[.ca] What Nietzsche Really Said (ISBN 0805210946)

From Amazon.com:
Kathleen Higgins and Robert Solomon's comprehensive, lucid, and often humorous overview of Nietzsche's philosophy sings with the joy of his own work--a joy, the authors point out, that is often misunderstood or overlooked. Central to Nietzsche's thought is the call to celebrate life for its own sake. Yet, as Nietzsche himself realized, this often requires provocation. Through both the style and substance of his work, Nietzsche sought to inspire heated dialogue, encouraging readers "to say yes to philosophy, and to life." Many factors get in the way of recognizing and rising to the challenge, however--not the least of which are the rumors surrounding his life, work, and sympathies; his provocative views and prose; and his vivid attacks on systems of thought and individuals. With sense and sensitivity, Higgins and Solomon, both philosophy professors at the University of Texas at Austin, debunk 30 common rumors, offer questions to help guide our reading, provide brief annotations of Nietzsche's works, and examine his heroes and nemeses (sometimes the same people). In addition, they thoughtfully assess concepts central to Nietzsche's philosophy, including those critical to his "affirmative philosophy." This thorough approach, combined with clear writing and a sense of playfulness (attributes Nietzsche would have appreciated), offers insight into Nietzsche's philosophy without sacrificing its nuance or power--a substantial gift, indeed. --Stephanie Wickersham

Setting the record straight:
This book makes sense of a VERY misunderstood philosopher. Solomon and Higgins debunk thirty myths about Nietzsche--a much needed task, to say the least. Did Nietzsche hate Jews? No. Was he a Nazi? No. Did he believe in truth? Yes, but not in an "absolute" sense of the word. Did he hate Christianity? Well, that depends; he hated parts of it, especially its nihilistic morality, yet he admired Jesus. The book then launches into Nietzsche's big ideas: The Will to Power, the Death of God, the Ubermensch. Finally, it ends on Nietzsche's importance for today. 'What Nietzsche Really Said' is a good book for someone who is coming to Neitzsche for the first time. It's also a nice summary for the seasoned reader of Nietzsce. The language is simple, and Nietzsche's ideas are broken down into mentally digestible pieces. The book is also a corrective to religious conservatives who think Nietzsche was "evil" and wanted to "destroy" Western civilization. This is nonsense. Nietzsche cared deeply about theology and about how humans should live in the wake of God's death. If God is dead, humans aren't. Life will be scary; we won't know what to do with our lives. Consequently, we should take life more seriously and be *more* moral than we were before the death of God. Enter the Ubermensch. Nietzsche didn't want to destroy Western civilization; he wanted to save it. Nietzsche was a good man and a good philosopher. He's not always a pleasant read, not just becasue of his difficult prose, but more becasue of what he says. Yet the man had enough honesty to face the hard facts of life and, perhaps most of all, to do something about it--that is, to live gracefully after God's funeral.

Praise for Solomon & Higgins:
Nietzsche's philosophy is a will of building character virtues - for living, loving what life brings and being grateful. "Nietzsche is very much a moralist... He is purposely provocative, provoking not only thought but self-scrutiny ... His whole philosophy ... is aimed at provoking self-examination and self-'undergoing'... to cultivate the virtues, and, ultimately, to 'become who you are'" (176-77). To build an affirmative philosophy one must first push, destroy, clear away the ground to "legislate values" and create a virtue life. "Nietzsche aims, accordingly, to get us to appreciate a very different conception of morality, one that is born within us and not imposed upon us, one that celebrates life \oin this world\c and doesn't promise another one" (198-99). Solomon/Higgins' chapter headings and topics fit Nietzsche's ideas, rather than what some scholars try to do: have his ideas fit their interpretation of him and thus develop their assessment to 'validate their Nietzsche.' Chapter 1wittingly begins with 30 rumors associated with his name and ideas. Chapter 2 talks about his writing style and his books. Chapter 3 devotes an understanding of 'What Nietzsche Really Said' about 'God is dead.' Chapter 4 talks about what Nietzsche means by morality by distinguishing two types: moralities (with emphasis on the "ies") and Morality. Chapter 5 lists and talks about the people who Nietzsche loved and hated and wrote about them and their ideas, which gave pizzazz and 'style' to his writings and his philosophy of life. Chapter 6 defends Nietzsche's 'Character' Virtues. Chapter 7 wisely addresses 'Nietzsche's Affirmative Philosophy' devoting more time to Nietzsche's 'eternal recurrence' and 'The Will To Power' since they are most abused and least understood. "What Nietzsche Really Said" concludes with remarks on Nietzsche's 'perspectivism' and his influence on the modern mind. Solomon/Higgins say everything in "What Nietzsche Really Said" what I would like to say, but better and in such an articulate way that even a beginner can get the gist of what Nietzsche really says in his own books! I recommend this book for anyone wanting to understand Nietzsche or understand him better. "What Nietzsche Really Said" gives the reader a clear picture of who he really is (not who or what he is not), what he says and what he stands up for.

Nietzsche...for the masses?:
I almost gave the book 3 stars, but thought better of it. One star - for Nietzsche's mustache on the cover, and a second star because the authors attempt to dispel misconceptions about Nietzsche which sadly still exist. As many others have pointed out, this is certainly a beginner's book. Those familiar to Nietzsche would do better to read Kaufmann. The problem I have with this book is not so much that it misrepresents Nietzsche (not that it doesn't), but that it under-represents Nietzsche. It is apparent that the authors know their Nietzsche but that they did not wish to write a long, scholarly book (maybe because Kaufmann would have jumped Solomon had he revised Nietzsche the way he did Hegel). The authors often make valid points, but fail to back them with substantial evidence or expound upon them. I especially appreciate the authors' attempt to separate Nietzsche's thought from current popular (academic and non-academic) thought, as Nietzsche would have been appalled were he to sit in on a philosophy class at any major university today, and taste the nihilism he predicted at the beginning of the Will to Power - a nihilism he most certainly disdained and perhaps feared. However, the authors seem to spoil this attempt at saving Nietzsche from all the Life-hating, conceited existentialist punks who make up much of his modern audience by constantly calling Nietzsche a perspectivist (not to say that he was or was not, just don't mention it twice a page when it is so closely related to relativism in most people's minds \oand perhaps in reality\c that it screws you argument). Furthermore, Solomon, because he does not feel the need to back up any of his arguments, makes a few points that at the very least, need a few dozen pages for a proper defense. For instance, he lists the "feminine" among virtues Nietzsche admires. Yeah...riiiight...well...I guess he did admire this in WOMEN, but Solomon throws it out like he admired it absolutely. The authors also mention several times that feminists should re-examine Nietzsche...Give me a freakin break. What I'm getting at is that while the authors seem to be defending Nietzsche against misinterpretation, they argue very subtly that Nietzsche was a bit more like a 19th century Camus than he actually was. But what should one expect from Solomon who completely re-did Hegel for personal gain. Instead of making Nietzsche more accessible or desirable to the average reader (he already takes up half the damn philosophy section at bookstores in America and nearly as much in Denmark)by talking about his perspectivism and admiration of the feminine, the authors should have concentrated as much on Nietzsche's ideas about democracy, his hatred of equality, etc.

Just a comment:
Thank you David, Donald, John, Chuck, Jerod, Zackary, Franklin, and Stephen (if not a few others) for your insightful reviews. Since you are all the same person, I suggest that all one star reviews be removed from the tally. I have given five stars as a countermeasure, having never read this particular book. For any others who read these reviews, however, please note the timing of some of the reviews. How interesting that so many people found this book distasteful on the same two days. Interesting choice of mis-spellings as well.

A good introduction and guide to Nietzsche's thought.:
Robert Solomon has always been my favorite secondary source on philosophy. His works such as From Rationalism to Existentialism and Continental Philosophy since 1750: The Rise and Fall of the Self are excellent and helped me gain a solid understanding of many concepts and relations between philosophical movements. What Nietzsche Really Said is not on par with these works, but is still engaging as a lighter read. Many Nietzschean scholars will despise Solomon for taking the danger out of Nietzsche, but I think that is necessary for this work. I view this work as an attempt to clarify and make Nietzsche accessible to the uninitiated and I think it succeeds nicely. I would not recommend simply adhering to this book alone as a source of Nietzschean knowledge, but would recommend it as a tool to the new student of philosophy especially; as well as anyone else who likes Nietzsche's optimism.