Walter Kaufmann is one of the great popularists of philosophy, the Will Durant of his generation. If you are intimidated by the subject and the big names in the history of philosophy, Kaufmann is for you.

If you liked this book, a positive appropriation of the oft-maligned, but ever-popular Nietzsche, then you ought look into his book on Hegel.

I originally purchased this volume in paperback during a Nietzsche phase in college, then obtained a hardcover version years later.

This book attempts to be many things, but it has two important main aims as I see it. On the one hand, this book is an analytical introduction to Nietzsche's writings, in this capacity it was also the first great attempt to reform Nietzsche's reputation among Anglo-philosophers. In this regard Kaufman succeeds in dispelling some of the worst things like the claims that hes anti-Semitic or a fascist, but ironically omits some of the questions that have become more prevalent since then like was Ni More...

Anyone who would read this today already knows that Nietzsche was neither a fascist nor an anti-Semite and some might also have noticed that he was, moreover, a prescient critic of the like. A good deal of Kaufmann's energy here is devoted to confronting these prejudices and, while this needed to be done, it makes the work less relevant then some of the more current discussion of Nietzsche.

Kaufmann does address other issues of interpretation which are still being dealt with: regarding Nietzsche More...

Nietzsche was just a bit more of a jerk than Kaufmann is willing to admit, which is very moving, because you love Nietzsche and you don't want him to have been a jerk, but then there's all the shitty things he said, and his contempt for weakness, and the crap about the "Blond Beast," and you're like, oh fuck it. And Kaufmann's brother was killed by the Nazi's, who hijacked Nietzsche's legacy, and here's Kaufmann himself, the greatest translator Nietzsche will ever have, defending Nietzsche with More...

Sometimes it’s said that we’re all “Nietzscheans” now. From cultural studies to literary theory, or from postmodern polemics to continental philosophy, Nietzsche’s ideas aren’t so much studied as presupposed; they’re part of the deep grammar of those disciplines, part of the furniture. These days, disquieting Nietzschean insights like, for instance, perspectivism (the idea that “there are no facts, only interpretations”) have come to seem commonplace. At the same time, we’ve surely lost sight of More...

In grappling with Nietzsche's ideas, Kaufmann appreciates fully his experimental style. He writes:

The elusive quality of this style, which is so characteristic of Nietzsche's way of thinking and writing, might be called monadologic to crystallize the tendency of each aphorism to be self-sufficient while yet throwing light on almost every other aphorism. We are confronted with a "pluralistic universe" in which each aphorism is itself a microcosm. Almost as often as not, a single passage is equall

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I'm so close to done with this book... I've been picking through it piece-by-piece for years now, but it is a great companion to Nietzsche's life and work—a kind of high-speed, PhD-level Sparknotes, I guess.

Also not for the Nietzsche neophyte, this book is daunting in its density, yet surprisingly readable for the truly interested. A good distillation and interpretation of Nietzsche's life and times and how it all came together in his work.

I think Walter Kaufmann is the best guide for the Nietzsche wirter, because he really really seems to care a great deal about the topic, much more than other commentators, and he's not one of those dumbass very modern guys from France who make Nietzsche into something completely different from what he was. I recommend this book to anyone who really wants to get a good understanding of Nietzsche that the books themselves can't provide so easily.

According to the publisher, this book is considered the ���benchmark against which all modern books about Nietzsche are measured���. Considering its age, and non-flowing prose, I find that sad.

Of all the philosophers in history, I think Nietzsche is the most misrepresented and unorthodox. Not only is the structure of his books unique from other philosophers, there is also an artistry about his writing which is filled with aphorism and paradoxes. So it follows, Nietzsche can be difficult to under More...

An important and thought-provoking book for anyone wishing to get to grips with Nietzsche’s writings. Kaufmann does a good job of combating the various misleading interpretations which have dogged Nietzsche’s reputation over the years: that he was a proto-Nazi; a nihilist; a Social Darwinist; an irrationalist; someone who gloried in war and brutality; and so on. Indeed, whilst there are certainly many harsh (perhaps even shrill) comments in Nietzsche’s books, even a half-attentive reader will be More...

I have not read this book completely. In fact as far as I am certain, I have only read one chapter, that quite recently: chapter 6, “The Discovery of the Will to Power”.

Despite this, I have no doubt that the book deserves the rating I’ve given it, with no qualifications.

I will admit that I don’t know if Kaufmann has been superseded by someone else in the “Nietzsche scholarship” field over the last couple decades. This book first appeared in 1950, so it’s not recent by any means. But with three o More...

This is an indispensable work for anyone interested in understanding Nietzsche's thought. Kaufmann clarifies every aspect of Nietzsche's philosophy with such clarity and precision that it becomes possible to understand the notoriously difficult philosopher with relative ease. Some of Kaufmann's interpretations are debatable, but they always serve well in the attempt to illuminate Nietzsche's position.

My biggest criticisms are what I see as stylistic faults. For instance, the whole text is soaked More...

This book forms a trinity with Walter Kaufmann's two volumes of translations--The Portable Nietzsche and Basic Writings of Nietzsche--comprising the bulk of the philosopher's major works. This volume takes the form of an introduction, touching on Nietzsche's biography but primarily serving two roles: carefully leading the reader through the development of Nietzsche's thoughts, while at the same time defending these major themes against gross misrepresentations by Nietzsche's sister (for a while, More...

Superb introduction to Nietzsche's thought. Not entirely for the specialist. Gives a fairly thorough (although some have argued sanitized) account of the central elements of Nietzsche's critical philosophy. Was a ground-breaking study when it first appeared and still outranks all subsequent studies of Nietzsche (in my opinion). Kaufmann is also a wonderfully articulate writer. If you are at all interested in Nietzsche you must read this book.

This book is for anyone who reads Nietzsche and loves it, but doesn't really see a coherent philosophy. Kaufmann looks at Nietzsche's entire legacy and puts together a pretty straight-forward, compelling presentation of his thought. Kaufmann's writing is everything that Nietzsche's isn't, which is a blessing when it comes to clarity but kind of a downer in every other department.

The title is a little sensationalist and misleading — this book is basically a very dense, very competent CliffsNotes. More...

Always a joy to read Kaufmann. His writing is rich and punchy, passionate and highly intelligent. Here, he makes mincemeat of received myth, and of certain other philosophers and figures in the Nietzsche industry. His interpretation of Nietzsche - whose work, he insists, must be viewed as a whole - is particularly sympathetic from one who is no acolyte of the philosopher.

This is essential reading as Nietzsche is the most poorly read author in history, and Kaufmann will help you overcome those bad reading habits inculcated from being exposed to Nietzsche by ressentiment-laden meek-loving slaves who are threatened by his unparalleled uncompromising intellectual integrity.

Over-sanitizes Nietzsche. Kaufmann emphasizes self-mastery and the Apollonian vs. de-individuation and the Dionysian. Nevertheless, one of the most famous expositions of a philosopher's thought ever and almost single-handedly responsible for bringing Nietzsche to America.

Wow! This is one hell of scholarly rehabilitation for the character of the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. It's a must read for anyone with any interest in Nietzsche's body of work.

I really enjoy reading Nietzche and Kauffman's book has helped me to enjoy him even more. So many pele hate Nietzche it's nice to finally read a book from a different perspective.

Badly written, rambling introduction to this crucial thinker. Get "Nietzsche : A Guide for the Perplexed" instead for a readable introduction.

Good book to read before starting to read Nietzsche. This book explains and corrects the misunderstandings that people have of Nietzsche's ideas.

Kaufmann is the authority on Nietzsche. Always look for a translation done by this author.

This is a fantastic companion to the philosopher's actual works. Read it first.

"Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist by Walter A. Kaufmann (1975)"

I fucking love Walter Kaufmann.

Religion is to stop thinking and to believe.

i've read all of kaufman's nietzche translations, yet i felt like i didnt quite understand his "will to power." now i do, which is nice

Pretty much the best book on Nietzsche I have ever read.

An entertaining book to say the least on a man scarcely in need of anymore spice or commentary. Kaufmann defies common opinion and instills the reader with confidence by being both bold and accurate in giving a stylistic portrayal. This is a must read for anyone even the least bit interested in either Nietzsche the man or merely only his works.