Ecce Homo

1 About this book

Ecce Homo: How One Becomes What One Is (German: Ecce homo: Wie man wird, was man ist) is the last original book written by philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche before his death in 1900. It was written in 1888 and was not published until 1908.

According to one of Nietzsche's most prominent English translators, Walter Kaufmann, the book offers "Nietzsche's own interpretation of his development, his works, and his significance." The book contains several chapters with self-laudatory titles, such as "Why I Am So Wise", "Why I Am So Clever", "Why I Write Such Good Books" and "Why I Am a Destiny".

Kaufmann's Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist notes the internal parallels, in form and language, to Plato's Apology which documented the Trial of Socrates. In effect, Nietzsche was putting himself on trial with this work, and his sardonic judgments and chapter headings can be seen as mordant, mocking, self-deprecating, or sly.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Good for readers who want: philosophy, a true life story, psychology, and a short read.

• Philosophy
• Biography
• Biography & autobiography
• Ethics
• Philosophy and aesthetics
• Psychology
• Philosophy, modern
• Philosophers, biography