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Thus Spoke Zarathustra

10

Friedrich Nietzsche

Nietzsche's prose-poem of the death of God and the birth of the overman — the book that, more than any other, shaped twentieth-century thought, art, and catastrophe.

Year
1885 AD
Country
Germany
Language
German
Genre
Philosophical poetry
Work Type
Philosophy
Pages
252
Designation
Major
Century
19th c.

GBM Assessment (Score: 10/10)

Thus Spoke Zarathustra is the most influential philosophical work since Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, a visionary prose poem in which Friedrich Nietzsche announced the death of God, introduced the concept of the Übermensch (the "overman" who creates new values in a godless world), and proposed the doctrine of eternal recurrence — the ultimate test of affirmation in which one must will the repetition of one's entire life for all eternity. The work stands at the crossroads of philosophy, literature, and prophecy.

Emerging during Nietzsche's most productive period between 1883 and 1885, Thus Spoke Zarathustra inspired Richard Strauss's celebrated tone poem of 1896 and has permeated modern culture in ways both significant and troubling — the Wehrmacht distributed copies to soldiers during the Second World War, though Nietzsche's philosophy resists reduction to any political program. The work influenced virtually every major twentieth-century philosopher.

US, Russia & Europe, 1884-1886

1884 AD – 1886 AD · 4 works from this era

The Gilded Age. Twain publishes Huckleberry Finn. Tolstoy writes The Death of Ivan Ilyich in spiritual crisis. Nietzsche publishes Zarathustra and Beyond Good and Evil. The Berlin Conference carves up Africa (1884). The Statue of Liberty is dedicated.

Awards & Adaptations

Strauss tone poem. Core in philosophy.

Recommended Edition

Stanford UP: Complete Works Vol. 7, trans. A. Del Caro (2006); also Thomas Common (1909)

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Thus Spoke Zarathustra written?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra was composed in 1885. Emerging during Nietzsche's most productive period between 1883 and 1885, Thus Spoke Zarathustra inspired Richard Strauss's celebrated tone poem of 1896 and has permeated modern culture in ways both significant and troubling — the Wehrmacht distributed copies to soldiers during the Second World War, though Nietzsche's philosophy resists reduction to any political program.
Who wrote Thus Spoke Zarathustra?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra was written by Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher.
Why is Thus Spoke Zarathustra considered a great book?
Nietzsche's prose-poem of the death of God and the birth of the overman — the book that, more than any other, shaped twentieth-century thought, art, and catastrophe.
What language was Thus Spoke Zarathustra originally written in?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra was originally written in German.
How long is Thus Spoke Zarathustra?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra runs about 252 pages in standard print editions.
What's the best edition or translation of Thus Spoke Zarathustra?
Recommended editions of Thus Spoke Zarathustra: Stanford UP: Complete Works Vol. 7, trans. A. Del Caro (2006); also Thomas Common (1909).
Where can I read Thus Spoke Zarathustra for free?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra is available free in the public domain. You can download a digital edition from Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/844
ISBN-13: 9780368886317
ISBN-10: 1420954067
Editions: 3
Open Library: View