NIETZSCHE: The Übermensch (Overman)

In Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, there are three major teachings that the sage Zarathustra has to offer: the will to power, the eternal recurrence and the übermensch. We have explored the ideas of the will to power and the eternal recurrence in-depth in previous posts. Now we will be doing the same here with theContinue reading “NIETZSCHE: The Übermensch (Overman)”

Book Review: The Present Age – Søren Kierkegaard

“There is no more action or decision in our day than there is perilous delight in swimming in shallow waters.” In “The Present Age”, Søren Kierkegaard discusses the philosophical implications of a society dominated by mass media, foreseeing the rise of twenty-four hour news and social media, it examines the philosophical implications of a cultureContinue reading “Book Review: The Present Age – Søren Kierkegaard”

Book Review: Human, All Too Human – Nietzsche

Introduction Human, All Too Human: A Book for Free Spirits was published by Friedrich Nietzsche in 1878 and represents a “monument of a crisis” for Nietzsche, a critical turning point in his life and thought. His long friendship with Richard Wagner had come to a halt. Moreover, Nietzsche’s bad health forced him to leave hisContinue reading “Book Review: Human, All Too Human – Nietzsche”

Book Review: Either/Or – Søren Kierkegaard

Either/Or: A Fragment of Life was published by Søren Kierkegaard in 1843, making it his first major work. The book was written under the pseudonym Victor Eremita “Victorious Hermit”. In the preface, Victor Eremita tells us that he has found two papers in an old desk. They express the viewpoints of two distinct figures withContinue reading “Book Review: Either/Or – Søren Kierkegaard”

Book Review: Memories, Dreams, Reflections – Carl Jung

Memories, Dreams, Reflections is the autobiography of Carl Jung written in collaboration with his close associate Aniela Jaffé. It was published a year after his death in 1962. At his advanced age he would not undertake anything of the sort unless he felt it was a “task” imposed on him from within. Jung had spokenContinue reading “Book Review: Memories, Dreams, Reflections – Carl Jung”

Book Review: Waiting for Godot – Samuel Beckett

Waiting for Godot is a 1953 play by Samuel Beckett that has become one of the most important and enigmatic plays of the 20th century. The story revolves around two men waiting for someone – or something – named Godot. The result is a comical wordplay of poetry, landscapes, and nonsense, which has been interpretedContinue reading “Book Review: Waiting for Godot – Samuel Beckett”

Book Review: The Dream of a Ridiculous Man – Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Dream of a Ridiculous Man is a short story published in 1877 by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The book is subtitled as “A Fantastic Story”, since it is essentially a tale of the imagination. According to Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man is “practically a complete encyclopedia of Dostoevsky’s most important themes”.Continue reading “Book Review: The Dream of a Ridiculous Man – Fyodor Dostoevsky”

Book Review: Man and His Symbols – Carl Jung

Man and His Symbols is the last work undertaken by Carl Jung before his death in 1961. He had never tried to popularise his work and refused several attempts by his colleagues to persuade him to do so. At this moment he had a dream. Instead of talking to the great scholars, he was directingContinue reading “Book Review: Man and His Symbols – Carl Jung”

Book Review: Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl

Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, originally titled “A Psychologist Experiences the Concentration Camp” was released in German in 1946, becoming one of the most influential books in the United States, having sold over 10 million copies at the time of Frankl’s death in 1997, and continues to this day to inspire many to findContinue reading “Book Review: Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl”

Book Review: No Exit – Jean Paul Sartre

No Exit is one of Jean Paul Sartre’s most interesting existentialist short stories. It is a one-act play that was widely praised when it was first performed in 1944, shortly after the Liberation of France. The original title “Huis Clos” refers to a private discussion behind closed doors. It tells the story of three charactersContinue reading “Book Review: No Exit – Jean Paul Sartre”