Nietzsche on War

Sound Bite

In speaking about war, words matter. What would Nietzsche have said? Had Nietzsche directly focused his critical powers on the urgent questions concerning hostile, violent war, his interpretations of its destructive, corrosive nature would most likely have matched his critique of Christianity in substance and intensity.Prof. Peery offers new interpretations of Nietzsche's ideas regarding power, values, nature, contrariety, and language, truth and deception, religion, experience, sexuality and sexual politics. She quotes extensively from his major works and consults relevant works from the pre-Socratics to the current President of Harvard University, Drew G. Faust.

About the Book

The book offers new interpretations of Nietzsche's thinking -- considering especially his ideas regarding power, values, nature, contrariety, sexuality and sexual politics -- that could offer new and provocative approaches toward dealing with the rising menace of war. His breadth and depth of interests and his scholarly background make Nietzsche uniquely qualified to comment. The author quotes from many of Nietzsche's own writings and introduces selected earlier writers whom she believes would have influenced his own thinking on the subject of war, from Thomas Aquinas to Bachofen. Particularly as philosopher, psychologist, philologist and historian, Nietzsche's own words provide the immediate and best access to his thoughts. A thinker of Nietzsche's stature might contribute to the anguished debates rending society even today.

Introduction

In Nietzsche on War, Prof. Rebekah S. Peery offers a fresh and thought-provoking interpretation of Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy applied to the complex and urgent issue of war. Though Nietzsche himself never dedicated a treatise solely to the subject, Peery draws extensively on his wide-ranging body of work to explore how his ideas might illuminate the nature of conflict, power, and human experience in wartime.

Peery’s examination centers on Nietzsche’s concept of the “Wille zur Macht” (will to power), portraying war not merely as destructive chaos but as a profound force of transformation. War, in this philosophical framework, is more than a clash of armies; it is a battleground of values, ideologies, and human wills. Peery argues that Nietzsche might have seen war as an opportunity for societies to transcend outdated values and norms, much like his critique of Christianity challenged traditional morality. This revaluation of morals and ethics exposes the fragility of human values and the need for societal progression.

The book delves into Nietzsche’s reflections on human nature, highlighting the primal instincts that society often suppresses. War, Peery suggests, could be viewed as a heightened expression of these natural contrarieties, a testing ground where individuals and societies confront the fundamental struggle of life itself. Furthermore, she explores Nietzsche’s critique of language and truth, emphasizing how rhetoric around war frequently conceals deeper realities. This analysis invites readers to question the narratives and “truths” presented in the context of conflict.

Peery also extends Nietzsche’s ideas on sexuality and sexual politics to the realm of war, examining the dynamics of masculinity and femininity, dominance and submission, on the political and military stage. Additionally, she draws parallels between Nietzsche’s famous critique of Christianity and his potential views on war as an institution that both shapes and suppresses human potential, while paradoxically holding the possibility for profound transformation.

Beyond Nietzsche’s own writings, Peery incorporates insights from earlier thinkers—from Thomas Aquinas to Johann Bachofen—and situates Nietzsche’s philosophy amid the broader historical, psychological, and philological traditions that shaped his thought. This multidisciplinary approach enriches the analysis and offers new perspectives for understanding the rising menace of war in the modern world.

In a century marked by the growing catastrophic impact of warfare and a widespread inability to fully grasp its complexities, Nietzsche on War challenges readers to ask new and difficult questions. It invites a reconsideration of who has spoken—and who has remained silent—on the subject of war, encouraging a deeper engagement with its philosophical dimensions.