMillan ’s performance did you like?

The narrator's sharp, snide intonations of Nietzsche's put downs and humiliations of other philosophies really help bring things to life.

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beyond essential, if that were possible

Simply put, no one can make any claim to rounded intellectual rigour without a familiarity with this book.

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A must read

Alex Jennings reading is a facilitator for Nietzsche's words. It might be the case that Nietzsche's language was intended for a small crowd as he himself says: "one fear the philosopher has is to be understood", but I would say that it's not that hard to grasp.

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