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Human, All-Too-Human: A Book for Free Spirits (Great Books in Philosophy Series) (2 Parts)

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I feel obligated to correct a distortion suggested by `unraveler' below. It is popular to suggest Nietzsche was an anti-semite, but this is a rather lazy habit. Nietzsche's remark on `the youthful stock-exchange Jew' was mentioned. Here it is in its proper environment:

. . . the entire problem of the Jews exists only within national states, inasmuch as it is here that their energy and higher intelligence, their capital in will and spirit accumulated from generation to generation in a long school of suffering, must come to preponderate to a degree calculated to arouse envy and and hatred, so that in almost every nation . . . there is gaining ground the literary indecency of leading the Jews to the sacrificial slaughter as scapegoats for every possible public or private misfortune. As soon as it is no longer a question of the conserving of nations but of the production of the strongest possible European mixed race, the Jew will be just as usable and desirable as an ingredient of it as any other national residue. Every nation, every man, possesses unpleasant, indeed dangerous qualities: it is cruel to demand that the Jew should constitute an exception. In him these qualities may even be dangerous and repellent to an exceptional degree; and perhaps the youthful stock-exchange Jew is the most repulsive invention of the entire human race. Nonetheless I should like to know how much must, in a total accounting, be forgiven a people who, not without us all being to blame, have had the most grief-laden history of any people and whom we have to thank for the noblest human being (Christ), the purest sage (Spinoza), the mightiest book and the most efficacious moral code in the world. . . .

Is this anti-semitism???

Nietzsche is often said to have entered a new period with the publication of Human All Too Human and the book is considerably more positivistic than his earlier writings. It aims at debunking unwarranted assumptions more than at defending a grand interpretation of its own, and it marks the high point of Nietzsche's interest in, and applause for, natural science.

Nietzsche describes what he means by "free spirits" in the preface to the second edition of Human All Too Human. Free spirits contrast with the typical human being of his era, who was, as the title suggests, all too human. Free spirits in contrast, are ideal companions that do not yet exist but may appear in the future. They are those who have freed themselves from the chains of the dominant culture, even from the bonds of reverence for those things they once found most praiseworthy. The dangerous period of the free spirit is introduced by the desire to flee whatever has been one's previous spiritual world, a desire that leads to a reconsideration of matters that previously had been taken for granted. The ultimate aim of this liberation is independent self-mastery and supreme health in a life of continual experimentation and adventure.

Human All Too Human is the first published work in which Nietzsche defends his famed perspectivism, the view that truths are one and all interpretations are thus formulated from particular perspectives. This perspectivism figures importantly in his debunking critique of morality which is first presented in Human All Too Human. Nietzsche denies that morality is anything but perspectival. Contrary to the claims of moralists, morality is not inherent in or determined by reality. It is, in fact, the invention of human beings. Moreover, morality has not been the same in every culture and at every time. Nietzsche explicitly contrasts Christian and Greek moral thought, typically claiming that Greek thought had been vastly superior.

Nietzsche, himself, considered the book a breakthrough because it openly articulated his unconventional conclusions for the first time. It also sealed the break with Richard Wagner, who received the book in silence. Nietzsche also considered himself to have moved far beyond Schopenhauerian metaphysics at this point in his life.

Human All Too Human was also the first of Nietzsche's published aphoristic works, where prior publications had been in the form of essays or similarly structured works.

In this book, actually an anthology of three books, Nietzsche anticipates and comments upon social, cultural, political and psychological issues most of which are still current and troubling. A central theme is the human tendency to look for comfort, stability, and easy answers. He seemed to foresee that this tendency would become even more maladaptive as the pace of change increased, than it was in his own time. He offers an analysis of its causes, and a treatment, in the form of a relentless series of verbal shock-treatments, delivered in one-half to one page essays. The reader is constantly stimulated to take another look at issues that he thought he had settled.

Another issue for Nietzsche is the examination of the appropriate roles for science and art in human development. Anticipating contemporary thinking,he proposes that the brain has two competing/complementary functions. One, whose main product is science, brings an immediate sense of power to be able to understand what was not understood before, and what is not understood by many others. As an after-effect, however, it brings a sense of despair and depression, that previously-held illusions have been destroyed. The other half of the brain, the artistic sense, which he also calls the will to falsehood (not in a negative sense)presents possibilities, creative syntheses, or holistic images.

For Nietszche,human evolution proceeds by each individual maximizing the potential of each part of his brain, constantly generating new creative ideas, and then subjecting them to relentless analysis and criticism. This is the method Nietszche himself uses. He warns, however, that it requires incredible energy and strength to constantly be aware of and examine one's basic assumptions. Many who try will fall, (as Nietszche himself did) but, anticipating Darwin, he describes a process whereby the strongest, those most capable of enduring physical and psychological adversity, are the ones who survive and pass on the benefits of their growth.

Read this book if you are feeling depressed, read it if you are feeling strong, read it if you are feeling bored, read it if you are feeling overstressed, read it if you want a really good time, read it one page per day, read it all at once, read it in your own way, but my recommendation is READ IT.

In response to some of the prattlings below-only those who do not know the first thing about Nietzsche think that he was at all anti-Semitic. He wrote clearly, very clearly, against that and against nationalism. In one of his books he stated that Germany should not admit any more Jews inside of her borders. Why? Because he felt that the German people lacked an identity, and knew that Jewish people had a very strong identity. He did not think that Germany, weak and unrealized as it was, could stand an influx of a people that he repeatedly characterized as remarkable.

I am somewhat obsessed with Nietzsche, and this book started it all. Do not dive into his later, more well known masterpieces (Beyond Good and Evil, the Genealogy of Morals, The Gay Science) without acquainting yourself with this book. It is an introduction to his style, and there is no better example of his mastery of psychological observations. In this book he comments on all elements of social reality ("no one thinks to thank the clever man for restraining his wit when in the company of those who cannot practice wit" for example), going into love, friendship, the tenor of social gatherings, absolutely everything that is psychologically investigatable. He brings this method to his later books, in which he tackles larger issues, like the history of religion, philosophy, morality, and other things. But it all starts here-his later critiques of Christianity and everything else are far more understandable after a thorough acquaintance with his psychological method, first and best presented here. If you are at all sensitive and introspective, this book will move you to tears more than a few times.

"Where you see ideal types, I see what is human, alas, all too human,--I know man better", writes Nietzsche. This book is a rejection of simplistic idealism and romanticism. Nietzsche comes into his own with this book, which is his first major philosophical work. The writing is not quite so strident as in his later texts, so this book will appeal to those who appreciate Nietzsche but sometimes wish for a toned down version of Zarathustra or The Anti-Christ. The book contains opinions an almost every subject under the Sun. If you never read this book, you will be shocked, amazed, and intrigued at Nietzsche's opinions on marriage, education, socialism, nationalism, public affairs, and the Church. This book will make you think, reevaluate received wisdom, and will, probably, make you want to read it again.

"Human All too Human" is the zenith in Nietzsche's philosophy. It doesn't get any better than this, folks. Read this book from cover to cover and you will be amazed, and if you're like me, captivated, by the depth of Nietzsche's thinking. In "Human, All too Human", Nietzsche spills his musings on the State, "Man alone with himself", and the eternal splinter in his brain, religion.

When reading "Human, All too Human", you will recognize Nietzsche's shortcomings. His distrust of women is evident. His insecurity with the rapid advancement of technology and communications in his time clouded his thinking. But we should be forgiving of these errors. Judge not, lest you be judged. Nietzsche, like all of us, was human. He too, like so many of us do, embraced false symbols of power (religion, militarism) in his younger days. He was, after all, the son of a Lutheran clergyman and joined the army as an ambulance orderly during the Franco-Prussian War. Fortunately for posterity, Nietzsche possessed the intellectual fortitude to recognize these errors and bring them to light in his writings.

In "Human, All too Human", Nietzsche proves his remarkable ability to examine mankind like a crude specimen under a microscope. He stumbled along the way, but at least he mustered this courage. Isn't that all we can hope to be in this life? A little more human?

Nietzsche is always fun in all of his writings, and this book is one of his best in this regard. It is better than morning coffee in stimulating the mind, and one cannot read it without frequent chuckles. One can only wonder if Nietzsche would have been as personable in real life as he is in this book. One can say with certainty though that Freud was right in stating that Nietzsche new more about himself than most any other human being...but also, he knew more about other humans than perhaps any other human being. Nietzsche incites the reader to recklessness, and this gives the book its value. Everyone needs free play: a run up the steps of Ephesus. The Nietzschean project of drunken Dionysian ecstacy can be accomplished by the perusal of the written word: this book is ample proof of that.

If you like aphorisms and philosophy, this book will become one of your bibles. If nothing else, it's just plain fun to read for his incredible wit. Of course you have to put his ideas in the context of the period in which he wrote and understand that he has his own odd prejudices, but the brilliance of his understanding of the human condition really shines through. The biggest mistake any reader could make is to think Nietzsche was an anti-semite---far from it. He was anti-neanderthal. In this book especially the reader sees his low tolerance for received wisdom. This book is nothing less than part of the origin of Western psychology as practiced today. It also represents the demolition of science and philosophy polluted by the received Western theological framework. Some of the best parts are when he skewers religion. You have to love his style even if you do not agree with his pessimistic disgust for piety. This is the kind of philosophy book you need not fret over, unless you harbor wishful thinking about a supremely benevolent deity. Instead of making an elaborate argument about the number of angels that can dance on the head of a pin, as preceeding systematic philosophers did literally and figuratively, Nietzsche bends the pin and throws it in the trash. I wish I had read this before his Genealogy of Morals, as knowing his thoughts here would have made that book far more interetsing and understandable. I highly recommend philosophy students first approaching Nietzsche pick up Human, All Too Human to start their study. And if you are religious and want to bolster your faith, well, you should stay far away from this book.

The following review pertains to the Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy edition of Friedrich Nietzsche's `Human all too Human' edited by Schacht and translated by Hollingdale. The current text is compilation of three texts, `Human all too Human' (1878), `Assorted Opinions & Maxims' (1879) and `The Wanderer & His Shadow' (1880 ). These texts were rereleased 1886 as a 2-volume set with new prefaces. As with the majority of Nietzsche's work these texts received little recognition during the author's lifetime.

First, kudos to Cambridge University Press for its the Texts in the History of Philosophy series with its objective of increasing access to important but lesser known philosophical works. This series promises to be an excellent resource for students of philosophy. This edition of Human all too Human is a helpful and accessible compilation of some of Nietzsche's lesser known writings. While translation is always a challenging and often a contentious issue, Hollingdale appears to have achieved an appropriate mix of readability and literalness - he is effective in maintaining the poetic feel of Nietzsche's prose. One minor criticism of this edition is the small font, while probably necessary to keep the text to a single volume; it can make reading less comfortable.

With regard to the work itself, Human all too Human is often seen by scholars as a transitional work in Nietzsche thought. And, has tended to be overlooked in English for reasons of accessibility (limited translations) and perception (not seen to add to his latter corpus). For example, Walter Kaufman the great post WWII popularizer of Nietzsche did not choose to translate these texts.

While clearly the themes evidenced in Human all too Human are further developed in Nietzsche's later work, I believe the text has its own inherent value. Though somewhat more nuanced and less polemical than his more mature work, it provides wonderful insight into his views on a plethora of subjects, religion, art, epistemology, psychology, sociology and culture. It is also a treasure trove of ideas that are further developed by subsequent thinkers such Freud, Jung and Heidegger etc. Overall, it is a brilliant, insightful and wide-ranging text - highly recommended for all students of modern philosophy.

if you want to have your moral foundations knocked out from under you, read this book - and then build upon the ruins - Nietzsche's, in my opinion, most accessible work, as his aphoristic style floats over many different topics - don't stop here however, i recommend Kauffman's "Nietzsche, Philosopher, Psychologist, AntiChrist" as a starter if you find the complexity and diversity of Nietzsche's thought to be overwhelming or incomprehensible - he's frequently ambiguous and contradictory but it's more a positive trademark of his works and shouldn't dissuade one from further readings.