Why do most people misinterpret Nietzsche (尼采)?

Nietzsche is a great example of the difficulty of interpreting continental philosophy because a lot of the context has eroded, integrated into media and culture, or has been lost to unintended or intended propaganda.

Part I: Information needed in before you read Nietzsche

• Overview of History of Western Philosophy.
• Relevant historical context he was writing in.
• A guide on differences on how continental and analytic philosophy is read.
• He’s trained in philology, why a background in the classics is notable.
• He called himself a psychologist before psychology was an established field.
• Why pop culture and propagandists love him.

Part II: Some of Nietzsche’s Main Philosophical contributions

• Nietzsche’s style, Why only geniuses deserve his insults, language analysis, and seeking motive as a self proclaimed Psychologist.
• Christian criticism “God is Dead”, Master-Slave morality from a Philologist.
• The Good Life “What doesn’t K*ll you, makes you stronger,” Aesthetics, “The mirror of eternal recurrence”.
• Anti-nazi: His friendship with Wagner and Nietzeche’s Nazi sister who wrote will to power in his name.

Sol Ashlynn got her masters degree in Philosophy from San Jose State University. During her time in the program, she published an article on the American Philosophical Association blog. She received The George V. and Lydia A. Pinto Scholarship Award awards for her commitment to social justice and The Dick Schubert Memorial Philosophical Virtues Award. Sol Ashlynn was a founding member of the West Coast Philosophy Masters Conference and the lead conference organizer. Some of her research interests are philosophy of medicine, ethics, philosophy of law, philosophy of psychiatry, philosophy of mind, philosophy of technology and aesthetics.

Date and Time: 09/13/2025, 2:30-4:30 pm

Location: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Room 255

150 E San Fernando St, San Jose, CA 95112

Tickets: Free; Limit 45