The Rise of Politics and Morality in Nietzsche’s Genealogy

The Rise of Politics and Morality in Nietzsche’s Genealogy examines Nietzsche’s account of the origin of political society and moral life in the Second Essay of his On the Genealogy of Morals. It argues this account is coherent and grounded in Nietzsche's understanding of nature and the will to power.

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.

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