Beyond Good & Evil : Friedrich Nietzsche

The second book I am mentioning belongs to the one of the most influential thinkers of all time : Friedrich Nietzsche & the book is Beyond Good & Evil.

Nietzsche was controversial to the marrow and still is controversial. This book of his Beyond Good & Evil followed his famous work Thus Spake Zarathustra. But here instead of talking about his superman Nietzsche simply summed up his philosophy- but in less flamboyant and more systematic form. The various parts of the book are designed to give idea of Nietzsche's thought.
It is interesting to read Nietzsche's comments about the prejudices of philosopher, the free spirit, virtues and nobility.

But for me, the core part of the book is epigrams and interludes section of the book which contains various qoutes of Nietzsche.
Some of them I should mention:-

1. " knowledge for it's own sake"- that is the last snare of morality: with that one becomes completely entangled in it once more.

2. Love of one is barbarism; for it is exercised at the expense of all others. The love of god too.

3. Whoever despises himself still respects himself as one who despises.

4. A soul that knows it is loved but does not love itself betrays it's sediments: what is at the bottom comes up.

5. If we train our conscience , it kisses us while it hurt us.

6. Whatever is done from love always occurs beyond good & evil.

So, this was the man like. But one may find some of the Nietzsche's remarks on women as hideous. But the fellow never cared while writing this book what we are going to make out of his remark.

In his own words from this book -" In truth the matter is different: while you pretend rapturously to read the cannon of your law in nature, you want something opposite, you strange actors and self deceivers ! Your pride wants to impose your morality, your ideals on nature- even on nature- and incorporate them in her".

The book was first published in 1886. Nietzsche experimented himself of having something published at his own expense; assuming to cover his expenses if 300 copies were sold. Unfortunately this did not happened. Only 114 copies were sold in 5 years. But by 1903, 17000 copies were in print & today this book is considered as classic. But Nietzsche never lived to see all this. He died in 1900.

Altogather, this book offers some thing vague and dramatic ideas.

This book, I love a lot.