Nietzsche as Philosopher

Few philosophers are as widely read or as widely misunderstood as Friedrich Nietzsche. When Danto's study was published in '65, many regarded Nietzsche as a brilliant, somewhat erratic thinker. Danto, however, presented a radically different picture, arguing that Nietzsche offered a systematic & coherent philosophy that anticipated many of the questions that define contemporary philosophy. Danto's clear & insightful commentaries helped canonize Nietzsche as a philosopher & continue to illuminate subtleties in Nietzsche's work as well as his immense contributions to the philosophies of science, language & logic. This edition not only further enhances understanding of Nietzsche's philosophy; it responds to the misunderstandings that continue to muddy his intellectual reputation. Even today, Nietzsche is seen as everything from a precursor of feminism & deconstruction to a prophetic writer & spokesperson for disgruntled teenagers. As pointed out in the preface, Nietzsche's writings have purportedly inspired recent acts of violence & school shootings. Danto counters these misreadings by elaborating an anti-Nietzschian philosophy from within Nietzsche's own philosophy "in the hope of disarming the rabid Nietzsche & neutralizing the vivid frightening images that have inspired sociopaths for over a century." The essays also consider specific works, including Human, All Too Human & The Genealogy of Morals, as well as the philosopher's artistic metaphysics & semantical nihilism.