Readings on Nietzsche (Megan)

- There is a lot of correlation between Nietzsche and Gardner (from Prospero's Daughter) (4-5). What does Nietzsche mean when he says slavery is necessary?

- Emily suggested that he means that people have to give up personal freedoms, not that he advocates literal slavery.

- Does anyone else have a problem with "the cry of compassion cannot be allowed to tear down the walls of culture" (4)?

- Maggie said that the statement presumes a set of social beliefs that modern people may not have.

- What would Nietzsche think of modern America?

- Maggie said that it would be his worst nightmare, as most of the concerns he presents (6) are in evidence here.

- Emily pointed out that he hates capitalism (6).

- Yannai said that he hated the world when he was alive, and the world is fundamentally the same now.

- He is the person who said "we killed God." In Nietzsche there is "both great danger and great promise" (2): what is dangerous and what is promising?

- Emily said that religion (to Nietzsche) is a danger to the modern individual.

- Maggie said that he tries to point the success of humanity against the individual or nation.

- Can humanity deal with life beyond meaning or purpose?

- Emily asked how tragedy (Greek) was helpful to this idea. She wanted to know how nihilism could be progressive for the individual or society.

- Maggie pointed out that the Greeks were also all the things Nietzsche criticizes about contemporary society.

- Is the "liberal" good and the "elitist" bad? Is this true today?

- Suzanne said that he makes everthing very black and white.

- Maggie suggested that the author never really lays out a clear statement of Nietzsche's actual political views.

- Emily pointed out that the editor makes broad assumptions and uses accusations rather than evidence.

- Is Nietzsche right about nature versus nurture?

- Eli argued that nature is part of it, but that there is always a choice.

- Emily asked what he meant by "domination."

- Alex suggested that "domination" is contingent upon the prevailing morals of society.

- Were the Nazis merited in using Nietzsche to justify their policy?

- Emily said that this made sense.

- Maggie said that this happened because of the ideas of hierarchy and slavery.