Nietzsche and the Nazis by Stephen R. C. Hicks (Full Audiobook) 

I fell asleep with rain sounds and woke up having listened to two hours of Nietzche?😆

Who else is here 7 years on realising that we are seeing very similar events occurring in today's Western world.

Critics of Nietzsche often try to underplay the truth in many of his ideas, focusing less on what he actually said, but rather how different groups have interpreted what he said.

When I studied Philosophy over 50 years ago in college, my initial class opened with Homer's Iliad and then went to Plato's Republic. If I were teaching an introductory class, I would open with the movie Schindler's List, followed by this work. Followed by Hick's book on Postmodernism. This work is so relevant to our culture today that its reading should be a mandatory of any education.

Bro I'm stocking shelves at Walmart, and I can't complain on what I choose to learn about tonight

I’m listening to this while picking up trash 😌 Never stop educating yourself. One of the benefits of my “robot” job is that I have time to listen to tons of educational content. People are impressed when a little worker bee like me can form a well articulated opinion on critical issues.

Especially instructive for me, were 2:11:14 We know that Adolf Hitler, Joseph Gobles and most of the key intellectuals of National Socialism were admirers of Nietzsche's philosophy. They read him avidly during their formative years, recommended him to their peers and incorporated themes and sayings from Nietzsche into their own writings, speeches and policies. 2:12:21 Nietzsche often called longingly for, "some pack of blonde beasts of prey, a conqueror and master race which organized for war and with the ability to organize, unhesitatingly lays its terrible claws upon a populace." And he spoke of "the deep and icy mistrust the German still arouses today whenever he gets into a position of power is an echo of that inextinguishable horror with which Europe observed for centuries that raging of the blonde Germanic beast." And, again, inspirationally, about what one finds, "at the bottom of all these noble races, the beast of prey, the splendid blonde beast, prowling about avidly in search of spoil and victory. This hidden core needs to erupt from time to time. The animal has to get out and go back to the wilderness. It is clear what the Nazis made of these regular mentions of the beast - an endorsement by Nietzsche of the racial superiority of the German Arian type. That interpretation clearly takes Nietzsche's words out of context. In context, the blonde beast that Nietzsche refers to is the lion, the great feline predator with the shaggy blonde mane and the terrific roar. Nietzsche does believe that the Germans once, a long time ago, manifested the spirit of the lion but they were not unique in that regard. The spirit and power of the lion have been manifested by peoples of many races. Nietzsche clearly is using the lion analogically and comparing its predatory power to the predatory power that humans of many different racial types have manifested. Nietzsche here lists six different racial and ethnic groups and the Germans are not special in that list. So, while Nietzsche does endorse a strongly biological basis for cultures, he does not endorse racism of the sort that says that any one race is biologically necessarily superior to any other. The Nazis thought of the Germanic racial type as superior to all others the world over. On the point of contemporary Germans: the world's hope or contemptible. While the Nazis put the German Arian racial type first, Nietzsche is almost never complementary about his fellow Germans. In Nietzsche's view, Germany has slipped into flabbiness and whininess. Germany once was something to be awed and feared, but Germany in the 19th century has become a nation of religious revivalism socialism and movement towards democracy and equality. Whatever special endowments the Germans once possessed, they have lost. Nietzsche believes that Germans of his day should feel ashamed by comparison at the same time German intellectual and cultural life is prominent the world over and Nietzsche deplores that fact contemporary Germany is a center of softness and slow decay. So, Nietzsche believes that Germany's weaknesses are infecting the rest of the world. As he puts it in The Will to Power, "Arian influence has corrupted all the world." So, rather than celebrating contemporary Germany and its power as the Nazis would do, Nietzsche is disgusted by contemporary Germany. 2:29:56 Nietzsche believes that most individuals have no right to exist and he asserts that if they were sacrificed or slaughtered that would be an improvement. "Mankind, in the mass, sacrificed to the prosperity of a single stronger species of man, that would be an advance." And, again, "One must learn from war. One must learn to sacrifice many and to take one's cause seriously enough not to spare men." 2:33:34 Hitler's firm belief was that powerful historical forces singled out some special individuals to perform special tasks and that destiny spoke through those special individuals, "I carry out the commands that Providence has laid upon me," and "no power on earth can shake the German Reich now. Divine Providence has willed it that I carry through the fulfillment of the Germanic task." In invoking divine providence Hitler is drawing upon a long philosophical tradition that goes back most famously to the German philosopher Hegel. 2:43:22 2:45:30 The national socialists had an eagerness to use war as their primary tool for achieving their international goals. We know their praising as fundamental, the martial spirit and the beauty of the warrior soul. We know of their total recasting of education of children to achieve as Hitler wanted "a brutal domineering fearless cruel youth, that youth must be all, that it must bear pain. There must be nothing weak and gentle about it. The free splendid beast of prey must once again flash from its eyes." The beast of prey phrase is again rhetoric inspired directly by Nietzsche. On the importance and nobility of war, Nietzsche and the Nazis were in almost complete agreement. Nietzsche praised war and urged its coming. He wished for a great purge that would wipe out most humans whose lives he thought worthless and an embarrassment to the human species, "All too many live and all too long they hang upon their branches. Would that a storm come to shake all this worm eaten rot from the tree." But he also longed for war as a means to inspire those humans who have potential to advance us to the Overman. To that end, Nietzsche believed that war is absolutely indispensable, "War essential. It is vain rhapsodizing and sentimentality to continue to expect a very great deal for mankind once it has learned not to wage war. For the time being, we know of no other means to imbue exhausted people as strongly and as surely as every great war does with that raw energy of the battleground, that deep impersonal hatred, that murderous cold-bloodedness with a good conscience, that communal organized ardor and destroying the enemy, that proud indifference to great losses to one's own existence and to that of one's friends, that muted earthquake-like convulsion of the soul."

Philosophy is KEY to truly understanding history and the context of history

1:18:43 bro I literally just woke up and this was playing. I've never heard of this book in my life.

So many years later it is so good to ser how many people came together to watch this masterpiece

Thoroughly enjoyed this. So much to learn. So little time. Thanks very much for making it easier to incorporate this kind of learning into everyday life.

I found this audio book very informative. The fear of listening or learning about ideas you detest, is really the fear that you might see yourself in it.

Some of my favorite people are in this comment thread. Hard working no excuses people from all walks of life. I am retired IT engineer turned floorman and part time janitorial contractor. I'll be scrubbing latrines and taking out trash and vacuuming in about 30 minutes. I could not be happier that I get to do it.

This is 8 years old. I can't believe I'm just hearing this for the first time. This is incredibly well done.

😳OMGOSH! My second time waking up to this!🤯 Now I'm curious of what I was exposed to subconsciously

Amazing! Can't believe I came across this by accident

I’m a free thinker and I’m black. I would say Nietzche was on to something about power and how people use it

I found this by accident. This is one of the coolest things Ive ever listened to.

Just started listening.. Seems like history is repeating itself. So far, Im rating it one of the Best books I've listened too Thank you

Every fucking time I fall asleep I wake up to this

I woke up in the middle of the night and this was playing at the one hour mark

We're seeing the same things happen in the US and other countries today. Sad and scary.

Oh wow! I just woke up listening to this after falling asleep to "Hiding My True Intentions in Allegory" ASMR! Weird

The one and only audiobook I can finish listening to in one go.

As a moderately educated man I find a lot of info goes over my head ,I am so happy that the author has wrote this book with people like me in mind ,This is an amazing book

"You will own nothing and be happy"......those pulling the stings behind politics

Finally an Audio book with nice audio.

This has so many frightening parallels to today.

Wow!!!!! You are absolutely right! How can a country know what they stand for when it’s so divided. People need to wake up and come together. Thank you!!!

At last, an audiobook that doesn't sound like the narrator is underwater.

To augment understanding what happened I recommend William Shirer"s book. As a journalist and eye witness it rounds out a fuller understanding and it reads like a story. But this book is very helpful and well written. Lessons for today for sure. It seems that most people who either hurl or embrace the name Nazi have little understanding of it. Someone just used the phrase 'New Order' in a speech and we are certainly being trained in obedience.

Fantastic book with some surprising information. Well read.

who needs psychedelics! have a cup of coffee and fall asleep listening to this. It’s more than full of chaotic imagery. Nice and suitable to motivate one to seek balance.

I'm always surprised when intellectuals rightly criticise Nazism but find loopholes for Communism. The fact that the liquidated population was bound by class rather than religion does not make the ideology any more acceptable.

Came upon this by chance and am finding it instructive. Clear. Measured delivery. Deserving of attention, reflection, further readings. Excellent narration by the author. Thank you.

Fantastic interpretation based on historical facts backed up by quotes. So deep and thought provoking that I ordered the book to read it for a deeper understanding.

When I finished listening one audiobook, RU-vid automatically started to play it. And I was blown away, all the things we discussed in philosophy classes in university with my professors about all this !. And now it was in 3 hours !, 👏🏻!. Wow 8 years ago uploaded but I searched all about it never to find !. Now it’s in recommending 😂

1:07:19 *Nazi policies on socialism:* Businesses were told by the state what to produce and in what quantities. Prices and wages were set by the state, and if anyone complained a commonly used Nazi slogan put them on the defensive, quote, “The common interest before self-interest,” unquote. The argument was quite clear. You are not a private individual seeking profit or higher wages in a capitalist economy. You and your property belong in trust to the German people, and you have a duty to serve the public interest even if it involves a personal sacrifice.

The best random book I have ever read. Thanks Dr Hicks👏👏

Loved it and I loved the author reading this book as he has a great voice and really makes this book enjoyable when it is actually pretty heavy subject.

It seems many have found this in their recommendations during these trying times. This book terrifies me, yet comforts me at the same time because at least I feel I have more knowledge, therefore a tool to understand what’s happening today.

Always read primary sources from the great philosophers, not secondary sources, specially when it comes to Nietzsche.

I was listening to Crime and Punishment and woke up to this. It's too interesting, I can't stop now, even tho I have to go back to re-listen to the end of FD.

What a book! Its like many Manga are inspired by Nietzsche and other philosophers...

I read a lot about evolutionary psychology. If you do not learn why your instincts tell you what they do, then you will not know how to make intelligent rational decisions when weighing important questions. Nietzsche lived in the days when we knew little to nothing in a scientific manner of evolutionary psychology. When listening to this book, I kept hearing a lot of ignorance on the subject. Science knows so much more now. We now know that one should learn why instincts tell them what they instruct. It gives one so much more information in which to make intelligent rational decisions on important questions. Information matters. Intelligence matters so much more than Nietzsche gives credit for.

"The Turks were not genocidal" Tell that to the Armenians.

Thanks for putting this up. Perfect for a Sunday morning. Cheers

Who's here because this keeps playing while you're sleeping, and decided to stay to see what the universe is trying to teach you?

"The Nazis were defeated by the liberal democracies." Tell that to the Soviet Union.

When people who follow the crowd find themselves in the middle of monsters they become monsters. The same can be said of everyone, I guess. Only someone with very strong character could escape that.

Ironically, Nietzsche was fascinated by Dostoevsky, even though the latter’s ideas are antithetical to Nietzsche and his nihilistic philosophy. So interesting that Roskonikov, the main character in Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, both wrote and spoke of Ubermensch-like men, whom he glorified and even tried to emulate.

Thank you for the writer and for whoever posted this. A lot to take but a good informative book.

I once went to my local library and asked for the book beyond good and evil.the woman explained that the last person to take it out hadn't returned it.

Such a good narrator. Perfect to listen to while going to sleep. 🙌

As a 66yo male that missed WW11 , the Korean war and Vietnam and all of the Afghanistan/ .... it's nice to have somethings put into perspective. I wa never taught this in school nor life coming from the last of Victorian parents .

Nietzsche is basically talking about predestination and sociopathic behaviors. He's also excusing sociopathic behaviors, especially the three sinister triad traits, by incorporating predestination, which allows sociopaths to go unchecked for their unevolved behaviors but instead praised for their unevolved behaviors. We see this today in giving serial killers, oppressive leaders, rich/powerful people etc, the center stage, thereby ignoring the neurotypicals they've violated. The world is a stage of sexually inhibited/frustrated/inadequate sociopaths attempting to overcompensate for their sexual issues/failures by inflicting suffering and excusing their savage behavior onto neurotypicals. Incorporating predestination and altering the narrative regarding evolution, validates their crimes against humanity. Sociopathy is a mental illnesses that points to nurture problems. These are individuals dissociated from their subconscious mind who operate within the unhealthy realms of their conscious ego mind. To operate here is a sure sign of certain disaster. This is why hypocrites are hypocrites.

"here I sit, waiting, and waiting, but for nothing, beyond good and evil, a friend of the day, and a lover of eternity". Dionysian dithyrambs, Nietzsche

Didn't think i'd like this, but the way myths are dismantled here very early on really caught my attention. That's extremely persuasive to me and i knew immediately you had some nuanced take on this. Really gave me a lot of food for thought. Thank you!

About to wind down into sleep listening to this. I appreciate your tone & eveness of voice. Tchuss

The RU-vid algorithm has some explaining to do. I listen Dr Malone and end up on this.

Right on understanding of history. Look at current state of the world, seems the same.

In the beginning I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book as much as I did. It was engaging and interesting, with lots to contemplate and/or think about, sections 24 and 25 especially, because of the universal values. Beautifully narrated. I remember your talk about post-modernism in Melbourne, Australia in 2020, where I got to experience first hand your calmness, which is very unique to you and admirable. Great work and thank you for sharing it with us.

Thank you. I could not stop listening.

Thank you so much for this wonderful audiobook!

Extraordinary channel. Thank for this. Lots I love about Nietzsche, but also a lot I completely disagree on. Sadly, never get chances to talk with such highly educated people. But at least we can listen and learn.

Excellent book. Listening to it for the third time. Thank you so much for reading it to us. You have a great voice and steady cadence (not sing-song like so many others).

grazie mille to the clearly spoken narrateur...it is a pleasure to hear his voice as to what he reads.....bravissimo.

Such an eye opening...love the ending summary.

This is fantastic. I’ve returned to listen to it many times. Nietzsche has become, in my opinion, extremely relevant in the last year or two. Thank you.

I'm questioning the 2nd point on the list of differences between Nietzsche and the Nazis. Nietzsche thought that the Aryans were once strong, aggressive and dominant but had grown soft in modern times. The Nazis instilled their philosophies to rekindle and build into the German people a return to their supposed ancient aggression and dominance. Seems as much a similarity as a difference.

Although Spengler was influenced by Nietzsche's work, it was clearly stated in "The Decline of the West" that if socialism was to be implemented as a political objective it must be philosophically ethical.

Woke up to this randomly once, now I'm randomly listening to it again, very interesting book.

"How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think." - A.H.

Anyone interested in this debate and wants more insight into the German mindset ot just likes great books I CANNOT RECOMMEND ENOUGH iron Gustav by Hans fallada- about a German family in Berlin just as ww1 kicks off an after

One of the best books that should be a mandatory reading quite frankly. I borrowed a copy from the library once but was unable to finish reading it. Glad to have found this. If you wish to troll any philosophy or Nietzsche fanbois, just comment with a half-complete statement or half-truths & watch the philosophy mob come out of the woods to berate you. 😁 Kudos to the channel for posting!

I turned this on hoping to bore myself to sleep. Definitely backfired.

I wish someone wrote book like this about communism and Soviet union as well

This was one of the best recitations of a book that I have ever had the pleasure to sit and listen to. Thank you sir for sharing this!

beautiful reading. I feel smarter just for listening.

I entered philosophy from a programmers perspective, and it entirely changed the way I see things.

Nietzsche was always one of my favorite philosophers and it's quite funny that this autoplayed after I fell asleep and I began dreaming of Romans and Nazis, all while somehow being in the late 1800's. It made more sense when I woke up and figured out this was playing in the backgrond.

As for the "blond beast", Neitzsche missed the boat there, too. It is the lionesses who are the primary hunters, while the males are tasked with warding off intruders.

Whatever one may feel regarding this topic; can we all just agree on something? "Neitzsche and The Nazis" Is an AWESOME name for a punk band.

Thank you, brilliant book... a great time for the west to understand this.

Thanks for sharing this very lucid and docunentated book. Listening to this, I really made this couple of days worthy of spending.

When you find out about Nietzsche’s personal life and vices, it makes a lot more sense why he positioned himself and argued the way he did. The older I get the more sure this approach to understanding becomes. Over and over.

OMG! I was listening to Wyne Dyer and ended up drifting away...and, here I am with NIETZSCHE? I happened to hear this and that and thinking the topic was still related with meditation...but here I am. OMG! Wow! Looks like this a great work by a great writer!

I'm 62 I love history. If you want to understand the world. You need to be interested in history..

I fell asleep watching an internet historian video and woke up halfway through this. Random.

Telling one`s boss to " shove his job " is the sweetest moment in one`s life.

Very well done. Listening to this made it obvious to me, that the Nietzsche's philosophy had one fundamental flaw - it, and consequently, the Nazi philosophy, was built on the presumption of Darwinism, survival of the fittest, you're either a wolf or a sheep, a master or a slave. I'm sure any society built on such values is bound to fall, I don't know of a society that at it's foundation would have one prime directive: good for me and good for others; only win-win is acceptable, win-lose scenarios are not permitted. This would disallow empires, Nazis, any kind of tyranny, autocracy or anything that tilts the scales to either side. Hitler was infatuated with Nietzsche's philosophy and I don't even think he bastardized it, perhaps merely expanded it.

great work, thank you for creating as well as reading it!

Just a thought: Not understanding the jealousy of other people has brought their safety into question

Watch Europa the last battle. All our laws changed by theses same people.

Excellent book, and read... Thank you!

Not sure if Operation Paperclip is mentioned in this book, but for those who don’t know about it…it explains why things are the way they are in North America right now

thank you for this book

Europa the Last Battle. You know one side of the story, not the other.

This is gold … keep it up bro ..smart and smooth info to my brain 👊🏼👊🏼

I'm not much for philosophy but this was very interesting. I truly enjoyed it.