ABOUT THIS BOOK

A holistic reading of Nietzsche’s distinctive thought beyond the “death of God.”

In Nietzsche’s Kind of Philosophy, Richard Schacht provides a holistic interpretation of Friedrich Nietzsche’s distinctive thinking, developed over decades of engagement with the philosopher’s work. For Schacht, Nietzsche’s overarching project is to envision a “philosophy of the future” attuned to new challenges facing Western humanity after the “death of God,” when monotheism no longer anchors our understanding of ourselves and our world. Schacht traces the developmental arc of Nietzsche’s philosophical efforts across Human, All Too Human, Daybreak, Joyful Knowing (The Gay Science), Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Beyond Good and Evil, and On the Genealogy of Morality. He then shows how familiar labels for Nietzsche—nihilist, existentialist, individualist, free spirit, and naturalist—prove insufficient individually but fruitful if refined and taken together. The result is an expansive account of Nietzsche’s kind of philosophy.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Richard Schacht is professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is the author and editor of numerous other books relating to European philosophy after Kant.

REVIEWS

“Nietzsche is notoriously hard to situate on the philosophical map, given his stylistic variety and nonsystematic aspirations. Schacht argues that various labels commonly applied to the German philosopher are only apt to a point. Examining a range of Nietzsche’s writings, Schacht shows how each work contributes to the philosopher’s broad project of interpreting human beings as natural creatures capable of developing more than ‘merely natural’ capacities. This accessible but interpretively rich book will help general readers find their way when reading Nietzsche while also engaging the interest of scholars.”

— Kathleen Higgins, University of Texas at Austin

“Schacht’s latest book is one of a kind. With unparalleled insight, he offers a comprehensive, sharp-sighted, and scrupulously honest rendering of Nietzsche’s main concerns, but above all an illuminating investigation into the primary, determining questions: What exactly is the purpose of philosophy, according to Nietzsche? How did he radically transform the discipline? And why did he have to? A priceless book which provides a lucid understanding of Nietzsche’s specific stance and logic.”

— Patrick Wotling, University of Reims

"Schacht provides a 'large-scale reconsideration' of Nietzsche’s work that emphasizes the need to examine the philosopher’s assertions in the context of his entire corpus to understand the ways in which his thinking evolved. Doing so, the author contends, reveals that Nietzsche’s reputation as a nihilist is overblown . . . [and that] Nietzsche wasn’t an individualist . . . Scholars will find this an evenhanded . . . take on Nietzsche."

— Publishers Weekly

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Human, All Too Human

Daybreak

Joyful Inquiry

Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Beyond Good and Evil

Joyful Inquiry

On the Genealogy of Morality

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