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Books

Nietzsche Studies (I)

H. James Birx looks at some books on Nietzsche.

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) has had an enormous influence on modern thought, particularly inspiring those individuals of mythical creativity and poetic vision in film, music, philosophy and literature. In his scholarly and fascinating work Zarathustra’s Children, Raymond Furness focuses on seven authors: Theodore Däubler, Ludwig Derleth, Ludwig Klages, Alfred Mombert, Christian Morgenstern, Rudolf Pannwitz and Alfred Schuler. During the early decades of the twentieth century, these little-known and eccentric German thinkers wrote about life and nature in terms of pervasive vitalism and monistic pantheism. Their romantic imaginations excelled in the use of mystical symbols and cosmic images to express the sublimity of reality.

With insightful anecdotes and vivid summaries, Furness has written an excellent book that clearly demonstrates the unusual inspiration of Thus Spake Zarathustra on the epic works of these authors who, like the philosopher Nietzsche himself, attempted to transcend the values of their times.

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