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Can there be a Nietzschean sociology?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

W. G. Runciman
W. G. Runciman
Affiliation:
Trinity College, (Cambridge).
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Abstract

The article explores the implications of Nietzsche's view of human history and psychology for a sociology formulated in Nietzschean terms, and argues that although the ‘will to power’ cannot explain all that Nietzsche claims for it, his sociology of sociology does pass his own test of validity. It is suggested in conclusion that on the relation of sociology to the rank ordering of values, Nietzsche is consistent where Weber is not, and vice versa.

Les vues de Nietzsche sur l'histoire humaine et la psychologie sont-elles susceptibles de portée pour la sociologie? Telle est la question. L'auteur argue que, même si la votonté de pouvoir ne peut rendre compte de tout ce que Nietzsche en attend, pour autant sa sociologie de la sociologie supporte bien l'épreuve de validité. La hiérarchie des valeurs de Nietzsche est consistante avec sa sociologie alors que celle de Weber ne l'est pas.

Die Untersuchung geht der Frage nach, ob die Ansichten Nietzsches zur Gesellschaftsgeschichto und zur Psychologie für die Soziologie von Bedeutung sind. Es wird die Behauptung aufgestellt, dass, obwohl der Machtwille nicht alles erklären kann, was Nietzsche sich von ihm erwartert, sich seine Soziologie der Soziologie als wahrhaftig erweist. Die Werteskala Nietzsches stimmt mit seiner Definition der Soziologie überein, was bei Weber nicht der Fall ist.

Type
Research Article
Information
European Journal of Sociology / Archives Européennes de Sociologie , Volume 41 , Issue 1 , May 2000 , pp. 3 - 21
Copyright
Copyright © Archives Européenes de Sociology 2000

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References

(1) The following abbreviations are used in the text:

AC = The Antichrist (Der Antichrist); BGE = Beyond Good and Evil (Jenseits von Gut und Böse); DB = Daybreak (Morgenröte); EH = Ecce Homo; GM = The Genealogy of Morals (Zur Genealogie der Moral); GS = The Gay Science (Die fröhliche Wissenschaft); HATH = Human, All Too Human (Menschliches, Allzumenschliches); TI = Twilight of the Idols (Gotzen-Dämmerung); WP = The Will to Power (Der Wille zur Macht).

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* This paper was initially given at a seminar in Cambridge in May 1999. I am grateful to the members of the seminar for their contributions to the discussion, to Bernard Williams for his comments on an earlier version and to Steven Lukes for the amendments which he suggested to the version submitted for publication.

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