Marine Lover of Friedrich Nietzsche

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Published in France in 1980, Marine Lover is the first in a trilogy in which Luce Irigaray links the interrogation of the feminine in post-Hegelian philosophy with a pre-Socratic investigation of the elements. Irigaray undertakes to interrogate Nietzche, the grandfather of poststructuralist philosophy, from the point of view of water.

According to Irigaray, water is the element Nietzsche fears most. She uses this element in her narrative because for her there is a complex relationship between the feminine and the fluid. Irigaray's method is to engage in an amorous dialogue with the male philosopher. In this dialogue, she ruptures conventional discourse and writes in a lyrical style that defies distinction between theory, fiction, and philosophy.

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1980

About the author

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Luce Irigaray is a Belgian-born French feminist, philosopher, linguist, psycholinguist, psychoanalyst and cultural theorist. She is best known for her works Speculum of the Other Woman and This Sex Which Is Not One. Presently, she is active in the Women's Movements in both France and Italy.


Community Reviews

Rating(3.8 / 5.0, 10 votes)
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10 reviews All reviews
July 15,2025
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This work offers a reading experience that is surprisingly rich and deep, much like Nietzsche's own writing. It invites a closer examination that is truly rewarding.

Each page seems to hold hidden layers of meaning, waiting to be discovered by the attentive reader. The ideas presented are complex and thought-provoking, challenging one's preconceived notions and expanding the boundaries of understanding.

As one delves deeper into the text, new insights emerge, and connections are made that were not initially apparent. It is a journey of intellectual exploration that leaves the reader with a sense of fulfillment and a desire to explore further.

Whether one is a scholar of Nietzsche or simply someone interested in philosophy and literature, this work is sure to captivate and engage. It is a testament to the power of great writing and the enduring value of ideas.
July 15,2025
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A couple of the sections in this work got rather tedious for me. The reason being that I simply couldn't find much substance to latch onto. However, I'm still giving it 5 stars. This is because it's completely unlike anything I've ever read or even considered possible within the domain of "philosophy". If I were, for instance, deeply familiar with "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", I'm sure I would have grasped it at more and different levels. But the truth is, reading more than just a few pages of that book makes me want to end my life for entirely non-philosophical reasons. So, instead, I'll just continue to interpret this one more or less impressionistically. It's a unique piece that challenges my preconceived notions and forces me to think in new and different ways.

July 15,2025
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This work presents a noble condemnation of "feminine" anthropoids. It is an uneven read, to be sure. At times, the text flows smoothly, captivating the reader with its powerful insights and thought-provoking arguments. However, there are also moments when the narrative seems to stumble or lose its momentum.

Despite these flaws, the overall quality of the piece remains good. The author's condemnation of the "feminine" anthropoids is both passionate and well-reasoned, challenging the reader to reevaluate their own assumptions and perspectives. The use of vivid language and engaging examples helps to bring the ideas to life, making the text accessible and engaging even for those who may not be familiar with the subject matter.

In conclusion, while this work may not be perfect, it is still a valuable contribution to the field. It offers a unique and important perspective on the topic of "feminine" anthropoids, and is well worth reading for anyone interested in anthropology, gender studies, or social criticism.
July 15,2025
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Life-altering experiences can have a profound impact on a person's life. These are the moments that change us forever, shaping our perspectives, values, and beliefs.


Such experiences can come in many forms. It could be a life-threatening illness that makes us realize the importance of health and珍惜 life. Or it could be a personal loss, like the death of a loved one, that forces us to confront our own mortality and learn to cope with grief.


Sometimes, life-altering experiences are positive. Landing your dream job, getting married, or having a child can bring a sense of fulfillment and joy that is truly life-changing.


No matter what form they take, life-altering experiences have the power to transform us. They can make us stronger, more resilient, and more empathetic. They can also open our eyes to new possibilities and help us to grow as individuals.


In conclusion, life-altering experiences are an inevitable part of life. While they may be difficult or challenging at times, they also offer us the opportunity to learn, grow, and become the best versions of ourselves.
July 15,2025
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Irigaray pens a love letter to Nietzsche.

She delicately delves into his philosophy within a feminist critique, positing that "woman" does not have a place in the symbolic order and Nietzsche's writing sustains this division.

If you are a woman who holds a deep affection for Nietzsche yet feels that he doesn't fully fathom you, this is an outstanding piece to peruse.

Her writing style is poetic, performative, rich in metaphor, and challenging, yet it is utterly worthwhile to invest the effort.

A practical understanding of Lacanian psycho-analysis can also be of great assistance.

It offers a unique perspective on Nietzsche's ideas from a feminist lens, exploring the complex relationship between gender and philosophy.

By engaging with his work in this way, Irigaray prompts us to question the traditional notions of gender and how they are represented in philosophical discourse.

Her love letter to Nietzsche is not only a critique but also an invitation to a deeper exploration of the self and our relationship with the philosophical canon.
July 15,2025
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This book is for all of us who have loved Nietzsche but have always thought that he ignores another possible perspective, ours.

Nietzsche is a renowned philosopher whose ideas have had a profound impact on many. However, it seems that he may not have fully considered our own unique viewpoints.

This book aims to fill that gap. It explores Nietzsche's works from our perspective, offering a fresh look at his ideas.

By doing so, it allows us to engage more deeply with Nietzsche's philosophy and perhaps gain a better understanding of ourselves in the process.

Whether you are a long-time Nietzsche enthusiast or new to his works, this book is sure to offer something of value.

It challenges us to think beyond what Nietzsche has written and to consider our own thoughts and feelings about his ideas.

So, if you are interested in Nietzsche and want to explore his philosophy from a different angle, this book is definitely worth a read.

July 15,2025
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The sea holds an allure that is both captivating and mysterious. Endless rapture awaits those who trust in its power.

There is no call higher than that of the sea. The man who can no longer hear its siren song has already fallen under its spell. He hears only the sea and nothing else, blindly moving in search of its source.

To think of the sea from afar, to gaze at it from a distance, to use it to fuel one's highest reveries and weave dreams around it, while remaining safely in port, this is the delirium of the sea lover. After all, is it not essential to keep what one loves at a distance? That is what voyagers through eternity claim.

To turn their loves into thought is their highest desire. They gather all their loves together in a single moment, enclose them in a ring to keep them at a distance, hold off their end in their return at a distance, and become everything but at a distance.

However, the sea is far too disturbing. It blurs faces and memories. Its depth is unfathomable, and even when it is clear, its bed remains hidden. It is constantly rained upon, preventing it from becoming the transparency of dreams. It is too restless to be a true mirror.

To keep the sea at a distance is to bind it to one's rhythm and the measure of one's will, without coming too close to test the reliability of such footbridges. And anything reminiscent of the sea must also be held in the night of sleep.

But the evil begins at birth. He who mistakes his skin when coming into the world will indefinitely seek the arrival in port.

Is this the way of love that has overcome hatred? When a body becomes a barrier that cannot be crossed, something closed off inside its own skin, place, or world, is this not the work of hatred? Does Christianity forget this and remain the prisoner of hate, with its distance and difference, its heaven and hell, its good men and sinners, its last judgment, its morality of retribution and punishment, its inquisitions and persecutions, its charity?
July 15,2025
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I can say that among the books with theory and analysis content created by Nietzsche, the most interesting one for me is this book by Luce Irigaray. It was indeed a rather different assessment. However, I can also point out that there are both a lot of coercion and many erroneous theories in it for Nietzsche readers.

According to the outlines of the book, water is regarded as the source of life in the world by employing an imagination based on the acceptance of water with a feminine discourse and Nietzsche's ideas about women. Nietzsche's fear of women is evident. Although he didn't directly state the natural domination of women, he implicitly accepted it through his ideas. Because, according to the French feminist theorist Irigaray, Nietzsche's übermensch is the woman herself. Here, I think it is useful to draw your attention to the part about the characteristics of the übermensch mentioned by Nietzsche and remind you of what he actually said without getting too bogged down in the details of the article. I can also assert that the essence of the übermensch woman phenomenon that has emerged in Europe over the past century originated from this book.

In the evaluation made through water, there is an analogy, a situation of feminization through the "creative" and "life-giving" quality of water. Besides this feature related to fertility, there is actually a discourse and analysis that deals with the definite superiority of women in art, music, and every field of life in which a person realizes himself, and attributes Nietzsche's theories to femininity. It's a very interesting book. I have witnessed too many erroneous theoretical inferences, and I have also seen the point of view that I overlooked too much. That's why it is worth reading.
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