Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for None and All

Nietzsche's "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" is often referred to as one of the most influential works of our century, which he wrote in the latter part of the nineteenth century. I've read numerous critiques, analysis, and interpretations from scholars on "Thus Spoke..." Understanding Friedrich, his life, and his constant pains, give some insight into what may have underlined his beliefs. I think to best understand "Thus Spoke..." a person should read it at least twice. I believe a reader can take many of the themes and metaphors and apply them to his or her belief system, or personal philosophy. We all perceive things in different ways, and we can take what we want out of this work. Individuality, and the constant question and resistance to organized institutions is what I like to take from "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" as Zarathustra walks along the mountains, trails, hills, and towns, in his quest to think for himself and tell others of his thoughts. The style is direct and the many exclamation points give Nietzsche's points a "shout!" Nietzsche notes the importance of individuality and the dangers of becoming one of the lemming-like sheep that follow the herd, whether it be nationalism, religious zealotry, or the unquestioning acceptance of basic societal norms. Nietzsche rakes Christianity and organized religion over the coals, with knockout punch after knockout punch. Another theme I take from "Thus Spoke..." is that one person's vice is another's virtue, and we should focus on ourselves and what we believe in, and not spend time attempting to have others accept our ways, and certainly now want them to accept us. We should simply do our "own-thing." One person's goals and values can be, and often are, abhorrent to another person.
There is certainly much more to his works, and any person can go deeper than myself, because I read non-fiction primarily. If a person reads this when they are in their late teens or early twenties, perhaps it can help them reinforce who they are. Anyone can benefit from "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" if they allow themselves the opportunity.

bla bla bla, important book, bla bla bla, tremendous ideas, bla bla bla...

dudes, what happened? the spirit of gravity has got y'all down and you're trying to groove with sir nose d'voidafunk

read this book when you're feeling light. you won't understand a thing of what fred means if you read it in a "philosophical" mood.

if you approach this book with those droopy-frowny "serious literature" glasses and gloves on, you'll see only the reflection of your own sad-dog unfunkitude!

this is a MYTH, this is a play, this is something that came to fred when he was skipping around Italian mountainsides!

this is a book to read a bit of while dancing

if you treat it like the Bible, then that's exactly what you'll get

and that's not what fred wants you to get

so turn your mind upside down and read this book as if you randomly found it written on notebook paper in a dumpster frequented by hobos and started to read it with nothing better to do

might not be the best way to read it, but it's miles ahead of treating it with that terrible seriousness that makes everything heavy

I find Nietzsche's character extremely intersting and admit that his influence on philosophers and culture of this century is hardly negligible. However, I find his works, particularly Zarathustra, lacking in 'philosophy' and more as evidence of a man who led a very sad life.
There are certainly elements from the work deserving to be preserved, if not simply for their historical significance. Among other things, the almost Kantian criticism of belief in the supernatural in Part One still bears relevence.
A chief complaint, however, is that the exact character of the Superman is vaguely defined. He is a man who must assign his own meaning to life and define his whole existence by his own 'virtue', and thus grow beyond good and evil. However, how is one to choose his own virtue, and what is to happen when virtues conflict? Zarathustra speaks of going to war for one's virtue, but what exactly are we to interpret from this?
More than anything, though, I find this book lacking in style. It is very hard to comprehend because of the tedious metaphors, allegories and symbolisms. Every point is also expounded in excess. Once I finally dragged myself through this text, though, I found myself disappointed at what was to be found in the writings of this 'great philosopher'.

Some years before Friedrich Nietzsche resorted to the blunt polemic of his books Twilight of the Idols and The Anti-Christ, he produced a literary masterwork that contained not only the main lines of his [later] philosophy, but combined it with a tremendous poetic sensibility to create an imaginative - and polemical - narrative. That book is Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for None and All. Nietzsche regarded it as his greatest work after he had finished it (although all four books would not be published until after his death - which itself came after a decade of insanity), although he also thought that it was widely misunderstood and wrote several other books to clarify the points contained within it.

Nietzsche - the "anti-Christ" - very much modeled himself on Jesus of Nazareth - the Christ - and throughout the work, sayings of Zarathustra are inverted forms of the parables or other teachings of Jesus. In some ways, Nietzsche/Zarathustra comes across as a type of photo negative of Jesus. The meek, for Zarathustra, will no longer inherit the earth for it shall go to those who are hard; no longer is love the focus of living but the will to power. Zarathustra, like Christ, has his disciples and his disciples are also bumbling buffoons that fail to catch the depth of Zarathustra's anti-Christ vision. There is a type of manic brilliance - a Dionysian inspiration/possession - that permeates these pages. The constant repetition of "Thus spoke Zarathustra" at the end of his speeches throughout the pages gives it an almost prophetic and religious quality. One sees that Nietzsche felt his own destiny as deeply as he felt isolated from the rest of humanity. Perhaps it is no surprise, then, that this book has been something like a book of Scripture for many - particularly in Germany during the last decade of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th.

In many ways, Thus Spoke Zarathustra is a violent book. Nietzsche strongly advocates the "transvaluation of all values" - a morality beyond morality - that is built upon the rubble of Christian morality. "God is dead" is a theme that is constantly sounded throughout these pages and one of Zarathustra's goals is to try to get people to think on the dust and ashes of the idol that he considered Christianity to be. The course that he sought to encourage people to pursue was the course *to* what he called "the Overman". Zarathustra claims that he is not the Overman - he sounds like St. John the Baptist, "the Forerunner" of Jesus Christ - but that the Overman will come. He sees his disciples as "bridges" to the Overman, but leaves largely unanswered the question of what the Overman will be like. It is like a messianism without a sense of what "messiah" means.

It is easy to be lost in the sheer drama of this book such that rather than addressing then-current issues and debates in Europe, he was attempting to write a timeless work applicable in all life situations. Any work that attempts to give a "new morality" is necessarily going to anchor itself to a significant degree in a world of Platonic ideals. However, it was in the chaos of late-19th century that Nietzsche wrote - a world beset by tremendous intellectual, scientific, social and spiritual turmoil and change. In some sense, then, Nietzsche's "exhortation" to become hard reflects a real disillusionment with the authoritative institutions of his day. He writes that God died of compassion and exhorts his followers to become hard; there is a real longing for stability to be found througout these pages, and Zarathustra's preaching a new morality is given as a type of answer to that longing.

This is one of the most important books written during the latter 19th century. Nietzsche knew a number of famous persons during his day - despite his later falling out with Wagner, one hears much of the same Dionysian recklessness in Wagner's music that one hears in Nietzsche's rhetoric. Hitler, along with much of Germany, was deeply inspired by Nietzsche's "vision"; Thus Spoke Zarathustra was carried into the trenches by Germans in both World Wars. He has been alternately hailed as a prophet of a new morality and aestheticism and reviled as a madman whose writings inspired the deaths of millions. At the very least, one ought read his most cogent work, which has shaped the views of millions over the last hundred years. It is unlikely that the influence of the anti-Christ will be silenced any time soon.

This book was amazing. I was dumbfounded when i realized the format of the book which is more of a story telling. Zarathustra is a prophet of godlessness. He brings word of god's death and promotes living the life fully and happily. It is a great way of criticizing religions' negative impacts on people's lives. how people live their lives in misery merely for living for the idea of afterlife. Obliviously, Nietzsche was inspired by the story of Jesus and in a way this book is sort of satirical you cannot help but smile and at times laugh at the idiotic ways the people live their lives and insist upon living their lives. Zarathustra's search for the higher men and the superman is amazing. You become a superman or higher men if you realize the life is worth of living and you enjoy the life without expectation of a life after and give up childish beliefs of a higher power. Zarathustra manifests how hard it is to find the superman or higher men. People are just not able to accept the fact the god is dead even worse when they try to find a new god to replace the dead god. all of his so called higher men end up worshiping an ass. In the end they see the light and become higher men.
This book is work of a genius. The literature is poetic, beautiful and meaningful. I think it is a must read book for intellectuals. Nietzsche's philosophy is admirable, his dislike for religious clergy could not have been told any more eloquently than this way. A magnificent piece of work.

Nietzsche's great gift to mankind is also his greatest joke and his greatest trap. The idea's in it are facinating and complex and invite endless re-reading. That endless re-reading it both the joke and the trap. The joke is on you if you re-read to learn more about Nietzsche. You should only be reading to learn more about yourself. Remember that N looked for those who would "follow him becuase they wished to follow themselves," he would teach them to follow themselves, but then, they must go away, wrestle with him, and reject him. After that rejection, he would return with love. Until that rejection, they were still followers, maybe they would come to belive him again, as levels of understanding increased, ('my today refutes my yesterday') but now he would be a guide and not a leader. I suppose one could even re-embrace chistianity but as an awakened one and not as a slave. Remember that N is not telling you what to think, he is telling you that YOU must think and why he thinks like he does. So read him and reject him ( reject him becuase you think, not becuase you are christian) then read him again. Let him become your best enemy and love him not for what he says but for what he makes you become. But then again, don't just take my word for it.
as a note on the translation, Kuafmann is probably the best out there. Don't waste your time with Common if you are a cusual reader ( of course if you can read german don't waste your time with either.) However, if you are really hardcore and can't read german than reading more than one translation may give insights as different things may be translated better in one than the other. For example in the prolog Kaufmanns use of the american term "tight rope walker" does not lend the same beuty and clarity to the metaphor as Commons more literal tranlation of "rope dancer" think about it when you re-read the prolog.

This book is an amazing read for anyone interested in Nietzsche, free thought, or brilliant writing style. This book is a must for anyone who claims to be a philosopher. Never has a more meaningful and beautiful book been written. I would suggest reading some of Nietzsche's other works first, namely The Geneology of Morality, Human, All-Too Human, and Beyond Good and Evil, because otherwise one could misinterpret Zarathustra like so many others have.

Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra remains one of the most powerful and cryptic tomes in the history western thought. Is this a work of philosophy or poetry? Due to the immense power of Nietzsche's writing, it remains highly readable, even for those who are not usually comfortable reading philosophy. In the prologue, Nietzsche describes Zarathustra's isolation in the mountains and his intention to descend so that he can teach mankind. Zarathustra proclaims that God is dead and the overman, the sort of man who has overcome his own nature. Zarathustra proclaims: "The time has come for man to set himself a goal. The time has come for man to plant the seed of his highest hope" (17). Nietzsche is passing his philosophical project onto Zarathustra as an author might pass his personal impressions onto a fictional character. Zarathustra is a new symbol of wisdom in the modern era; he teaches that man is now burdened with the task of creating a meaning for himself. In Zarathustra's speeches, he speaks of the "three metamorphoses of the spirit" (25), which include how the spirit becomes a camel, the camel a lion, and the lion a child. For Nietzsche, even the lion of freedom is not sufficient; the child who can create represents the possibility of an overman. Zarathustra says: "The child is innocence and forgetting, a new beginning, a game, a self-propelled wheel, a first movement, a sacred `Yes.' For the game of creation, my brothers, a sacred `Yes' is needed: the spirit now wills his own will, and he who had been lost to the world now conquers his own world" (27). Zarathustra teaches man that God is the result of an act of creation, that man is capable of willing new gods and goals. He says: "this god whom I created was man-made and madness, like all Gods!" (33). Zarathustra might be called the God of the Body as he claims that it was originally the sick and decaying who hated the body and nature and subsequently created heaven. Zarathustra provides and alternative: "Listen rather, my brothers, to the voice of the healthy body: that is a more honest and purer voice. More honestly and purely speaks the healthy body that is perfect and perpendicular: and it speaks of the meaning of the earth" (33). Zarathustra warns man of the power of `Good and Evil,' of preachers of virtues and the soul. However, for all of man's creative efforts in conjuring systems of value, man still is left without a clear goal. Zarathustra concludes the first book by insisting that he will only return when his listeners have denied him, for he desires to cultivate an independence of thought.

In the second book, Zarathustra returns and begins to speak about creation and pitying. In the second section (Upon the Blessed Isles), he argues that "God is a conjecture; but I desire that your conjectures should not reach beyond your creative will. Could you create a god? Then do not speak to me of any gods. But you could well create the overman [...] of the overman you could recreate yourselves: and let this be your best creation" (86). For Zarathustra, creation is the solution to redeem man from his suffering. Additionally, man's will to power is a potentially liberating capacity. In the fifth section, Zarathustra critically examines different conceptions of traditional virtue. He says: "you are too pure for the filth of the words: revenge, punishment, reward, retribution" (94). After much vivisection and refutation, Zarathustra moves into a discussion of the possible meaning of existence for man in the section On the Tarantulas. Here, he makes a proposal: "For that man be delivered from revenge, that is for me the bridge to the highest hope, and a rainbow after long storms" (99). Zarathustra warns man to mistrust all who have a powerful inclination to seek revenge and enact punishment.In book three, Zarathustra continues his prophetic teachings to mankind, though he insists that he is "Godless" (170). He reflects about the absence of having a true audience; one gets the impression that Zarathustra is echoing Nietzsche's loneliness as a largely unrecognized philosopher and writer. He continues with a transvaluation of all values wherein Zarathustra declares the `three best cursed things,' which are: "sex, the lust to rule, [and] selfishness" (188). He condemns Christianity's disapproval of these things, arguing that sex represents a happiness of the body, the lust to rule is a variant of the will to power, and selfishness is a mode of self enjoyment. Zarathustra is concerned that the dominant institutions of our time have conditioned human beings to hate and fear themselves. Additionally, he teaches man about man's ultimate purpose, which he describes in the third section of `The Old and New Tablets,' where he writes: "There it was too that I picked up the word `overman' by the way, and that man is something that must be overcome-that man is a bridge and no end" (198). For Zarathustra, a going under is a crossing over, a transition. In this way, mankind is taught to confront his own mortality.

In `The Convalescent,' Zarathustra rests for seven days after a collapse in his cave. He is upset with the animals for watching him in pain, for pain and cruelty (whether it is directed inward or outward) is the greatest flaw of man. It is here that Zarathustra gives his most profound teaching: "Alas, man recurs eternally! The small man recurs eternally!' Zarathustra has established his reason for being: to teach the eternal recurrence of the same. All events and beings of the universe have existed an infinite number of times and will continue to repeat eternally. Zarathustra claims: "I myself belong to the causes of the eternal recurrence. I come again, with this sun, with this earth, with this eagle, with this serpent-not to a new life or a better life or a similar life: I come back eternally to this same, selfsame life, in what is greatest as in what is smallest, to teach again the eternal recurrence of all the things" (221). It is because of the eternal recurrence of the same that mankind should affirm life and will subsequently overcome nihilism. Zarathustra expresses a desire that mankind embrace himself as such, and to be willing to act as a bridge for something greater. He declares: "You are mere bridges: may men higher than you stride over you. You signify steps: therefore do not be angry with him who climbs over you to his height" (283). According to Zarathustra, it is only since God has died that mankind can be resurrected. In `On the Higher Man,' Zarathustra announces the life of the overman, an indication of a higher being able to climb over man. Zarathustra announces: "O my brothers, what I can love in man is that he is an overture and a going under [...] Overcome these masters of today, O my brothers-these small people, they are the overman's greatest danger" (287). Human beings must, in accordance with their nature, be willing to go down in order to go across. They are the bridge to something higher. The thought of eternal return contains many facets and implications. One the one hand, the notion of eternity without the trajectory of a goal and without a definitive close could be viewed as the essence of nihilism or pessimism. However, this is not a complete thought of eternal recurrence. Yet if the thinker understands the relation between nihilism and the eternal recurrence of the same, he can fully affirm life.

Who killed the BUTLER? and more important why did I buy this book? I could have made my life all the way through without never spending a minute reading this. But for Nietzsche Buffs I guess it is a must have!

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself."-Nietzsche

Nietzsche, the man who predicted the war and chaos that resulted from Europe's enthusiastic unchecked embrace of nihilism, is presenting the basics of his philosophy through Zarathustra.
This mock-gospel, philosophical work is Nietzsche's criticism of mass movements or dogmas in general, and in particular he mocks the concept of a holy scripture through the story of Zarathustra. After ten years of solitude, Zarathustra, like a modern day Moses, descends from the mountain with the hope of teaching the people love and wisdom and helping them become ubermensch. . To become an ubermensch, one has to be free from all human prejudices, group moralities and create his/her own values and purpose.
Zarathustra's teachings include the ubermensch or the enlightenment stage, the concept of will to power, the fear of the pointless eternal recurrence, and the understanding that mass movements are for the weak who can't think for themselves and as a result they take the easy escape route to religion, nationalism, democracy or some other movement.
By the end of the day, Zarathustra is saddened by his inability to move this "herd" of people and decides to focus on those who choose to separate themselves from the "herd".
Zarathustra ends up teaching his philosophy to people who choose to follow him and work toward achieving the ubermensch/overman stage. In "Beyond good and evil", Nietzsche covers the same ideas in more depth and completes this philosophical theory.

Understandably, in a time when Christianity lost people's faith to Nihilism and science, Nietzsche like others, saw an urgency to restore faith and values, but unlike any other he tried to create a new set of faith and values.
For the longest time Nietzsche was accused of being an atheist, but when the believers are acting contrary to the morals of their religions, only the courageous, such as Nietzsche, dare to question and seek the truth. Doubt is the road to faith just as uncertainty is the motive to search for truth. Nietzsche, the man who said: "In truth, there was only one Christian, and he died on the cross", wouldn't dismiss religion itself, only the practice of its adherents.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra, which was written during a time of physical and emotional deterioration in Nietzsche's life, is as chaotic and unpredictable as his health. At a time, when humanity needed a moral code, Nietzsche's ideas were a bright beacon of hope that no one believed or understood, "Thus spoke Zarathustra." is indeed "A book for none and all".