On Truth and Untruth: Selected Writings
About this ebook
Reissued for the age of "fake news," On Truth and Untruth charts Nietzsche’s evolving thinking on the nature of truth, which has exerted a powerful influence over modern and contemporary thought. This original collection of German philosophy features the complete text of the celebrated early essay “On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense” (”a keystone in Nietzsche’s thought”—Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy), as well as selections from the great philosopher’s entire career, including key passages from The Gay Science, Beyond Good and Evil, On the Genealogy of Morals, The Will to Power, Twilight of the Idols, and The Antichrist.
In times of crisis, the great works of philosophy help us make sense of the world. The Harper Perennial Resistance Library is a special five-book series highlighting short classic works of independent thought that illuminate the nature of truth, humanity's dangerous attraction to authoritarianism, the influence of media and mass communication, and the philosophy of resistance—all critical in understanding today's politically charged world.
This foundational collection of critical theory explores the philosopher’s most provocative questions:
- The Value of Truth: Nietzsche’s radical questioning of whether truth is a virtue or a life-denying prejudice, an idea that resonates powerfully in the age of "fake news."
- Language and Illusion: A deep dive into the celebrated essay "On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense," which argues that what we call "truth" is merely a mobile army of metaphors.
- Genealogy of Morals: Key selections from his later works, including Beyond Good and Evil and On the Genealogy of Morals, tracing the origins of our most fundamental beliefs.
- Perspectivism: An introduction to the idea that there are no absolute facts, only interpretations—a cornerstone of his influence on postmodern thought.
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About the author
Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher and author. Born into a line of Protestant churchman, Nietzsche studied Classical literature and language before becoming a professor at the University of Basel in Switzerland. He became a philosopher after reading Schopenhauer, who suggested that God does not exist, and that life is filled with pain and suffering. Nietzsche’s first work of prominence was The Birth of Tragedy in 1872, which contained new theories regarding the origins of classical Greek culture. From 1883 to 1885 Nietzsche composed his most famous work, Thus Spake Zarathustra, in which he famously proclaimed that “God is dead.” He went on to release several more notable works including Beyond Good and Evil and The Genealogy of Morals, both of which dealt with the origins of moral values. Nietzsche suffered a nervous breakdown in 1889 and passed away in 1900, but not before giving us his most famous quote, “From life's school of war: what does not kill me makes me stronger.”
