Nietzsche's Values

John Richardson here reorients Nietzsche's thinking around the central and unifying concept of values. Richardson maps in detail the argumentative structure of Nietzsche's ideas, identifying twelve key concepts, each with its own problems and ideas, and separating them into three sections. The first group addresses values of the body and biology in relation to our drives and feelings. The second situates values in our deeply-flawed conception of ourselves as moral agents. The third group consists of new values Nietzsche identifies and defends as the lesson of his critiques, and are centered on a universal affirmation expressed in the thought of eternal return. Each chapter organizes the rich complexity of Nietzsche's thought on its particular topic and works to resolve contradictions, often by showing how he treats the concepts and problems as historical. Beyond its position as one of the most specific and thorough up-to-date assessments of Nietzsche, incorporating recent advancements in philosophical thought, Richardson's argument that values serve both as Nietzsche's fundamental concern and as a central organizing principle for understanding him offers thought-provoking new interpretations and an updated reference point for future study.