Some strong points, but...

... it seemed to me that a lot of the comments made by the professors were very questionable in terms of Neitzche’s philosophy. For example, regarding moral relativism, the professor made some absurd analogy like, “having a definite moral standard all the way across the world would be like giving every student an ‘A’ on a research paper regardless of how each student performed, so even though most people would be happy (the majority) there would be a few exceptional individuals who did very well who would be cheated because they worked harder than everyone else.” This was baffling to me, because the very example he uses presupposes a universal principle applies equally to everyone in the class, namely that if you work hard and do well then you should be rewarded, and also that there is a universal standard by which each paper is graded. How this slipped past the professor is a mystery to me. Beyond that, many times, the professor vehemently denies any negative actions taken in history which claimed to be taken because of his philosophy, simply stating that “they don’t understand Neitzche,” or that they even did the exact opposite of what Neitzche was trying to put forward. The biggest irony for me of the lectures was hearing about Neitzche’s tragic life, and how his sister had to care for him for the last several years of his life when he was virtually completely disabled. To me it begged the question, what if his sister had carried out his philosophy on compassion and love?

There are some redeeming qualities however, as this is a helpful resource to just have a brief overview of his basic philosophy and the things he is most well known for. It is essential to understand the thoughts of men like Neitzche, even if we disagree with them, simply for the fact that they have shaped the world that we now live in. Ideas have consequences.

35 people found this helpful

An apology (classical sense) for Nietszche

Thoughtful, but with much more of a focus on defending Nietszche from attacks than actually exploring his thought. We learn speculative theories, but relatively little about specific works.

32 people found this helpful

Engaging Course

This is a very comprehensive course on Nietzsche. Not just his works and his thoughts, but there is a rather helpful and contexualizing of his life as well.

It's a real pleasure to listen to lecturers who love their subject. A few, though by no means all, of these Courses series are taught by people who have a really selective preference for certain parts of what their teaching, but not all of it, and it shows.

Professors Higgins and Solomon are tremendous fans of Nietzsche's work; it comes through in their passion and enthusiasm for the topic and it makes some of the harder-to-grasp concepts presented much easier to take on board.

I also really appreciated some of the back and forth, dialogic style of the presentation. It made the apologetics more vibrant and fertile.

30 people found this helpful

Questionable Interpretations

What would have made The Will to Power: The Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche better?

A different set of professors/lecturers would have been potentially better. Professor Solomon's and Higgins' interpretations of Nietzsche are sometimes highly suspect. I'm not a professional philosopher, but I have spent a fair amount of time studying and reflecting upon Nietzsche's works with the aid of secondary literature.

For example, early on in the lectures, Professor Solomon insists that Nietzsche isn't a moral relativist in the strictest sense. This is a very questionable reading of Nietzsche's moral philosophy. While I am aware that Nietzsche saw the rise of nihilism as a problem for humanity, the most plausible interpretation of his works clearly suggests that he was a moral anti-realist. For this reason, it seems as though Professor Solomon is trying to fit Nietzsche into his own worldview rather than representing the philosophy more objectively.

Not all of the lectures are as disappointing. The lectures on Amor Fati and Nietzsche's virtue ethics are interesting and on point for the most part.

My biggest complaint is Professor Solomon's narration style. It reminded me of why I often despise the lecture format for learning in general. It turns out that "how you say it" does indeed matter just as much as "what you say."

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Very dull delivery.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Dissapointment.

22 people found this helpful

Perfect entry point for understanding Nietzsche

Where does The Will to Power: The Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very satisfying, will be listened to sever times to fully understand.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

good balance of biography and analysis with extensive contextual education

What does Professor Kathleen M. Higgins and Professor Robert C. Solomon bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

world class expertise and passion for Nietzsche

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I knew I was interested in Nietzsche, but I never knew I would adore his views this much

Any additional comments?

combine this book with some additional content to get a more rounded experience, a Nietzsche documentary or a read of his work (which is difficult to appreciate for me taken alone)

19 people found this helpful

Magnificent

This series of lectures by Profs Solomon and Higgins sheds a lot of light into Nietzsche’s philosophy. I would recommend a brief detour into a critic of Nietzsche, Ronald Beiner and his audiobook Dangerous Minds, first. That way you can contrast this lecture series, with its extended deep dive into Nietzschian thought, with a critic’s point-of-view in the background. I liked this despite how some historical bad actors have used Nietzsche to bolster their arguments, like the Nazis with the ubermensch and “will to power” concepts. Nietzsche actually disliked anti-semites and wrote extended critiques of 19th century Germany; so, it’s beyond me why the Nazis thought he was an inspiration - Nietzsche would’ve called them on their b.s. posthaste. I love the concept of eternal recurrence, and it’s corollary of amor fati (love of fate). I love the idea of embracing life and trying to be creative, and treating your life as a creative act. The lecturers are both engaging and fun, and funny. If you like philosophy, then I’d say you can’t go wrong with this great course. The critics will have a deeper understanding, and the enthusiasts will be even more enthused. Great job.

12 people found this helpful

Great introduction to Nietzsche

Any additional comments?

This is a great course for anyone seeking to understand the basic philosophical frameworks of Nietzsche. I am a Master's student and used the lectures from this audio book to prepare for a course in sociology theory. I really enjoyed the content and found it to be extremely helpful in providing an overview for such an in depth subject. I liked the fact that the lecturers were husband and wife, and I especially enjoyed hearing a women's perspective on Nietzsche, who is often portrayed as misogynistic. They clarified the fundamental themes in Nietzsche's writings, and provided context that my college course did not.

12 people found this helpful

asthmatic and boring

I am very interested in the topic. But the delivery in this instance leaves much to be desired. He sounds asthmatic, and that almost entirely ruined the course before the end of the first lesson. Those shallow gasps for air make him very hard to listen to. Secondly he isn't very good at capturing or retaining attention. She's much easier to listen to, but by the point I gave up at she hadn't covered very many of the lectures. Thirdly, I bought this to learn about Nietzsche, and this course requires at least a beginners understanding of him and his works, preferably a misunderstanding as a number of the lectures are to clear up misunderstandings. I plan to buy another book on Nietzsche as I'm still interested, but not one that has me searching for an inhaler and a cup of coffee.

10 people found this helpful

Opinions, apologetics, and biases.

Would you try another book from The Great Courses and/or Professor Kathleen M. Higgins and Professor Robert C. Solomon ?

No, not from these professors. It seems almost disingenuous to refer to them as professors. Having majored in philosophy in college, I have to say that so far I find them to be the worst philosophy professors I've ever had.

What could The Great Courses have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I've finished lecture five so far, and I have to agree with the other reviewer who quit listening at this stage. I will continue listening, however, and update my review or post a new one if it gets any better. At this stage, though, the lectures are very disappointing. The professors use "Nietzsche thought" virtually interchangeably with "I think," particularly the male professor. They seem to be defending Nietzsche more than explaining him or teaching what he wrote or thought, and incessantly seem to inject their own opinions and biases throughout. But, since they rarely back up their opinions and assertions with actual quotations from any of Nietzsche's writings, it becomes impossible to distinguish between what Nietzsche actually said vs. what these professors think about what he said, or even what the professors think regardless of what Nietzsche said.

Many times it sounds simply like the opinion of the professors themselves about a given subject. But, even that wouldn't be so bad if they were informed, well-reasoned, and substantiated opinions, but they're not. Generally, they erect a straw man mischaracterization of an idea, and then proceed to criticize that.

If the ideas presented are Nietzsche's, and not merely those of the professors, then I am thoroughly unimpressed with Nietzsche. Either Nietzsche argued poorly for his ideas, or the professors argue poorly for theirs.Tellingly, the professors even offer a defense of logical fallacies. This makes sense, of course, since they indulge in them so frequently.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Professor Kathleen M. Higgins and Professor Robert C. Solomon ?

A professor who could objectively explain the writings, reasonings, and philosophy of Nietzsche, backing up what they say with excerpts from the actual writings themselves rather than just talking about what THEY think Nietzsche meant....or worse, just talking about what THEY think about any given subject or idea. It's clear they agree with Nietzsche on a great many things....but I'm not interested in learning about these professors personal Nietzchean philosophies, I'm interested in NIETZCHE'S philosophy and writings.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Well, I supposed I learned more about Nietzsche than I knew beforehand...the problem is I don't know what is the true Nietzsche and what is simply the opinion or interpretation of the professors.

8 people found this helpful

Get more out of life and open yourself to the possibility of more!

Great series and it helps immensely that it's in 30 min bite size chucks because it is nice to reflect on the subject matter immediately after a lecture.

5 people found this helpful