Nietzsche's genealogy of belief and morality

pp. 465-537

in: Robert Nola, Rescuing reason, Berlin, Springer, 2003

Abstract

The reception of Nietzsche's writings has had a complete turn-about. During the first half of the twentieth century they were either neglected or suffered from serious misinterpretations by people as different as Bertrand Russell and the Nazis. During the second half Nietzsche apologists have provided a host of rival interpretations, many hagiographical and without critical evaluation. One interpretation of Nietzsche's work is that he himself believed that it could have rival interpretations between which it might be impossible to decide. Of his own enigmatic, obscure, mystifying and even dangerous doctrine of the "will to power" he says: "Supposing that this also is only interpretation - … well, so much the better" (Beyond Good and Evil, §22). Nietzsche's influence on philosophers in post-World War II France has been very strong, Foucault being no exception. He tells us "reading Nietzsche was the point of rupture for me" (Kriztman (1988), p. 23). For him: "It was Nietzsche who specified the power relation as the general focus … of philosophical discourse .… Nietzsche is the philosopher of power" (Gordon (1980), p. 53). Foucault links his "power/knowledge" doctrine to Nietzsche's "will to power" when he asks about the "question of truth": "What is the history of this "will to truth"? What are its effects? How is all this interwoven with relations of power?" (ibid., p. 66). Some scholars might find Foucault's use of Nietzsche suspect, but he has a ready answer: "I prefer to utilise the writers I like.