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Beyond Good and Evil cover art

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

What listeners say about Beyond Good and Evil

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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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30 people found this helpful

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Knocks down better than it builds up

The analytical, deconstructing aspect of this book is outstanding. Incredible to think WHEN this was written given it's deep insights which are relevant even today. This is where Nietzsche's intellect shines. Though his motivations lie deeper than he lets on, there is a real anger he holds towards society. He is compelled to reduce our known values into a kind of anarcho-relativistic nothingness, and he does this so well.

Though in attempting to build a picture of how the world should operate after this fact, the "beyond" of the story, he doesn't do so well. The "will to power" seems like a new angle on the popular French philosophy of his time and actually detracts from the picture he so brilliantly painted just prior. What lies behind this story is a man whose ultimate frustration likely arises from his lack of success with women, and a resulting bitterness towards society and its associated rules. Ironically, his ideas of a will to power are a projection of his own sense of power that he achieves through this process; a sublimated sexual satisfaction from undermining the very thing which undermined him. The will to power was therefore a way foreword for him, beyond society's "good and evil", though doesn't really hold the universality that should be expected from a theory about how to live one's life.

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8 people found this helpful

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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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Beautiful

I loved it. It blew my mind. It made me realise that the destination is insignificant in comparison to the journey. That a value oriented live is better than chasing your goals

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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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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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did not enjoy

did not enjoy this book but not sure if its the book or personal preference. Got bord at time, struggled to maintain interest and found it hard to follow at times.

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A good writer, but not much of a philosopher.

Nietzsche is a great writer! His stylistic prose in destroying every thinker before him is almost harlarious. He is no doubt poetical and a suggestive thinker, but he is not a strong writer. He rants in a funny way and is far from methodical, probably concluding in one of the biggest pseudo philosophers I have read yet.

Ps. The narrator is very good. A little condescending in tone, but maybe deliberate, hitting the right note.

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Nietzsche misogynistic

This sounds like Islam grooming literature, totalitarian silent enforcing of women what to do in the name of ‘refinement’.

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