This book offers a comprehensive and careful reading of each of the individual parts of On the Genealogy of Morality to show how it forms a coherent, outstanding contribution to Nietzsche's entire body of work.

While stressing that in On the Genealogy of Morality Nietzsche highlights the key features and unity of his philosophy, this book claims that this is not achieved through a simple logical examination of the patent validity of morality. Instead, it is argued that Nietzsche’s approach takes the form of a meticulous genealogical-historical study of the emergence of morality by examining how it has become prevalent and why it continues to prevail. The aim of this genealogical approach is not to criticise and abolish morality per se but to temporarily pause consideration of morality’s validity or non-validity in order to raise the more nuanced critical question of the value and the contribution of morality and its concrete appearances within a wider context.

History, Diagnostics and Metaphysics in Nietzsche’s ‘On the Genealogy of Morality’ is essential reading for all scholars, researchers and advanced students of the thought of Friedrich Nietzsche. It is also ideal for researchers of the philosophy of religion and of the philosophy of the self.

Sverre Raffnsøe is Professor of Philosophy at the Department of Business Humanities and Law, Copenhagen Business School.

Stuart Pethick is an independent writer and researcher within early modern and modern European philosophy with a special interest in the relationship between affectivity, ideas and language.