Thus spake Zarathustra

Author: Nietzsche
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-01
Features: Zarathustra came down the mountain, preaching to the world: "God is dead!" The greatness of man lies in being a bridge rather than a purpose; man is a rope, tied between the animal and the übermensch. Thus Spoke Zarathustra begins this way. It is a book imbued with the wisdom of a philosopher, a book overflowing with the passion of a poet, a book belonging to eternity. Nietzsche was once a man who captivated many. His spiritual nobility, his indomitable character, his profound insights, and his sincerity set him far beyond the ordinary scholar in people's eyes. Compared to his obvious eccentricities, arrogance, and other pathological tendencies, these seem less significant; moreover, it seems that such a personality, combined with his inspiration and talent, shaped his unique life experience. This great thinker wrote many immortal works in his lifetime. The famous Thus Spoke Zarathustra embodies the essence of his life; Zarathustra is, in fact, a portrayal of Nietzsche himself. Thus Spoke Zarathustra is Nietzsche's most mature work. Nietzsche, under the guise of the legendary story of Zarathustra, the founder of ancient Persian Zoroastrianism, who after years of ascetic practices descends to the mortal world to preach, elaborates on the author's lofty and passionate philosophical thoughts in poetic and lyrical language, revealing his profound insights into life, suffering, joy, and hope. It is in this book that Nietzsche proposed such influential ideas on later intellectual and social thought as "God is dead" and "the übermensch." Nietzsche's sister once wrote a long essay recalling the process of Nietzsche writing this book. To help readers better understand the ideas in this book, we have selected and translated an excerpt of that essay to append after the main text, hoping it will be of assistance to everyone reading the book.