/lit/ - Literature

>>13233713
You also hear people saying you need to have familiarity with Homer, Heraclitus, and Kant.

As with many philosophers, the "necessary context" list is inconsistent and fucking endless. The important point is that Nietzsche is saying a lot in response to general currents in the history of western culture and thought, and whoever it is that YOU happen to have read that comprises a significant part of that, you're going to perceive all sorts of "important" connections between that and the work of Nietzsche.

Personally... I think Nietzsche works for anyone who is remotely aware of the western scene. That can mean literally anything, from the climate of Hellenistic Greece to the self-destructive tendencies of the modern age. Nietzsche makes sense to just about anyone with the slightest degree of education, and he often makes sense differently. Once had a professor who said that people's interpretation of Nietzsche tends to reflect who they are, and will change as they change. I'd almost rather say that people's interpretation of Nietzsche tends to reflect what they've read. I thought I saw a strong Hegel connection too, but then I realize that they're both just history-concerned philosophers who are good at generalizing, and moreover, I happened to have read the two.

Point is... You don't need anything specific to "properly appreciate Nietzsche". Any exposure to Western thought will be enough to make him make sense, and he's educational on the things he's responding to.

Either that or you can't properly appreciate Nietzsche without emulating every facet of his life that led to the formation of his thoughts, because he's a soulfully expressive philosopher and everything he's said is the product of his life. Recall that he did himself remark on what is required to understand him... Not a certain kind of education, but a certain kind of person.