Aristokraten, Werkzeugkisten: Eine problematische 'Genealogie' der Genealogie?

Nietzschean genealogy is undoubtedly a central tool in Foucault's 'tool-box' of concepts. Accordingly, Foucault reflects upon his reference to Nietzsche in two famous essays ("Nietzsche, Freud, Marx" and "Nietzsche, Genealogy, History"). While his 1975/76 lectures at the Collège de France are known for an introduction or first draft of 'biopolitics', they also provide a history of the provenance of genealogical thinking. This history or 'genealogy' is in many ways congruent with important findings of current research on Nietzsche. The paper thus attempts to combine these two sources in order to foster a deeper understanding of Foucault's Nietzsche reception and to uncover problematic aspects of this legacy.