1st Edition

Reading Nietzsche An Analysis of "Beyond Good and Evil"

By Douglas Burnham Copyright 2007
    224 Pages
    by Routledge

    224 Pages
    by Routledge

    "Beyond Good and Evil" is a concise and comprehensive statement of Nietzsche's mature philosophy and is an ideal entry point into Nietzsche's work as a whole. Pithy, lyrical and densely complex, "Beyond Good and Evil" demands that its readers are already familiar with key Nietzschean concepts - such as the will-to-power, perspectivism or eternal recurrence - and are able to leap with Nietzschean agility from topic to topic, across metaphysics, psychology, religion, morality and politics. "Reading Nietzsche" explains the key concepts, the range of Nietzsche's concerns, and highlights Nietzsche's writing strategies that are the key to understanding his work and processes of thought. In its close analysis of the text, "Reading Nietzsche" reassesses this most creative of philosophers and presents a significant contribution to the study of his thought. In setting this analysis within a comprehensive survey of Nietzsche's ideas, the book is a guide both to this key work and to Nietzsche's philosophy more generally.

    Preface 1. Nietzsche's Title and Preface 2. 'On the Prejudices of the Philosophers': A Critique of Metaphysical Ground (Part 1) 3. 'The Free Spirit': The Philosopher Realigned to Will-To-Power (Part 2) 4. The Nature of Religion: Beyond Nihilism, Towards The Immanent Ideal (Part 3) 5. 'Epigrams and Entr'actes' (Part 4) 6. The Natural History of Morality: Development of Affects and Reactions (Part 5) 7. We Scholars: Science as the 'Hammer' of Philosophy (Part 6) 8. Our Virtues: Honesty & the 'Democratic Mixing' of Peoples, Classes, Genders (Part 7) 9. Peoples & Fatherlands: Towards the Political Task of Philosophy in Europe (Part 8) 10. What is Noble?: Past and Future Aristocracies (Part 9) Glossary Guide to Further Reading Index

    Biography

    Douglas Burnham is Professor of Philosophy at Staffordshire University.

    "An engaging, detailed and lucid guide to one of Nietzsche's most important works. Reading Nietzsche brings out the exciting and vibrant nature of Nietzsche's writing. A great introduction to Nietzsche and a sophisticated commentary on Beyond Good and Evil." - Claire Colebrook, University of Edinburgh, UK

    "No one can expect to win a war of wits with Nietzsche. What Reading Nietzsche offers is a commentary that is reflective, expansive, judicious and accurate. First-time readers of Nietzsche will benefit from having this book by their side as a guide, whilst readers more familiar with Beyond Good and Evil will benefit from the reflective passages on particularly knotty sections." - Rex Welshon, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, US