Reddit mentions of Persecution and the Art of Writing

This is a mistake. A lot of us don't comment much on Reddit because the form encourages short, vapid commentary over depth.

>Furthermore, new threads lacking a commentary on how the content is TRP relevant will be removed without warning.

People with decent reading comprehension skills should be able to figure this out for themselves without having it spoon fed.

Thanks for your reply. I remember being an undergrad, it's a busy time. Although you no longer seem to think our conversation is worth while, I'd like to offer my thoughts on your post.

Let me preface this by saying that I wasn't pulling punches because I've read plenty of your posts, and they are very intelligent. I was surprised to see you take the modern academic position that Nietzsche was egalitarian.

Reading a text is a difficult thing to learn. I take a lot of my cues in this regard from Strauss, who had a very high regard for Nietzsche in particular. If you are interested in this method of studying texts,

http://www.amazon.com/Persecution-Art-Writing-Leo-Strauss/dp/0226777111

You might have guessed by now that I don't think scholarship should stay at the 'explicit' level of the text. It is important to understand what an author says, as well as what he does not say. If you study Zen Buddhism, you are sure to appreciate this.

Nietzsche is often silent, and this silence requires interpretation. However, honest scholarship requires that the goal of interpretation is directed toward understanding the author's intent. I think you stray from this when you suggest that what is "probably more important" is "its value to ourselves." Reading a text requires coldness and dispassion. You might find this "boring," but if you look deeper and attempt to understand the author on his own terms, its worth a lifetime well spent.

You are ready, padawan learner

Edit: And then I thought, weeeelll, not everyone likes academic writing like me. So here's
some more bite-sized Irving Kristol stuff.