Nothing says “Christmas” quite like a quality book on the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche . What better proclaims the miraculous birth of salvation than “god is dead,” right? The Challenge of Nietzsche by Jeremy Fortier was published in 2020 but it sat in my Amazon wish list until I received a copy as a gift this past holiday. The book's subtitle, “How to Approach His Thought,” might indicate that it is an introductory level book. True enough, Fortier offers a sweeping narrative through the span of Nietzsche's early, middle and late period thinking. With stronger interest in the latter two periods of his life. But, the aim of this book is more specific than a general introduction of all facets of Nietzsche's philosophy would necessarily entail. Rather, this “approach to his thought” is an attempt to uncover a particular, fundamental thread that serves as an underpinning f
Part Three of three. “ Insofar as the individual is seeking happiness, one ought not to tender him any prescriptions as to the path to happiness: for individual happiness springs from one’s own unknown laws, and prescriptions from without can only obstruct and hinder it." (Daybreak 108) Nietzsche intentionally does not prescribe any specific methods or techniques for discovering or mastering the multiplicity of drives and affects. This may seem as though he has not thought things through very well. There is little in the way of practical advice in his psychology. But Nietzsche’s truth claim is merely to understand the mechanics of the multiplicity in all its many facets. How to master the mechanics and be a well-ordered soul is not specifically told because it can’t be. Unlike virtually any other “wise” teacher you will encounter, Nietzsche understands that the multiplicity is almost infinitely varied and will manifest differently for everyone. For that reason, he can on