The Anti-Christian
May 2024 · The Complete Works of Nietzsche Book 41 · Minerva Heritage Press
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"The Anti-Christian: The Curse of Christianity" is Nietzsche's scathing critique of Christianity and its influence on Western culture and morality. Although most English translations have rendered the title as "The Anti-Christ ", the German word for "Christian" is "Christ", so this work can also be translated as "The Anti-Christian". As he is referring to himself as the "ender of Christianity", not only the Biblical Antichrist, this translation communicates the intent of the title better. The text is one of Nietzsche's last works, and it delivers a critique of Christianity in a sharp, polemical and extremely hostile style. Nietzsche denounces Christianity as a religion of weakness and resentment, arguing that it has suppressed the natural instincts and vitality of humanity in favor of a morality based on guilt, self-denial, and the promise of an afterlife. He contrasts the Christian worldview with his own vision of a life-affirming trans-humanist, Dionysian philosophy that celebrates strength over goodness, creativity over truth, and the embrace of the Nihilism of material existence. "The Antichrist" is an attempt by Nietzsche to repudiate all religious and metaphysical dogma, ironically asserting metaphysical dogmas of his own, a reality on which Heidegger comments on extensively. Nietzsche's father was a Protestant pastor, and many of his family members were pastors (including his brother-in-law), so the image of Christianity he attacks here is clearly the Protestant one. Eastern Orthodoxy is not mentioned at all, and Catholicism is rarely mentioned. He writes in a letter to Peter Gast: "It occurred to me, dear friend, that the constant inner debate with Christianity in my book must be strange, even embarrassing to you; but it is the best piece of ideal life that I have really come to know; from childhood I have followed it into many corners, and I believe I have never been mean in my heart against it. Finally, I am the descendant of whole generations of Christian clergymen." "Der Antichrist' was written in 1888 but first published in 1895. This publication was part of the larger volume "The Will to Power," a collection of Nietzsche's unpublished writings that were assembled and edited by his sister, Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, and published by C.G. Naumann in Leipzig. The text is one of Nietzsche's final works, and it delivers a critique of Christianity in a sharp and polemical style. This new translation of the original 1889 German manuscript includes a new afterword by the translator, a timeline of Nietzsche's life and works, an index with descriptions of his key concepts, and summaries of his complete works. This translation is designed to allow the armchair philosopher to engage deeply with Nietzsche's works without having to be a full-time Academic. The language is modern and clean, with simplified sentence structures and diction to make Nietzsche's complex language and arguments as accessible as possible. This Reader's Edition also contains extra material that amplifies the manuscript with autobiographical, historical and linguistic context. This provides the reader a holistic view of this very enigmatic philosopher as both an introduction and an exploration of Nietzsche's works; from his general understanding of his philosophic project to an exploration of the depths of his metaphysics and unique contributions. This edition contains: • An Afterword by the Translator on the history, impact and intellectual legacy of Nietzsche • Translation notes on the original German, Latin and Greek manuscript • An index of Philosophical concepts used by Nietzsche with a focus on Existentialism and Phenomenology • A chronological list of Nietzsche's entire body of works • A detailed timeline of Nietzsche's life and works
About the author
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was a German philosopher, cultural critic, poet, musician (briefly) and philologist whose work has had a profound impact on modern intellectual history. Known for his critiques of traditional European morality and religion, Nietzsche's ideas on the "will to power" and the "Übermensch" have influenced a wide range of philosophical, literary, and psychological thought including thinkers such as Michael Foucault and the entire Postmodern religion.
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