Hiking with Nietzsche. (By Chris Moody)

    “Hiking with Nietzsche” is a book primarily focused on both the philosophy and life of Nietzsche and John Kaag’s personal life experiences with philosophy and hiking through the Alps in places where the famous philosopher once resided. The author, Kaag, describes how Nietzsche can be read and understood in starkly different ways based on your age and maturity, and how he believes it's best understood from a more middle-aged perspective. It takes more life experience to truly understand the concepts that Nietzsche presents.

    Kaag starts his book with both his experiences with hiking through the Swiss Alps, and a brief history and run down of some basic Nietzschean concepts. One of Nietzsche's greatest ideas, he argues, is the idea of the Ubermensch. The basic idea of the Ubermensch is to take as much control over your life as you possibly can, and then to use this control to make the best version of yourself possible. When he says abrasive pessimistic things like “God is dead” it shouldn't be taken completely at face-value. What he's really saying is that in the modern day we don't need the idea of a higher power to give us purpose and keep us in check, me have to strive be own best selves and find our own purpose in life.

    Kaag argues that as a younger more nieve version of yourself these messages can drive you in the opposite direction Nietzsche wanted. God is dead, life had no purpose, so what's really the point? As stated before, Nietzsche would say that you have to strive to take control of your own life and find purpose that way.

    This was less than beneficial to a much younger Kaag, who upon thinking he understood the idea of the Ubermensch, decided the way he could take the most possible control over his life was to completely end it on his own terms. He stood over a ridge, chucking rocks off and seeing them bounce and crack on the valley floor below. In the end he decided that jumping would only seriously injure him and he didn't want to die an agonizing death alone and maybe it wasn't the wisest idea or really what Nietzsche was going for when he was describing taking control of your life.

    The book continues and covers more of Kaag’s more mature revelations on Nietzsche's philosophy and his experience hiking through the Alps again but with his daughter and wife, and it also covers the history of Nietzsche's semi-tortured existence. Without real parents, he took to the famous composer Richard Wagner as a father figure. Wagner was a militaristic, anti-Semitic, semi-abusive, and overall not-so-great person, so he made for a not so great father figure for the more reserved Nietzsche. Their relationship was beyond unhealthy and ended poorly for both, but mostly the young philosopher.

    Kaag continues on to talk about his experiences in the Nietzsche house, and staying the Alps with his wife and daughter. The book reflects on some very peripatetic virtues, and thoroughly encourages hiking and walking as a way of philosophising. The author definitely recommends reading Nietzsche once you are truly mature enough to fully grasp his ideas.

Quiz Questions

-What famous composer did Nietzsche once live under?

-Briefly summarize the idea of the Ubermensch.

-What did John Kaag consider doing as a young man to try and take the most control he possibly could over his life?

-What does Nietzsche mean when he writes things like “God is dead.”?

Discussion Questions
-Do you, in general, think Nietzsche's philosophy inspires hope, or do you think it inspires nihilism above all else?