“Choose the good solitude, the free, high-spirited, light-hearted solitude that, in some sense, gives you the right to stay good yourself!” Beyond Good and Evil, §25 Nietzsche’s life was one of solitude, his later period in life was spent almost in complete isolation. At the age of 24, he was offered to become a professorContinue reading “NIETZSCHE: Living in Solitude and Dealing with Society”
Category Archives: Philosophy
NIETZSCHE: The Ăśbermensch (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 ĂĽbermensch. 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 Ăśbermensch (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: 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: 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”
Book Review: The Plague – Albert Camus
The Plague was published in 1947 and is widely considered as Albert Camus’s most successful novel. It tells the story of a plague epidemic in the Algerian coastal town of Oran, where thousands of rats are found dead all over the city. Camus’ absurdist philosophy is at the background of the novel. He stresses theContinue reading “Book Review: The Plague – Albert Camus”
Book Review: The Metamorphosis – Franz Kafka
The Metamorphosis is a book written by Franz Kafka published in 1915. It has been called one of the seminal works of fiction of the 20th century. The story begins with a traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, who wakes up to find himself transformed (metamorphosed) into a giant insect. In German, “ungeheuren Ungeziefer”, roughly “monstrous vermin”.Continue reading “Book Review: The Metamorphosis – Franz Kafka”
Friedrich Nietzsche – 10 Key Ideas
In this post we’ll briefly explore ten of Nietzsche’s key ideas as an introduction to Nietzsche’s philosophy. One of the most revolutionary thinkers in Western philosophy and intellectual history as well as a cultural critic of his era, mainly of religion and morality. 1. Apollonian & Dionysian Nietzsche discusses these two opposing forces in TheContinue reading “Friedrich Nietzsche – 10 Key Ideas”