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Nietzsche

A Very Short Introduction

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Nietzsche

By: Michael Tanner
Narrated by: Christine Williams
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About this listen

With his well known idiosyncrasies and aphoristic style, Friedrich Nietzsche is always bracing and provocative, and temptingly easy to dip into. Michael Tanner's 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!"

©1994 Michael Tanner (P)2021 Tantor Philosophers Philosophy Professionals & Academics Morality

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Although Nietzsche and his aphoristic style suggests he's easy to get into, anyone who's searched for this book has realised this is not really true without some background reading. This book is a good guide to getting into Nietzsche but even this introduction prompts additional reading/research to be fully appreciated. Some here have criticised this book on that account and on the reasoning it seems to be directed toward Philosophy students rather than the layman.

I believe however that there really is no other way of getting into Nietzsche properly, and actually it's fitting that you must even work a bit for even the introduction to Nietzsche before Nietzsche himself, as I now feel ready to tackle his earlier work after learning how to really mull over his short punchy writing style. This book guided me to get the tools and mindset that will make each page of Nietzsche more thought provoking. The short listening time (3.5 hours) made it easy to start and really for a layperson getting into philosophy that has served me well as starting is half of the task.

That being said the author could have served readers better if he had given even very minimal background on the other philosophers/poets/public figures discussed, as to expedite the looking up of their background proper. But this did not ruin the listen, it just meant there were pauses to search up info! (as there usually is for definitions regardless).

In short: a great intro for the layperson who is willing to do some extra leg work to fully take away a good experience and readiness for Nietzsche from this book.

Very good introduction but not sufficient alone

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It does pick through all the detail of his thinking at a cantar. It's an unusually opinionated text but it does scrutinise his thinking.

Reasonably paced

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