Nietzsche's Moral Psychology2019

"Nietzsche, a trained philologist, frequently urges his readers to interpret him carefully. In this book, Mark Alfano combines detailed close reading with digital methods (corpus analysis and semantic network visualization) to reframe our understanding of this major figure. He argues that virtue is a neglected concept in Nietzsche's writings, and sets out a fresh interpretation of Nietzschean virtues as well-calibrated drives. As different people embody different constellations of drives, so virtues differ from person to person. For Nietzsche himself, Alfano argues, five virtues are essential: curiosity, courage, a sense of humor, and pathos of distance (that is, contemptuousness) toward one's self and toward one's society. This innovative and original book will be invaluable for...