Nietzsche's Constructivism: A Metaphysics of Material Objects

by Justin Remhof

Overview

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 impact commitments in many areas of philosophy—not just metaphysics, but also language, epistemology, science, logic and mathematics, and even ethics. In this book, Remhof presents a systematic and comprehensive analysis of Nietzsche’s material object metaphysics. He 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. The book also investigates how Nietzsche’s view of objects compares with 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367594558
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/14/2020
Series:	Routledge Studies in Nineteenth-Century Philosophy
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Justin Remhof is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Old Dominion University. He specializes in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century European Philosophy and Metaphysics. His work has appeared in journals that include European Journal of Philosophy, History of Philosophy Quarterly, Journal of Nietzsche Studies, and Nietzsche-Studien.

Table of Contents

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 American Pragmatism

8. Nietzsche’s Constructivism and Current Debates

Editorial Reviews

"Remhof's work is an important contribution to Nietzsche studies. It is the first work that focuses exclusively on Nietzsche's understanding of material objects . . . Remhof has done an admirable job of laying out the scholarly terrain and offering a unique contribution that those working on Nietzsche should take seriously . . . He has shown that constructivism is a superior alternative to both the commonsense realist and unificationist readings." – Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

"Many have long thought that there was something ‘constructivist’ about Nietzsche’s metaphysics, but Remhof shows precisely in what way this is so. The book is a vital contribution to Nietzsche studies, and, I suspect, essentially right." – R. Kevin Hill, Portland State University, USA

From the Publisher