Book Description

This is Nietzsche's critique of contemporary German society, culture, and philosophical engagement, juxtaposed with the philosophical ethos of Arthur Schopenhauer. This unpublished preface, intended for an unfinished book, articulates a lament for what is perceived as the degradation of German culture and education, attributing this decline to a general malaise and superficiality in intellectual and everyday life. Nietzsche begins by depicting modern Germany as a place overwhelmed by a desperate pursuit of happiness and greatness that paradoxically leads to cultural and intellectual mediocrity. This pursuit is portrayed as so dominant and destructive that it requires almost a leap of faith ("credo quia absurdum est") to believe in the possibility of genuine cultural renewal in this context. The critique extends to the German academic and cultural scene, which is described as philistine, historically obsessed but superficial, and ultimately disconnected from the genuine philosophical pursuit exemplified by Schopenhauer. Much of the text is devoted to dissecting the failings of what he calls "the educated man" in Germany. This figure is criticized for a historical consciousness that bypasses the profound and the sublime, opting instead for a comfort in mundane historical detail that shields him from deeper engagement with philosophical or existential truths. This approach to history and culture is seen as emblematic of a broader societal avoidance of the profound challenges and radical ideas presented by thinkers such as Schopenhauer. This manuscript, unpublished in Nietzsche's life, was first published in German in 1901 under the title "Nachgelassene Fragmente" by his sister, Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, along with other scholars. They were then re-published in various formats after that -including in a series titled "Gesammelte Werke" (Collected Works), later reorganized and expanded into the "Gesamtausgabe" (Complete Edition), which included comprehensive collections of Nietzsche's notebooks and other writings from various periods of his life. This new 2024 translation from the original German, Latin and Greek manuscript contains a new Afterword by the translator, a timeline of Nietzsche's life and works, an index with descriptions of his core concepts and summaries of his complete body of works. This translation is designed to allow the armchair philosopher to engage deeply with Nietzsche's works without having to be a full-time Academic. The language is modern and clean, with simplified sentence structures and diction to make Nietzsche's complex language and arguments as accessible as possible. This Reader's Edition also contains extra material that amplifies the manuscript with autobiographical, historical and linguistic context. This provides the reader a holistic view of this very enigmatic philosopher as both an introduction and an exploration of Nietzsche's works; from his general understanding of his philosophic project to an exploration of the depths of his metaphysics and unique contributions. This edition contains: • An Afterword by the Translator on the history, impact and intellectual legacy of Nietzsche • Translation notes on the original German manuscript • An index of Philosophical concepts used by Nietzsche with a focus on Existentialism and Phenomenology • A complete chronological list of Nietzsche's entire body of works • A detailed timeline of Nietzsche's life journey