A Very Short Introdcutioni - Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-19 00) was a German philosopher, almost
wholly neglected during his sane life, which came to an abrupt end
early in 1889. 'Nietzsche' is the figure in whose name people of the
most astonishingly discrepant and various views have sought to find
justification for them. An excellent study (Aschheim, 1992) devoted to
his impact within Germany between 189 0 and 199 0 lists, among those
who have found inspiration if') his work, 'anarchists, feminists, Nazis,
religious cultists, Socialists, 'Marxists, vegetarians, avant-garde artists,
devotees of physical culture, and archconservatives,' and it certainly
does not need to stop there. The front cover sports a bookplate from
19 00 of Nietzsche wearing a crown of thorns, the back cover one of
him naked, with remarkable musculature, posing on an Alp. Almost no
German cultural or artistic figure of the last ninety years has not
acknowledged his influence, from Thomas Mann to Jung to Heidegger.

Contents
Abbreviations viii
1 The Image of Nietzsche 1
2 Tragedy: Birth , Death , Rebirth 7
3 Disillusionment and Withdrawal 21
4 Morality and its Discontents 30
5 The One Thing Needful 44
6 Prophecy 53
7 Occupying the High Ground 67
8 Masters a nd Slaves 81
9 Philosophizing with a Hammer 89
Postlude: Ni etzsche and Life Insurance 93
References 105
Further Reading 107
A Note on Translations 109
Index 110