Twilight of the Idols
Ratings12
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings12
Average rating3.7
`Anyone who wants to gain a quick idea of how before me everything was topsy-turvy should make a start with this work. That which is called idol on the title-page is quite simply that which was called truth hitherto. Twilight of the Idols - in plain words: the old truth is coming to an end...' Nietzsche intended Twilight of the Idols to serve as a short introduction to his philosophy, and as a result it is the most synoptic of all his books. Continuing in the spirit of its immediate predecessors On The Genealogy of Morals and The Wagner Case, it is a masterpiece of polemic, targeting not only `eternal idols' like Socratic rationality and Christian morality but also their contemporary counterparts, as Nietzsche the `untimely man' goes roaming in the gloaming of nineteenth-century European culture. He allies philosophy with psychology and physiology, relentlessly diagnozing the symptoms of decadence, and his stylistic virtuosity is such that the sheer delight he takes in his 'demonic' mischief-making communicates itself on every page. A brilliant new translation, this edition provides detailed commentary on a highly condensed and allusive work. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
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I intend to write an essay about three of the books written in 1888 by Nietzsche: the most explosive, the “crazy” ones. What I have found out, re-reading them, is that Nietzsche wasn't crazy at all when he conceived “The Twilight of Idols” for instance (as some psychiatrists claim). His truths are more powerful, deeper and more energetic. There is an incredible tension but also a massive - almost unbelieveable - intuition. In his hidden, occult way (pre-psychanalytic), Nietzsche is almost always right. His truth may be “perverse” but it is nevertheless a strong truth. I'd rather be insane with Nietzsche than “normal” with Kant. However, because Nietzsche has written this books weeks before his mental breakdown, they are somehow mythologically charged. Before experiencing his abyss, the German writer had perhaps the most formidable intelectual adventure of all times: if Zarathustra is Everest, Genealogy of the Morals and the writtings from the fateful 1888 are a trip to Moon and Mars. The aforementioned virtual essay of mine will probably emulate Papini's tone from the “Twilight of Philosophers”.
Nietzsche had a brilliant mind, though his views were often controversial and, I believe, frequently misunderstood or misrepresented. His philosophy can be quite challenging, even for more advanced readers. Twilight of the Idols is a good starting point for understanding Nietzsche's broader body of work, as well as his perspective on the world.
It seems misguided to label Nietzsche as a fascist (a movement that didn't arise until 30 years after his death), anti-Semitic (unlike his sister, who edited his texts to align with her own beliefs), or even misogynistic (he had a close friendship with the writer Lou Andreas-Salomé). Nietzsche was indeed many things, but none of these. Yet, it is precisely on these issues that Nietzsche remains vilified and misunderstood by many to this day.
I mentioned earlier that Nietzsche possessed a brilliant mind—this also includes his use of irony and sarcasm, which isn't always immediately apparent in his writings. Once a reader becomes more familiar with Nietzsche, they may come to see him as quite the joker.
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