What's your opinion of Nietzsche?

Question

and, if you feel like it, how did you come to this opinion?

Mainly, though, I'm curious what the people here think of Nietzsche...

Thanks!

Answer 1

I'm sorry to write such a long response, but it is necessary to do your question justice...
1. FWN can be incredibly uplifting and motivational, as in the quote:

"Never yield to remorse, but at once tell yourself: remorse would simply mean adding to the first act of stupidity a second."
from Nietzsche's The Wanderer and his Shadow,s. 323, R.J. Hollingdale transl.

2. But, to many, he is the harbinger of darkness, death and destruction...as in:
"My idea is that every specific body strives to become master over all space and to extend its force (--its will to power:) and to thrust back all that resists its extension. But it continually encounters similar efforts on the part of other bodies and ends by coming to an arrangement ("union") with those of them that are sufficiently related to it: thus they then conspire together for power. And the process goes on--"

from The Will to Power, s.636, Walter Kaufmann transl.

3. I have a positive outlook on his works today, as I've become more familiar with the various facets of his overall philosophy. I think the problem is, however, that he's too easily and conveniently taken out of context. This leads to a general misunderstanding of his overall philosophy. It is the more outrageous quotes, (such as the Will to Power one above), which have entered our collective cosciousness and lead to the general misunderstandings in society.

4. I think one needs to become familiar with all of his books and writings, and not just rely on what is stated in various opinions of others. This is do to (3) above.

5. The quote below is somewhat of an incapsulation of FWN's overall intent...what you might call The Transvaluation of Values:

"Even today many educated people think that the victory of Christianity over Greek philosophy is a proof of the superior truth of the former - although in this case it was only the coarser and more violent that conquered the more spiritual and delicate. So far as superior truth is concerned, it is enough to observe that the awakening sciences have allied themselves point by point with the philosophy of Epicurus, but point by point rejected Christianity. "

from Nietzsche's Human, all too Human, s.68, R.J. Hollingdale transl.

6. I have to admit that I actually like the idea of what he's trying to do, to push back the influence of Christianity...and to bring back the the more noble based ethics of old. For him to conceive of such an idea back then was absolutely amazing...but to then take on this daunting task is phenomenal.

7. Although, sadly I do not agree with your first answer (That his time is still to come). FWN's main intent (5, above) will not be realized. This is because the temptation for mankind to take Nietzsche out of context leads merely to a bastardized partial understanding and influence which bears no reasonable resemblance to what he sought for mankind.

8. Further, have a look at this astounding ground breaking article about FWN's account of the crucufiction:

http://www.mic.ul.ie/stephen/vol10/Jesus.pdf

It is an interesting new theory about how briliantly FWN slightly modified the fabled story of the crucifiction to help support his case. I believe it offers insight into the mind of FWN.

Sorry it's so long...but the topic warrants it, I believe!

Answer 2

Nietzsches time has still to come. He is one of the great philosophers. The only insurmountable problem in Niezsche is that he did not manage to overcome the dialectic. And neither have the rest of us as a society. But his call to smash it with a hammer has produced some very interesting results among the philosophers of today and yesterday..
For a long time people seriously misread Nietzsche. It wasn't until the post WWII period that people began to misread him for more than the bits about the blonde beast and all ignore the rest, and there are still plenty of people out there who make a mess of what he says. But he is certainly worth studying seriously.

Answer 3

Tethys has the best answer. But I just wanted to add to Tethys' point that people still constantly misunderstand and misapply his "god is dead" quote to a ridiculous degree.