Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits, Revised Edition [Paperback]

Fredrich Nietzsche (Author), Marion Faber (Translator, Introduction), Stephan Lehmann (Translator), Arthur C. Danto (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1996 | ISBN-10: 0803283687 | ISBN-13: 978-0803283688

This English translation—the first since 1909—restores Human, All Too Human to its proper central position in the Nietzsche canon. First published in 1878, the book marks the philosophical coming of age of Friedrich Nietzsche. In it he rejects the romanticism of his early work, influenced by Wagner and Schopenhauer, and looks to enlightened reason and science. The "Free Spirit" enters, untrammeled by all accepted conventions, a precursor of Zarathustra. The result is 638 stunning aphorisms about everything under and above the sun.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Offers dazzling observations of human psychology, social interaction, esthetics, and religion. The book is one of the best examples of Nietzsche’s ability to unmask the essence of social reality and expose the origins of our illustrations."—New York Times Book Review

(New York Times Book Review )

"An excellent [translation]—accurate, lively, and in places even elegant. Here his style as an epigrammist comes to full bloom. This book is not just for Nietzsche students and buffs; perceptive and intelligent readers of all sorts can relate to his unencumbered and oft acerbic analysis."—Choice

(Choice ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English
Original Language: German

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Product Details

• Paperback: 275 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (December 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803283687
• ISBN-13: 978-0803283688
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #552,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nietzsche's Coming Of Age, April 29, 1999

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This review is from: Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits, Revised Edition (Paperback)

In order to give form to his Overman, Nietzsche had to call to account many human failings and weaknesses, and then reveal their baseness to the world. Nietzsche identified so much that had to be rejected in human life and affairs, (and so much that constituted greatness), which is the reason for the sheer scope of "Human, All Too Human". In 638 short aphorisms it covers politics, warfare, ascetics, morals, art, poetry, marriage, crime & punishment, the soul, and the gamut of human feeling, emotion, motive, instinct, will to power, habit and need.

In Human, All Too Human", Nietzsche outlines the basis of his later, more focused works. It is distinguished from these by its lack of arrogance, lack of aggression and its lack of real direction. Chapters are harnessed together by titles such as "A Look At The State", "Man Alone With Himself", "Signs Of Higher And Lower Culture", Man In Society", and "Woman And Child".

The book was written just after Nietzsche gave up his professors chair at Basel in Switzerland, and around the time of his break from his erstwhile father-figure, Richard Wagner. Nietzsche had now lost the shackles of youth and employment and was at his most free-spirited and this book is testimony to that fact: "Human, All Too Human" is dedicated to deliciously-malicious free-spirits everywhere.

Less intense than some of his later work, this book evokes a walk in the mountains enjoying pleasant conversation with one of the most penetrating and enlightened minds in history. Less intense perhaps, but no less compelling or unsettling.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Superior Edition for Scholarly References, June 29, 2011

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B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits, Revised Edition (Paperback)

There are two readily available translations of Friedrich Nietzsche's "Human All Too Human". The first is a reprint from some unknown earlier translation, and there is no clear statement of who it is who did the translation. Had the translation been done by Walter Kaufmann or R. J. Hollingsdale, it would probably have been prominantly advertised. As it is, it is probably reprinted from the old, original translation, most of which Kaufmann and Hollingsdale have improved. But neither translated this book. The volume announces that it contains Parts One and Two, but this may be a slight misnomer. Part 2 of the volume is "Assorted Opinions and Maxims" and "The Wanderer and His Shadow". This may have been how these works were originally published in German, but if a commentator is referring to "Human All Too Human", they are referring only to Part One. One serious drawback of this edition is the unnamed editors have removed Nietzsche's paragraph numbers. For a work which will be cited in scholarly works, this borders on being unforgivable. There are several German and English editions of Nietzsche's works, all with different paginations; however, the paragraph numbering will be constant across all editions. This is why classical works such as Plato's dialogues have paragraph and line numbers, so texts can be found regarless of translator or if one is looking at the original Greek. Another absence which reduces the value of this edition is that there are no footnotes. Nietzsche never footnoted his references, so one has no clue, when he refers to an expression by Keats or Horace, where that expression may have come.

The second edition (this one), a new translation by Mariaon Faber and Stephen Lehmann, with introductory notes and an introduction by Arthur Danto, is far superior, if what you want is the work entitled "Human All Too Human". It has all the original paragraph numbers and Ms. Faber has added plenty of footnotes to indicate the source of Nietzsche's references, even when they are obscure, as when he refers to a "Homeric laugh", she comes up with one reference in The Iliad and two references in The Odyssey. There is an especially important footnote at the beginning, showing a quote from Descartes (in both English and French) which Nietzsche had in a German edition of the book. The English edition cited above has nothing of that. The most important difference may be that Faber's edition translates all the items Nietzsche cites in French, Latin, Greek, or what have you. Nietzsche did not translate them into German, and the unnamed translator did not bother to translate them into English. It too me hours to track down the source of a quote from Horace in Latin. Faber has it right there, as plain as day.

On the basis of a cursory look, the two translations are very similar. The main difference I could see is that Faber points out where Nietzsche invents words (an ever so easy practice in German, which so commonly makes up compound words at the drop of a hat.) If all you want is "Human All Too Human", and especially if you need it for some research, do yourself a big favor and get Faber's University of Nebraska Press edition.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As much psychology as philosophy., December 23, 2008

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Joe Anthony "Joe Anthony" (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits, Revised Edition (Paperback)

Friedriech Nietzsche lends some profound insights to the human psyche. His "will to power" idea is very compelling indeed. I liked this book much better than "Thus Spoke Zarathustra". In "All Too Human", Nietzsche is more direct, less thick and more clear. His ability to know the human soul makes this work almost as much an outstanding work of psychology as it is an outstanding work of philosophy. Sometimes, it is almost scarry how much Nietzsche probes into the dark reccesses of the human mind. Certainly Nietzsche's psychological ideas are as valid as Freud and Jung's rather far-out notions.

In some ways, Nietzsche's ideas are close to William James' theory of "habit". In other ways, he is close to Alfred Adler's "striving for superiority".

It is power at the base of all things: power over nature; over others; over even ourselves. I don't know if I agree but it gives a person a lot to think about.

This book is written in the form of 638 commentaries on various subjects. Some commentaries are in the form of one sentence; others are up to a few pages. These commentaries can be read in sequence or in random order.

I would say that this book is a useful addition to anyone's psychology library.