Nietzsche famously regarded Thus Spoke Zarathustra as his greatest work. However, despite Nietzsche's pervasive influence upon the philosopher and non-philosopher alike, and his own intense regard for Zarathustra, there has been relatively little serious study of Nietzsche's magnum opus.This book seeks to address this gap in the available literature by taking Thus Spoke Zarathustra seriously, not only with respect to its impact on the interpretation of Nietzsche's philosophy, but also in light of the broader questions of the relationships between poetry, philosophy and existence. Fifteen leading Nietzsche scholars examine the structure, method, style and sources of Zarathustra as a philosophical text and its relationship to methodological and metaphilosophical questions amid the broader discussions of philosophy. The book also explores the implications of the philosophical questioning, interventions and teachings of Zarathustra with respect to both its negative engagement with the tradition and its attempt to set forth something new under the sun in its affirmative overcoming of nihilism.

List of Abbreviations Introduction, by James Luchte I. Of Method Graham Parkes: The Symphonic Structure of Nietzsche's Zarathustra Thomas Brobjer: Thus Spoke Zarathustra as Nietzsche's Autobiography Yunus Tuncel: Zarathustra in Nietzsche's Typology Peter Yates: The Three Metamorphoses and Philosophy II. Of Existence Friedrich Ulfers and Mark Cohen: Zarathustra, the Moment, and Eternal Recurrence of the Same: Nietzsche's Ontology of Time Paul Loeb: The Gateway-Augenblick Alan Wenham: Thus Spoke Zarathustra: The Hammer and the Greatest Weight III. Of Life Gudrun von Tevenar: Zarathustra on Freedom Arno Boehler: Nietzsche - On the Regenerative Character of Dispositions Uschi Nussbaumer-Benz: In Search of the Wellsprings of the Future and of New Origins Vanessa Lemm: Justice and Gift-Giving in Thus Spoke Zarathustra Notes on Contributors Bibliography Index