The philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was almost wholly neglected during his sane life, which came to an abrupt end in 1889. Since then he has been appropriated as an icon by an astonishingly diverse spectrum of people, whose interpretations of his thought range from the highly irrational to the firmly analytical. Thus Spoke Zarathustra introduced the 'superman' and The Twilight of the Idols developed the 'Will to Power' concept; these term, together with 'Sklavenmoral' and 'Herrenmoral', became confused with the rise of nationalism in Germany. Idiosyncratic and aphoristic, Nietzsche is always bracing and provocative, and temptingly easy to dip into. Michael Tanner's readable introduction to the philosopher's life and work examines the numerous ambiguities inherent in his writings. It also explodes the many misconceptions fostered in the hundred years since Nietzsche wrote, prophetically: 'Do not, above all, confound me with what I am not!'

作者

邁剋爾·坦納（Michael Tanner）　哲學傢、歌劇評論傢，劍橋大學聖體學院終身研究員。研究領域：19世紀德國哲學，尤其是黑格爾和尼采；作為文化現象的瓦格納；藝術哲學；批評與文化研究的當代思潮。著有《叔本華》（1999）、《尼采》（2000）、《瓦格納》（2008）等。

序言作者

周國平　中國社會科學院哲學研究所研究員。1967年畢業於北京大學哲學係，1981年畢業於中國社會科學院研究生院哲學係。著有學術專著《尼采：在世紀的轉摺點上》、《尼采與形而上學》，散文集《守望的距離》、《各自的朝聖路》、《安靜》等，紀實作品《妞妞：一個父親的劄記》等，隨感集《人與永恒》等，詩集《憂傷的情欲》，以及《人生哲思錄》等，譯有《尼采美學文選》、《尼采詩集》、《偶像的黃昏》等。