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Nietzsche's Critique of Pity

Expected online publication date:  23 November 2026

Claire Kirwin
Affiliation:
Northwestern University

Summary

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.

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Nietzsche's Critique of Pity
  • Claire Kirwin, Northwestern University
  • Online ISBN: 9781009501613
Available formats No formats are currently available for this content.
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Nietzsche's Critique of Pity
  • Claire Kirwin, Northwestern University
  • Online ISBN: 9781009501613
Available formats No formats are currently available for this content.
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Nietzsche's Critique of Pity
  • Claire Kirwin, Northwestern University
  • Online ISBN: 9781009501613
Available formats No formats are currently available for this content.
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