Nietzsche’s Psychology of Ressentiment: Revenge and Justice in "on the Genealogy of Morals"

Ressentiment--the hateful desire for revenge--plays a pivotal role in Nietzsche'sOn the Genealogy of Morals.Ressentimentexplains the formation of bad conscience, guilt, asceticism, and, most importantly, it motivates the "slave revolt" that gives rise to Western morality's values.Ressentiment, however, has not enjoyed a thorough treatment in the secondary literature. This book brings it sharply into focus and provides the first detailed examination of Nietzsche's psychology ofressentiment. Unlike other books on theGenealogy, it usesressentimentas a key to theGenealogyand focuses on the intriguing relationship betweenressentimentand justice. It shows howressentiment, despite its blindness to justice, gives rise to moral justice--the central target of Nietzsche's critique. This critique notwithstanding, theGenealogyshows Nietzsche's enduring commitment to the virtue ofnon-moraljustice: a commitment that grounds his provocative view that moral justice spells the 'end of justice'. The result provides a novel view of Nietzsche's moral psychology in theGenealogy, his critique of morality, and his views on justice.