Nietzsche's Critique of Pity

Nietzsche's critique of pity is, by his own account, the initiating move in his broad-scale critique of morality. Despite this, it has received limited scholarly attention. The author develops and defends a detailed account of the three main kinds of argument that she takes Nietzsche to make against pity.

Nietzsche's critique of pity is, by his own account, the initiating move in his broad-scale critique of morality. Despite this, it has received limited scholarly attention. This Element develops and defends a detailed account of three different kinds of argument that Nietzsche makes against pity, which build progressively to form a unified critique. First, there is a psychological investigation, in which Nietzsche reveals pity's dark subconscious motives. Second, Nietzsche addresses pity in its interpersonal dimensions, arguing that it constitutes a disrespectful form of relation to another person. Finally, Nietzsche argues that pity will lead to nihilism. Nietzsche's critique is genuinely radical, demanding that we question and abandon many moral convictions we hold dear. But it is also revealed to be deeply compelling: Nietzsche objects to pity for reasons that we should take extremely seriously.