The Gay Science: With a Prelude in German Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs (Clearscan)

Nietzsche wrote The Gay Science, which he later described as "perhaps my most personal book", when he was at the height of his intellectual powers, and the reader will find it an extensive and sophisticated treatment of the philosophical themes and views most central to Nietzsche's own thought and most influential on later thinkers. This volume presents the work in a new translation by Josefine Nauckhoff, with an introduction by Bernard Williams that elucidates the work's main themes and discusses their continuing importance. "Nietzsche wrote The Gay Science, which he later described as 'perhaps my most personal book', when he was at the height of his intellectual powers, and the reader will find in it an extensive and sophisticated treatment of the philosophical themes and views which were most central to Nietzche's own thought and which have been most influential on later thinkers. These include the death of God, the problem of nihilism, the role of truth, falsity and the will-to-truth in human life, the doctrine of the eternal recurrence, and the question of the proper attitude to adopt towards human suffering and towards achievement. This volume presents the work in a new translation by Josefine Nauckhoff, with a translation of the poems by Adrian Del Caro. An introduction by Bernard Willimas elucidates the work's main themes and discusses their continuing philosophical importance."--Jacket Front Cover ......Page 1 Back Cover ......Page 2 Contents (v) ......Page 7 Introduction (vii) ......Page 9 Chronology (xxiii) ......Page 25 Further Reading (xxvi) ......Page 28 Note on the text (xxvii) ......Page 29 The Gay Science ('La gaya scienza') (1) ......Page 31 Preface to the second edition (3) ......Page 33 'Joke. Cunning, and Revenge' Prelude in German Rhymes (11) ......Page 41 Book One (25) ......Page 55 Book Two (67) ......Page 97 Book Three (107) ......Page 137 Book Four St Januarius (155)......Page 185 Book Five We Fearless Ones (197)......Page 227 Appendix: Songs of Prince Vogelfrei (249) ......Page 279 Index (261) ......Page 291 Cambridge texts in the history of philosophy (278)......Page 308 The influential 19th century philosopher's aphoristic work in which he first proclaimed the death of God and the idea of eternal recurrence.

A new translation and edition of this important and influential statement of Nietzsche's philosophy.