Does Rarity Confer Value? Nietzsche on the Exceptional Individual

Hassan, Patrick 2017. Does Rarity Confer Value? Nietzsche on the Exceptional Individual. The Journal of Nietzsche Studies 48 (2) , pp. 261-285. 10.5325/jnietstud.48.2.0261

Preview

PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (264kB) | Preview

Abstract

By drawing upon contemporary debates in the theory of value, in this article I explore the evidence for taking Nietzsche to defend the view that rarity—at least under certain qualified conditions—matters for its own sake. I argue that this evidence is compelling, and that many intuitive objections to the view can be deflected by challenging the axiological assumptions that motivate them. The question concerning the value of rarity has significant evaluative implications concerning Nietzsche's famed critique of morality, and in particular the component of equality. While Nietzsche is traditionally interpreted as rejecting equality in virtue of its “leveling-down” effects upon certain perfectionist values, I claim that if rarity is itself valuable then we are left with a second critique of equality: that it undercuts the value of peculiarity. I explore the extent and significance of this objection in the final section of the article.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	English, Communication and Philosophy
Publisher:	Penn State University Press
ISSN:	0968-8005
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	26 March 2023
Date of Acceptance:	1 January 2017
Last Modified:	14 May 2023 16:56
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/157958

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item