A Beginners Guide to Nietzsches Beyond Good and Evil

Nietzsche’s Beyond Good And Evil is, without, doubt one of the landmark works of modern philosophy. First published in 1886 it contained the author’s mature thinking on such topics as truth, God, morality and the Will to Power, and unleashed a radical new philosophical sensibility which was to have an enormous impact on the intellectual and political landscape of the 20th Century. A Beginner’s Guide to Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil offers a concise and readable summary of this difficult text, geared toward students embarking on their studies (at A–level, or on undergraduate degree courses) and general readers. Well–illustrated with tables, diagrams, and images, it provides a clear explanation of the ideas, arguments and terminology to be found in Nietzsche’s often enigmatic prose, and balances this with critical analysis. It also provides references to further readings, a glossary of difficult terms and relevant biographical and historical information, making A Beginner’s Guide to Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil an ideal companion for those new to the study of this challenging and often misunderstood classic.

List of Illustrations vii Acknowledgements viii Introduction x Chapter 1: Background 1 Life of Nietzsche 1 Nineteenth–century Europe 8 Romanticism and German Idealism 9 Pessimism 9 German Politics 11 The Text 12 Chapter 2: Explanation and Summary of the Main Arguments 14 Introduction 14 Preface 14 Part One: On the Prejudices of Philosophers 16 Part Two: The Free Spirit 34 Part Three: The Religious Nature 44 Part Four: Maxims and Interludes 52 Part Five: On the Natural History of Morals 55 Part Six: We Scholars 63 Part Seven: Our Virtues 68 Part Eight: Peoples and Fatherlands 81 Part Nine: What is Noble? 88 From High Mountains: Epode 103 Chapter 3: Critical Themes 105 Introduction 105 Reality, Truth and Philosophical Prejudice 106 Philosophical prejudices 106 1. The will to truth 108 2. Faith in antithetical values 110 3. Distinction between appearance and reality 112 4. Atomism 115 5. Teleological explanation 120 6. Immediate certainty 124 7. Causa sui 129 8. Reification 133 Nietzsche’s anti–realism 135 God, Religion and the Saint 137 The question of God’s existence 137 Religious neurosis and the saint 142 Beyond pessimism: the Übermensch and the eternal return 144 Morality, Ressentiment and the Will to Power 149 Ethical naturalism 149 A natural history of morality 151 Ressentiment 152 Will to power 155 Appendix: Overview of Beyond Good and Evil 161 Notes 169 Glossary 181 Bibliography and Suggested Reading 206 Index 210

Gareth Southwell taught at Swansea College of Further Education between 1998 and 2005, where he also developed online learning materials and educational websites. In his spare time, he developed PhilosophyOnline, the popular resource for both teachers and students. A graduate in English and Philosophy from Swansea University, Southwell is an assistant examiner for AQA, and has recently completed a PhD in philosophy at the University of Newport. He also works as a freelance illustrator and has regularly published caricatures in The Philosophers′ Magazine .

"Anyone teaching Beyond Good and Evil will want to keep a copy of this close to hand. For those who are familiar with the texts it will help to reinvogorate their approach and for those teaching the text for the first time it will provide an excellent guide to the complexities of Nietzsche′s ideas." George McWilliams, Head of Philosophy and Ethics, Ullswater Community College "Gareth Southwell’s Beginner’s Guide is an outstanding introduction to Nietzsche’s text: lively and approachable in tone, yet rigorous and insightful in its handling of the material. A comprehensive and well–informed treatment, this book judiciously blends detailed analysis and illuminating explanation with more wide–ranging discussion. It has some stand–out features that make it extremely helpful for the student, and represents an excellent guide not only to the text and its contexts, but more broadly to the terms and techniques of philosophical debate." Duncan Large, Swansea University and the Friedrich Nietzsche Society