Nietzsche's Culture of Humanity
Beyond Aristocracy and Democracy in the Early Period

This book argues that Nietzsche is a meritocratic thinker, not, as many have argued, an aristocrat or a democrat.

Jeffrey Church (Author)

9781107120266, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 11 September 2015

296 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 2.4 cm, 0.6 kg

Nietzsche scholars have long been divided over whether Nietzsche is an aristocratic or a democratic thinker. Nietzche's Culture of Humanity overcomes this debate by proving both sides wrong. Jeffrey Church argues that in his early period writings, Nietzsche envisioned a cultural meritocracy that drew on the classical German tradition of Kant and Herder. The young Nietzsche's 'culture of humanity' synthesized the high and low, the genius and the people, the nation and humanity. Nietzsche's early ideal of culture can shed light on his mature period thought, since, Church argues, Nietzsche does not abandon this fundamental commitment to a cultural meritocracy. Nietzche's Culture of Humanity argues that Nietzsche's novel defense of culture can overcome some persisting problems in contemporary liberal theories of culture. As such, this book should interest Nietzsche scholars, political theorists and philosophers interested in modern thought, as well as contemporary thinkers concerned with the politics of culture.

Part I. The Foundation of Culture in the Early Nietzsche: 1. The influence of Kant and Herder
2. Nihilism and the contradiction of human nature
3. Freedom and the best life
Part II. Two Concepts of Culture in the Early Nietzsche: 4. Nietzsche's exemplary individual
5. National culture
6. Cosmopolitan culture
Part III. The Means to Culture in the Early Nietzsche: 7. The education to culture
8. The state, liberalism, and culture
Part IV. The Significance of the Early Nietzsche: 9. From the early to the late Nietzsche
10. Culture as identity, culture as individuals.

Subject Areas: Political science & theory [JPA], History of ideas [JFCX], Social & political philosophy [HPS], Ethics & moral philosophy [HPQ]