Although dour in appearance and formidable in reputation, Friedrich Nietzsche was an ardent practitioner of the art of poetry &; called in 12th-century Provencal "the gay science." This volume, which Nietzsche referred to as "the most personal of all my books," features the largest collection of his poetry that he ever chose to publish. It also offers an extensive and sophisticated treatment of the philosophical themes and views most central to his thinking, as well as the ideas that proved m...

Written in response to a book on the origins of morality by his erstwhile friend Paul Rée, the three essays comprising The Genealogy of Morals--all advancing the critique of Christian morality set forth in Beyond Good and Evil--are among Nietzsche's most sustained and cohesive work.

In the first essay, Nietzsche sets up a contrast between what he calls "master" morality and "slave" morality and shows how strength and action have often been replaced by passivity and nihilism. The next essay, l...