In 2010, Julian Young gave us what I consider the best overall biography of Friedrich Nietzsche . I used it, along with biographies by Safranski , Cates , and others, extensively in this bio-blog. A couple of years prior to that Young wrote Nietzsche’s Philosophy of Religion which caught my eye a couple of years ago. It was one of those books I bought knowing I would read it eventually, but only recently have I had time to enjoy it. Young has some slightly unconventional ideas about Nietzsche’s philosophy. At first blush it seems that the philosopher who proclaimed “God is dead” and who was so rabidly critical of Christianity might not want to have anything to do with ‘religion.’ But, Young argues, fairly conclusively in my opinion, that for all his concern with free spirits and the Ubermensch , Nietzsche nevertheless desired a communal solution to the problem of nihilism. One of the most interesting facts that Young points out is that the origins of ...
This blog is intended to be read in reverse order. That is, the most distant entry first. Friedrich Nietzsche offers possibly the best insights on how to posture and express one's life. His life's work was devoted to finding one's "style" within the chaos of existence. The trick, obivously, is not to lose your mind in the process. The title of this blog is explained in the February 29, 2012 post.