Nietzsche and the Origin of Virtue

InEcce Homo(1908), Friedrich Nietzsche calls himself "the first immoralist" and adds: "that makes me the annihilatorpar excellence." Lester Hunt examines this and other radical claims in order to show that Nietzsche does have a coherent and formidable ethical and political philosophy. Unlike most other scholars in the field, he approaches Nietzsche not merely to discover what he stood for, but to discern whether his ideas are ones we should accept and use. Now in paper,Nietzsche and the Origin of Virtueexamines the problems implicit in Nietzsche's own position, and explores in detail areas such as his views on human rights, his "anti-political" stance, and his novel use of the idea of "experimentation" as an ethical ideal. What emerges at the core of Nietzsche's work is a powerful and original "ethics of virtue" based entirely on his conception of good character. Lester Hunt uses Nietzsche's writings as a starting point for a critique of a wide,contemporary ethical project--one that should inform our lives as well as our thoughts.