The Will to Power

An Attempted Transvaluation of All Values

By: Friedrich Nietzsche

Narrated by: Michael Lunts

Length: 23 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Nietzsche never recovered from his mental breakdown in 1889 and therefore was unable to further any plans he had for the ‘magnum opus’ he had once intended, bringing together in a coherent whole his mature philosophy. 

It was left to his close friend Heinrich Köselitz and his sister Elizabeth Förster-Nietzsche to go through the remaining notebooks and unpublished writings, choosing sections of particular interest to produce The Will to Power, giving it the subtitle An Attempted Transvaluation of All Values. It was published in 1901, was expanded in subsequent years and was translated into English in its expanded form in 1910 by Anthony M Ludovici, who had done so much to bring Nietzsche’s work to the English-speaking public. 

Ludovici explains that for Nietzsche, the Will to Power was the fundamental principle of all life, a view that could be found in many of his earlier texts, including Thus Spoke Zarathustra: ‘Where there is life, there is also will: not, however, Will to  Life, but - so teach I thee - Will to Power!’ (In this, Nietzsche was concerned to overtake Schopenhauer’s concept of the ‘Will to Live’.) 

This posthumous compilation is arranged in four books (divided into 1,067 sections):

1. European Nihilism 
2. A Criticism of the Highest Values That Have Prevailed Hitherto
3. The Principles of a New Valuation
4. Discipline and Breeding

Among the themes given prominence by this compilation - and it is, it must be remembered, basically an anthology - are nihilism, metaphysics and the future of Europe.  

Nietzsche identified Christianity (and its claim to be ‘higher and better’) and its ‘meek/weak’ attitude as one cause of the nihilism that so concerned him. Another side of the coin was the ineluctable basic human nature of ’the will to power’. Deny that, and nihilism results. But passive nihilism (following the breakdown of social conventions, including conventional religion) can be counteracted by active nihilism and the role of the ‘ubermensch’, the self-reliant. 

In aphorism after aphorism he argued for the creation of new values based on acceptance that there is nothing beyond ourselves. It remains his conviction that it is the men who are the masters of themselves - a dominating elite - who must lead. But a deeply human initiative, not the creation of a master race! 

Aphorism 22 posits, ‘Nihilism. It may be two things: A. Nihilism as a sign of enhanced spiritual strength: active Nihilism. B. Nihilism as a sign of the collapse and decline of spiritual strength: passive Nihilism.’ Nietzsche’s powerful, uncompromising language continues right to the closing moments, where he concludes, ‘And even you yourselves are this will to power - and nothing besides!’ 

Translation by Anthony M Ludovici.

Public Domain (P)2019 Ukemi Productions Ltd

Finally!

I've been waiting for this title to be released for some time. I really enjoy Michael Lunts's performances of Nietzsche's works -- I listen to Nietzsche's audiobooks pretty regularly -- though I must confess that I listen at 1.75 -- 2.0 speed rate.

This work has all the charm I recall from when I read it 15 years ago. Nietzsche was, quite simply, brilliant, and I think Michael Lunts does his justice in his performances. Now all we need is for him to perform Daybreak: Thoughts on Morality as a Prejudice and we'll have access to the entire Nietzsche *published* canon. Then we can hold out hope for the miscellaneous selections, like Truth and Non-truth in an Extra-Moral Sense.

I'd also like to see some of the newer publications available by Nietzsche scholars, such as Hugo Drochon's Nietzsche's Great Politics and Maudemarie Clark's Nietzsche and Truth. Come on, Audible... make this happen!

Narrator needs an hour or two before one gets used

The book itself is a glorious statement from a flawed, yet brilliant mind. I won't fault the Narrator too much, because reading Nietzsche out loud sounds unbearable. I listen to this with x1.5 speed for the most part, this helped with the dry tone one cannot avoid when presenting such dense works.

Thank you to Ukemi audiobooks and Audible for continuing to present literary gems from history in an auditory format. This greatly enhances my personal education/development and i recommend The Will to Power to all who wish to satisfy their hunger for knowledge and understanding.

Lulled me to sleep

A testament to Nietzsche's slipping sanity. He spoke nonsensically, drew his concepts out in much longer and more confusing rants than they needed to be, and the narrator spoke way too slowly.

Really great narration

I've listened to most of this narrator's readings of Nietzsche, and now the Nietzsche of my imagination sounds like him. Listen to the sample and see what you think. There are no real significant flaws. Occasionally it starts to sound a bit too bombastic, or I feel like there was another way to read an aphorism. Yet the rythm and clarity of the narration allows me to imagine it in another voice.

I want to second what another reviewer said and thank Ukemi for producing these readings of great intellectual works. I've never been so happy to pay for intellectual property. The various Ukemi audiobooks I've listened to have helped me to be inspired in my work.

As for the contents of the book: Check out Goodreads. Nietzsche himself didn't publish this, but it's my second favorite of works written by Nietzsche. It is more systematic than the books published by Nietzsche himself, and possibly includes aphorisms that he wouldn't have wanted to publish or didn't really believe in. If it's your first time reading (or listening to) Nietzsche I'd suggest starting with something like Twighlight of the Idols, or Human, All Too Human.

Really makes you think

One of the best philosophy books out there. Makes you think, that people back in the 18th century would see so far ahead in the future of humanity.

Masterful

Narrator is superb in reading a master piece of philosophical works known to man.
His critique of Religion, Morality, philosophy and knowledge was by far the greatest part of this book.

Excelente book to the soul.

Nietzsche was a very intelligent man and we can feel it on his words. However he had some anger towards society and stupid man and this can also be felt on his words.

The book is enlightening and worth listened or read.

The narrator is superber, he could handle this complex and many time non-sense sentences very well, his voice added a charm to the content of the book.

Will To Power

You can't do a lot of things in the world withouth the German. Their thinking at it's best

excellent

there are many ways one can view FN and his works, but this one in particular allows one to evaluate each of the 1000+ points he makes and each person to consider carefully if they fit in today's world.....which is even more decadent and lost at sea than in his time, regardless of tech advancements. or perhaps because of them.