Walking the Tightrope

I have intended to read Mattia Riccardi's Nietzsche's Philosophical Psychology , ever since it came out in 2021 following a series of posts I made on this very subject in January 2020 (see here , here , and here ).  It is an academic book and the headiness of its approach and the hefty price tag kept me more interested in other things until this year.  My daughter gifted it to me last December.  As I have said before, nothing says “Christmas” quite like a Nietzsche book!  I began reading it shortly before my mother died and only finished it a couple of months ago.  Then I had to digest it for a while.  But, finally, here is my review of this rewarding academic examination. I found myself both intrigued and challenged by Riccardi's interpretation of Nietzsche’s ideas, particularly concerning consciousness, drives, affects, and the nature of the self, all of which I examined in my three previous blog posts.  As someone who has previously written about an...

The Nietzsche Podcast on YouTube is the best source for understanding the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche that I have found online. This splendid content is authored by Keegan Kjeldsen, a heavy metal guitarist and former zen practitioner. Where Keegan got his insights into Nietzsche is unknown to me, though he seems to be steeped in a philosophical background with a special understanding in postmodernism. That does not matter, however. I have never read or listened to anyone who is so gifted in the nuances of Nietzsche's thought. The following is a slightly edited transcript of highlights from his episode entitled “ The Meaning of Life, According to Nietzsche. ” Keegan's articulation of this thread in Nietzsche's philosophy is refreshingly spot-on (as are almost all of his episodes). He begins by stating that he wants to summarize how concepts like the Overman, Will to Power, and Amor Fati meld together to form Nietzsche's “religion,” his affirmation of life, ...