The Affirmation of Life: Nietzsche on Overcoming Nihilism
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"With lucid writing and a superb examination of his works, Reginster succeeds in presenting a coherent interpretation of Nietzsche's philosophy." - Scott Duimstra, Library Journal "A well written and thoughtful book... Impressive and provocative... The argumentation is clear, persuasive, and innovative... The discussion of existing interpretations (those of Clark, Kaufmann, Lowith, Nehamas, and several others) is exemplary: it is careful and tranquil, thoughtful and engaging." - Nectarios G. Limnatis, Review of Metaphysics"
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Nietzsche continues to occupy a special place - not only for a broad range of academics but also for members of a wider public, who find some of their most pressing existential concerns addressed in his works. Central among these concerns is the question of the meaning of a life characterized by inescapable suffering, at a time when the traditional responses inspired by Christianity are increasingly losing their credibility. While most recent studies of Nietzsche's works have lost sight of this fundamental issue, Bernard Reginster brings it sharply into focus.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Wonderful, it's great to have a good book in English that isn't written by
Herr Kaufman on Nietzsche. Reginster is so hot.
Herr Kaufman on Nietzsche. Reginster is so hot.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
22 of 29 people found the following review helpful
An Assignment Among the Herculean Labors
27 Feb 2007
Format:Hardcover
This was an extremely dense (and intense) book, but that really was not the greatest annoyance I found. The first half is liberally sprinkled with unnecessary redundancies--less dedicated readers may find themselves thoroughly frustrated with such a thing; yet in spite of this, my interest remained strong: for although certainly not a novel, I awaited the tying-up of loose ends and for Reginster to expound upon his theory with finality. Such was the case in the second half of the work, which I felt completely rejuvenated his project--and not that he needs it from me, but as an advocate of Nietzsche's work myself, Reginster definitely has my backing as a new, brilliant, and fresh authority on, perhaps, the most misunderstood thinker of the last two centuries. This is without question not a starting point for those new to the Nietzsche corpus--though some will be tantalized simply by his name appearing in the title--this is a comprehensive view, with great stress placed upon two main themes of Nietzsche's pen: the will to power and the eternal recurrence. Reginster's clarification of the spurious presence of "The Will to Power", his endlessly helpful citing of Nietzsche's writings (not to deny Kant's and Schopenhauer's), and most importantly his lack of traditional views regarding Nietzsche make this book highly recommended--its flaws are not damaging to its credibility, and if you have the prior experience of Nietzsche and the patience for wading through the comprehensive approach presented here, you will find it an invaluable tool in your contemplations or pontifications of its targeted author. Bravo, Reginster!
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
From a Lay-Reader's Perspective...
4 Mar 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
"The Affirmation of Life" is a systematic analysis of the complex relationships among nihilism and Nietzsche's concepts of the will to power, the revaluation of values, and the eternal recurrence. The argument (very basically) is that in order to overcome the disillusionment and despair that comes from living in a Godless world -- a world devoid of transcendent, objective values -- individuals need to create within themselves a code of life-affirming values that will empower them to embrace, without regret or reservation, every aspect of life: the good and the bad, the peaks and the valleys, the tragedies and the triumphs. The will to power is the means to achieve this.
The author's analysis of Nietzsche's concepts is logically organized and painstakingly developed. However, because of the manner in which the author proceeds with his examination, this is not an easy book to read. First, the author tends to repeat terms, phrases, and ideas during his discussions. While this may be a necessary consequence of the "systematicity" of the author's method of analysis, and while repetition can help maintain clarity and precision in conceptual analysis, it can also become merely repetitive and eventually tedious. Next, the author sometimes digresses into logical and verbal analyses in order to clarify Nietzsche's concepts and terminology. While these analyses are sometimes important for understanding the point being discussed, they also seem, at times, to be academic exercises in logical and verbal analysis. Also, the author creates his own philosophical terms as he analyzes Nietzsche's ideas. New conceptual investigations require new conceptual instruments; but they can also be distracting, especially when the reader is trying to follow the main line of discussion. Finally, the book presupposes familiarity with Nietzsche's philosophy; so unless -- or until -- you're familiar with Nietzsche's ideas, you may want to save this book for later.
Mr. Reginster is obviously an authority on the philosophy of Nietzsche, and "The Affirmation of Life" is an authoritative analysis of many of Nietzsche's most important concepts. However, it's a complex, difficult work not easily accessible for novice readers of Nietzsche. Nevertheless, the merit of this book is undeniable, and it will prove to be a valuable contribution to the canon of Nietzsche exegesis.
The author's analysis of Nietzsche's concepts is logically organized and painstakingly developed. However, because of the manner in which the author proceeds with his examination, this is not an easy book to read. First, the author tends to repeat terms, phrases, and ideas during his discussions. While this may be a necessary consequence of the "systematicity" of the author's method of analysis, and while repetition can help maintain clarity and precision in conceptual analysis, it can also become merely repetitive and eventually tedious. Next, the author sometimes digresses into logical and verbal analyses in order to clarify Nietzsche's concepts and terminology. While these analyses are sometimes important for understanding the point being discussed, they also seem, at times, to be academic exercises in logical and verbal analysis. Also, the author creates his own philosophical terms as he analyzes Nietzsche's ideas. New conceptual investigations require new conceptual instruments; but they can also be distracting, especially when the reader is trying to follow the main line of discussion. Finally, the book presupposes familiarity with Nietzsche's philosophy; so unless -- or until -- you're familiar with Nietzsche's ideas, you may want to save this book for later.
Mr. Reginster is obviously an authority on the philosophy of Nietzsche, and "The Affirmation of Life" is an authoritative analysis of many of Nietzsche's most important concepts. However, it's a complex, difficult work not easily accessible for novice readers of Nietzsche. Nevertheless, the merit of this book is undeniable, and it will prove to be a valuable contribution to the canon of Nietzsche exegesis.
8 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Very well done.
5 Jan 2008
Format:Hardcover
This book has its minor faults, such as the propensity to get long winded and/or redundant at times, however as a whole it is a fabulous contribution to the wide berth of secondary lit on this giant. Reginster's systematic approach is controversial in of itself, but his arguments are well developed and do have a good deal of support. He addresses alternate interpretations of Nietzsche's thought, and discusses these other views in some depth. In all, the book concludes with a coherent and plausible interpretation of Nietzsche that is original enough to be fresh and will assuredly get one thinking again. In all, the book is most certainly worth reading, and I would recommend it highly.
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