The Rise of Politics and Morality in Nietzsche's Genealogy: From Chaos to Conscience

by Jeffrey Metzger

Overview

Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morals has become a central text for understanding the thinker and his impact on moral philosophy. Yet his account of the rise of political society and its relation to morality has generally been overlooked, in large part because of its strange and often confusing character. In The Rise of Politics and Morality in Nietzsche’s Genealogy: From Chaos to Conscience, Jeffrey Metzger devotes careful attention to Nietzsche’s analysis of the origin of political society in the Second Essay and its intertwining with the development of morality and religion. Focused on how that account places Nietzsche’s understanding of humanity in his larger conceptions of nature and the will to power, the book further considers how Nietzsche grounds his thought in the world as he presents it, and the strengths and weaknesses of Nietzsche’s approach to this crucial moment in human development. This book will interest philosophers, political theorists, and anyone else interested in Nietzsche and his contribution to our understanding of how we became human.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781793608871
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	11/14/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	194
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Jeffrey Metzger is professor of government at Cameron University.

Table of Contents

Contents

Acknowledgments

A Note on Abbreviations and Translations

Introduction

Chapter One. Nature and the Promising Animal: Sections 1-3

Chapter Two. Sketches of Prehistoric Life: Sections 4-11

Chapter Three. Philosophy and Morality in the World As Will To Power: Sections 12-15

Chapter Four. An Animal Soul Turned Against Itself: Sections 16-18

Chapter Five. The Development and Moralization of the Bad Conscience: Sections 19-25

Conclusion

Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

An impressive study of the Second Essay in Nietzsche's Genealogy, giving due attention to both moral and political questions. Metzger also offers a refreshing mix of exegesis and critique of Nietzsche's analysis. A genuine contribution to the literature on an enigmatic book.

Lawrence J. Hatab

Metzger’s study provides a valuable investigation of Nietzsche’s Second Essay and, as it affords primacy of place to Nietzsche’s political thought, is a welcome contribution to Nietzsche studies.

Journal of the History of Philosophy

Jeffrey Metzger carves out a niche in the increasingly crowded field of scholarship on Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morality.. . this book is a valuable addition to Nietzsche scholarship. Metzger exhibits an admirable willingness to follow Nietzsche’s line of thought, even where this risks yielding unpalatable or incoherent conclusions, and his central thesis—that Nietzsche’s arguments are underpinned by the idea of a creative, expansionist nature—opens up numerous fertile lines for future inquiry.

The Review of Politics

Jeffrey Metzger's book offers a novel account of the origin of the moral and the political through a meticulous examination of the Second Essay On the Genealogy of Morals. It is refreshing to find a new path through such a well-trodden field.

Michael Gillespie

There are many books on the Genealogy, but none that focus just on one essay as Metzger does here with clarity and depth. Unlike many commentaries on the Genealogy, Metzger examines the political theory implicit in the second essay, and is not afraid to challenge Nietzsche, especially on his views of nature, the will to power, and teleology. What emerges is a thorough, illuminating account of an essay difficult and confounding even by Nietzsche's standard.

Jeffrey Church

Jeffrey Metzger has delivered a scrupulously detailed reconstruction and critique of Nietzsche’s audacious attempt, in On the Genealogy of Morality, to account for the birth of politics and the origin of communities structured by recognizably moral obligations. Displaying an enviable familiarity with the relevant secondary literature, Metzger patiently guides his readers through a notoriously dense and difficult landmark text. The resulting insight and clarity make for a welcome contribution to the study of Nietzsche’s mature political thinking.

Daniel Conway

"This book offers a novel reading of Nietzsche’s Genealogy, arguing that the will to power should be understood to have a teleology, challenging recent views of Nietzsche’s naturalism, and providing a close textual analysis that will aid students and scholars of Nietzsche’s work."—Paul Kirkland, Carthage College

Paul Kirkland