The four short works in Untimely Meditations were published by Nietzsche between 1873 & 1876 They deal with such broad topics as the relationship between popular & genuine culture strategies for cultural reform the task of philosophy the nature of education & the relationship between art science & life They also include Nietzsche's earliest statement of his own understanding of human selfhood as a process of endlessly 'becoming who one is' As Daniel Breazeale shows in his introduction to this new edition of R J Hollingdale's translation of the essays these four early texts are key documents for understanding the development of Nietzsche's thought & clearly anticipate many of the themes of his later writings Nietzsche himself always cherished his Untimely Meditations & believed that they provide valuable evidence of his 'becoming & self-overcoming' & constitute a 'public pledge' concerning his own distinctive task as a philosopher