Serious Political Philosophy and Nietzsche.

The primary focus of this paper is to address certain concerns scholars have had with Nietzsche, specifically his political philosophy. Criticisms of Nietzsche's thought are presented through a presentation of an article written by Martha Nussbaum entitled, "Is Nietzsche a Political Thinker?" Nussbaum argues that there are certain criteria that determine what makes someone a "serious political thinker." However, I argue that these criticisms of Nietzsche may not be founded upon a careful reading of Nietzsche's works. Many of the criticisms Nussbaum has of Nietzsche's philosophy and their lack of political seriousness may be confronted by presenting examples from Nietzsche's extensive body of work. This paper will present Nietzsche as a political thinker who should be taken seriously, if only because his philosophy bears upon issues that concern those who are interested in political and social philosophy, much in the same way that Marx's philosophy does. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]