The Use and Abuse of History

2015 Reprint of 1957 Second Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. First published in 1874, shortly after Bismarck's victory over France, this work attacks a specific ingredient and pride of German-and not only German-history. Specifically Nietzsche criticizes the excessive esteem of history that prevailed throughout 19th century Europe as developed in Hegel and other philosophers. He also objects to the projection of the view of history onto all future historical development and the consequent dismissal of free will and the "spirit of action."

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was a German philosopher whose works critique the entire philosophical tradition up to this point, and provocatively call for a reaffirmation of life that has been sacrificed for the sake of abstract knowledge. Often considered the first existentialist philosopher who proclaimed "the death of God," his work was largely ignored during his lifetime but had an incalculable influence on modern politics, philosophy, psychology, and culture, including its many appropriations by both right-wing and left-wing movements.