On the Genealogy of Morality: A Polemic (Hardcover)

by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (Author), Maudemarie Clark (Author), Alan J. Swensen (Author) "-These English psychologists whom we also have to thank for the only attempts so far to produce a history of the genesis of morality-they themselves..." (more)
Key Phrases: Richard Wagner, Gay Science

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Clark and Swensen have made the Genealogy accessible and exhilarating-while leaving it, as it is, enigmatic and problematic." -- Wm. Arctander O'Brien, University of California, San Diego

This unique collaboration of an internationally renowned Nietzsche commentator and a scholar of German language and literature has yielded the finest existing edition of Nietzsche's book in English. The translation itself strikes an intelligent balance between fidelity to the German and readability in English. It is especially welcome for bringing an historically and philosophically sensitive appreciation of Nietzsche to bear on translation issues. (The decision to translate Mitleid consistently as "compassion," instead of "pity"-thus emphasizing for the English-language reader Nietzsche's opposition to Schopenhauer's moral philosophy-is but one of many examples.) The Introduction is the most philosophically substantial guide to the Genealogy in any edition, and will be of value to both student and specialist. Most remarkable of all are the notes on the text: the wealth of biographical, historical, philosophical, and literary detail makes the volume the most informative and reader-friendly edition of Nietzsche's work to date. The notes will also prove fascinating for the scholar, as the editors have tracked down the numerous contemporary scholarly sources on which Nietzsche relied in writing the Genealogy. -- Brian Leiter, University of Texas at Austin

Product Description
On the Genealogy of Morality contains some of Nietzsche's most disturbing ideas and images: eg the 'slave revolt' in morality, which he claims began with the Jews and has now triumphed, and the 'blond beast' that must erupt, which he claims to find behind all civilisation. It is therefore a major source for understanding why 'Nietzschean' ideas are controversial. Further, it is one of Nietzsche's most important books, a work of his maturity that shows him at the height of his powers both as a thinker and as an artist in the presentation of ideas.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 177 pages
• Publisher: Hackett Publishing Company (October 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0872202844
• ISBN-13: 978-0872202849
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,475,028 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Another absurd translation, November 18, 2008

By	Michael A. Scarpitti (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is another in a seemingly unending series of 'literalist' translations of philosophical prose works. The translation is of course hopeless. This technique never works and cannot work. Each occurrence of a German word is treated the same, regardless of context. It doesn't work for Plato, it doesn't work for Kant, and it certainly doesn't work for Nietzsche. See my reviews of Guyer-Wood's translation of Kant's first critique, and my review of Thomas G. West's 'translations' of Greek texts. The same criticisms apply here. It is fascinating that the editors mention Guyer and Wood approvingly in their preface. How telling!

The editorial reviewer, who stated "The translation itself strikes an intelligent balance between fidelity to the German and readability in English" inadvertently points out the absurdity of this approach. Translation does not need to be 'balanced', ever. There is no excuse for rigid, invariant translation of individual words, because every instance of usage is unique. Its usage in the specific context is what matters.