On the Genealogy of Morality: A New Translation

by Friedrich Nietzsche, David Petault (translator)

First published in 1887, Friedrich Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morality is one of his most influential and provocative works, offering a profound critique of traditional values and the moral systems that underpin Western culture. In this incisive and daring text, Nietzsche examines the origins and development of morality, challenging readers to question the assumptions and foundations of their ethical beliefs.

Composed of three essays, On the Genealogy of Morality explores the historical, psychological, and cultural roots of moral values. Nietzsche begins by dissecting the origins of what he calls "slave morality," tracing its rise to the resentment of the weak toward the strong. In contrast to "master morality," which celebrates power, vitality, and self-affirmation, "slave morality" emphasizes humility, self-sacrifice, and the condemnation of strength. Nietzsche argues that this shift in values has shaped Western civilization, fostering a culture that suppresses the natural instincts and potential of humanity.

In the second essay, Nietzsche delves into the concept of guilt, exploring its connections to debt, punishment, and the emergence of the "bad conscience." He examines how religious institutions and societal norms have manipulated feelings of guilt to maintain control and power over individuals. Finally, in the third essay, Nietzsche critiques the ascetic ideal, questioning the ways in which self-denial and the pursuit of "higher" spiritual goals have been used to justify the suppression of life’s instincts and passions.

What sets On the Genealogy of Morality apart is Nietzsche’s approach. Rather than presenting a systematic philosophical argument, he uses a genealogical method to trace the historical evolution of moral ideas, exposing their underlying power dynamics and psychological motivations. His writing is sharp, provocative, and unrelenting, challenging readers to confront the uncomfortable truths about morality’s origins and functions.

This new translation captures the depth, nuance, and energy of Nietzsche’s prose, making his ideas more accessible to modern readers. Whether you are new to Nietzsche or familiar with his works, On the Genealogy of Morality remains essential reading for anyone interested in philosophy, ethics, and the forces that shape human culture.

Engaging with this text is an intellectual journey into the heart of Nietzsche’s thought—a journey that compels us to question the moral frameworks we take for granted and to rethink what it means to live authentically. Bold, challenging, and transformative, On the Genealogy of Morality continues to inspire and provoke readers more than a century after its publication.

160 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2024

About the author

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a German classical scholar, philosopher, and critic of culture, who became one of the most influential of all modern thinkers. He began his career as a classical philologist before turning to philosophy. He became the youngest person to hold the Chair of Classical Philology at the University of Basel in 1869 at the age of 24, but resigned in 1879 due to health problems that plagued him most of his life; he completed much of his core writing in the following decade. In 1889, at age 44, he suffered a collapse and afterward a complete loss of his mental faculties, with paralysis and probably vascular dementia. He lived his remaining years in the care of his mother until her death in 1897 and then with his sister Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche. Nietzsche died in 1900, after experiencing pneumonia and multiple strokes.
Nietzsche's work spans philosophical polemics, poetry, cultural criticism, and fiction while displaying a fondness for aphorism and irony. Prominent elements of his philosophy include his radical critique of truth in favour of perspectivism; a genealogical critique of religion and Christian morality and a related theory of master–slave morality; the aesthetic affirmation of life in response to both the "death of God" and the profound crisis of nihilism; the notion of Apollonian and Dionysian forces; and a characterisation of the human subject as the expression of competing wills, collectively understood as the will to power. He also developed influential concepts such as the Übermensch and his doctrine of eternal return. In his later work, he became increasingly preoccupied with the creative powers of the individual to overcome cultural and moral mores in pursuit of new values and aesthetic health. His body of work touched a wide range of topics, including art, philology, history, music, religion, tragedy, culture, and science, and drew inspiration from Greek tragedy as well as figures such as Zoroaster, Arthur Schopenhauer, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Richard Wagner, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
After his death, Nietzsche's sister Elisabeth became the curator and editor of his manuscripts. She edited his unpublished writings to fit her German ultranationalist ideology, often contradicting or obfuscating Nietzsche's stated opinions, which were explicitly opposed to antisemitism and nationalism. Through her published editions, Nietzsche's work became associated with fascism and Nazism. 20th-century scholars such as Walter Kaufmann, R.J. Hollingdale, and Georges Bataille defended Nietzsche against this interpretation, and corrected editions of his writings were soon made available. Nietzsche's thought enjoyed renewed popularity in the 1960s and his ideas have since had a profound impact on 20th- and early 21st-century thinkers across philosophy—especially in schools of continental philosophy such as existentialism, postmodernism, and post-structuralism—as well as art, literature, music, poetry, politics, and popular culture.