Friedrich Nietzsche by Bertrand Russell

[StoicaNicusor]

The Value of Philosophy - Bertrand Russell

[BloggerMusicMan]

I joined a Nietzsche reading group recently after being invited by a friend. We're going through the first volume of "Human, All Too Human" right now. I read a little bit of Nietzsche in undergrad about a decade ago, and hadn't read anything by him since, so I was pretty green to his writing other than his main ideas before coming into the group.

After reading through a good chunk of the first volume of "Human, All Too Human, " I think Russell does capture a bit of what Nietzsche is like, and I think you can find his criticisms in his works if you go looking. But I think if you read the whole of Nietzsche, you'll find Russell's opinion is quite simplistic and incomplete.

There's quite a bit of life-affirming beauty in Nietzsche as well as darkness and discussion of power. There's a really strong streak of non-conformity and individuality stressed in his writings that Russell might actually sympathize with to a certain degree. He's also always challenging and thought provoking, always asking really big questions.

But yes, there's also quite a bit of misogyny, I suspect maybe even by the standards of that time. He also really does seem to have a sympathy for aristocratic forms of government and for aristocracy in general. Russell is not entirely wrong.

But reading Nietzsche is not a straightforward experience. I find when I read him, I have to sit with the ideas I read for a bit. I feel like Nietzsche is trying to provoke you above all else. He has genuine convictions, but he can be a bit cryptic and difficult, so you have to sit and think them through. I think when you do that, you come to a more complex picture than the one Russell presents.

[mclovinv]

I really like the idea of Nietzsche and Buddha having a sassy argument.

[LlamaOccident]

“Are they the mere power fantasies of an invalid?”
Oof that one stings.

[aspergianheteroclite]

"Aristocratic anarchism" - That basically sums up Nietzsche's world view accurately enough. Solid insights from Bertrand Russel here.

[FeedMyEyes]

"Just look at these superfluous people! They are always ill, they vomit their bile and call it a newspaper. They devour one another and cannot even digest themselves"-Nieztche

[ohiotattoo]

“HIs opinion of woman, like any man’s, is objectivication of his attitude towards them”.. Damn. Preach that shit Bert

[CaseyJonesXIV]

“For my part, I agree with Buddha as I have imagined him”

[jackmabel]

Have been reading Nietzsche for almost fifty years, and I still read and admire him. There are times, however, when he seems to be very much a lost Incel of the 19th Century.

[Baggydawg]

Russell was such a wonderful, extraordinary person. I'm grateful to have such smart, kind people to look up to

[SH-udwd]

The best style of writing in german language.

[frankiedavis]

Thankyou Bertrand, absolutely brilliant.

[johnsmith]

This is a chapter from Russell's "History of Philosophy" wherein each chapter is a philosophy.

[robertschlesinger]

Very interesting, informative and worthwhile video.

[greyedgerton]

Fascinating. Way back when, I held the same opinion about Greek philosophy. I thought that way to.
After reading so much of the pre-Socratics, and at the time, I kinda felt that pretty much the basics had already been done by the time of Socrates. It's simply been all pulled apart since then.

[nobodysfool]

My favorite part was when he called Nietzsche a sycophant of the aristocracy. Or that the woman would take his whip and turn it on him. Damn, son! Shots fired.

[michaelmcgarrity]

Nietzsche had serious health problems for much of his life and struggled mighty with his Danish Publisher Brandies to promote Book Sales and earn Money via lectures to keep his head above water financially. He walked his talk, applying his Will to thrive through great adversity.
We hear much of Nietzsche Philosophy, little about how he lived his life.

[marcfedak]

Although I shudder at the ruthlessness of Nietzche's ideal, he sure was a powerful and unique poet and visionary.

[BigBunnyLove]

This is such a fantastic post! Damn I love it. So relevant to our current struggles. Could say much, but I in the end am where Russell came to. Thank you.

[billbill]

Thankfully one of the few accounts of Nietzsche that doesn’t uncritically accept his philosophy but dissects its weaknesses. And it does acknowledge some of its predictive strengths.