Nietzsche's Constructivism: A Metaphysics of Material Objects

Description

Like Kant, the German Idealists, and many neo-Kantian philosophers before him, Nietzsche was persistently concerned with metaphysical questions about the nature of objects. His texts often address questions concerning the existence and non-existence of objects, the relation of objects to human minds, and how different views of objects significantly impact various commitments in many areas of philosophy--not just metaphysics, but also semantics, epistemology, science, logic and mathematics, and even ethics. This book presents a systematic and comprehensive analysis of Nietzsche's material object metaphysics. Remhof argues that Nietzsche embraces the controversial constructivist view that all concrete objects are socially constructed. Reading Nietzsche as a constructivist, Remhof contends, provides fresh insight into Nietzsche's views on truth, science, naturalism, and nihilism. Remhof investigates how Nietzsche's view of objects compares with similar views offered by influential American pragmatists, and explores the implications of Nietzsche's constructivism for debates in contemporary material object metaphysics. Nietzsche's Constructivism is a highly original and timely contribution to the steadily growing literature on Nietzsche's thought. Cover Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgments 1 Interpreting Nietzsche on Objects 2 Against Constructivism 3 For Constructivism 4 Objections to Constructivism 5 Consequences of Constructivism 6 Nihilism and Constructivism 7 Nietzsche, Constructivism, and Pragmatism 8 Nietzsche’s Constructivism and Current Debates Bibliography Index