Just Finished Reading: Friedrich Nietzsche and the Politics of the Soul – A Study in Heroic Individualism by Leslie Paul Thiele

I skim read parts of this book some months ago whilst researching for the essay for my Nietzsche unit. It didn’t prove very useful for that essay but made a very good impression on me and gave me some ideas which I have incorporated into my Dissertation. After I returned it to the library I bought a copy from Amazon. It was well worth it.

This is certainly the best book on Nietzsche I’ve read so far. OK, it’s a pretty short list but the comment stands. Despite being easy to read Nietzsche is difficult to understand. My 10 week unit was enough to whet my appetite for me but really no more than that. I became fascinated with the man’s obvious genius and, on more than one occasion, felt I was breathing in pure oxygen whilst reading his stuff. It’s no wonder that the head of Philosophy was worried about teaching him (especially to undergrads apparently) being such heady stuff. I do feel that I have a much better grip on Nietzsche after reading this volume. Although academic in tone it’s clear that the author has an appreciation not only of Nietzsche’s work but also of the man himself. Indeed he remarked on more than one occasion that the man and the philosophy could not – indeed should not - be disentangled. Following a theme of individualism, Thiele shows how the philosophers works highlighted the working out of his philosophy and the effect it had on the philosopher himself. Anyone who has read Nietzsche will find it unsurprising that he went mad later in life. Not only did he talk the talk he definitely walked the walk!

Not only did Nietzsche have some very interesting things to say about the rise of the individual (a central theme throughout his works) but had some very remarkable things to say about the ‘self’ or absence thereof. It’s an idea I’m coming around to so it was good to read another perspective on it. The use of archetypes – the philosopher, the Artist, the Saint and the Educator/Solitary – brought out much of Nietzsche’s thoughts on the genealogy of the individual and how he is manifested in real life. I also now understand much more about the love of fate Nietzsche proposed and the idea of Eternal Recurrence. All in all this was an excellent book. Not only did it prove – as expected – central to my Dissertation it also both broadened and deepened my knowledge of one of my favourite philosophers. I think it’ll take years to actually understand the man but I think I’ve now got more of an appreciation of what I’m up against! It probably helps to have at least a passing awareness of Nietzsche to do justice to this work but you’d still get a fair bit of understanding – and a whole lot of references – to start off an exploration of one of the greats of European philosophy. Highly recommended.