The Republic of Genius

the long version

Rejecting the prevalent view that Nietzsche's earlier writings are significant only in relation to his "mature" philosophy, Quentin Taylor has written a full-length study of Nietzsche's early philosophy, the first of its kind. Drawing on a diffuse body of writings, Dr. Taylor adeptly "reconstructs" the principal tenets of Nietzsche's early thought with an emphasis on its positive and constructive dimensions. Informed by Nietzsche's understanding of himself as a "value-legislator" whose ultimate aim was the creation of a "Republic of Genius," the author organizes his discussion around the themes of culture, education, and the state. In the course of reconstructing the salient aspects of Nietzsche's thought in these areas (including many hitherto neglected or ignored), Taylor develops the thesis that the early Nietzsche tacitly constructed an eclectic theory of value based on the ancient Greeks, Nature, and the "German Spirit." The result is an impressive work of synthesis which reads as a cogent statement of Nietzsche's early philosophy in its social-cultural-political aspect. As such, Dr. Taylor's study fills a sizeable gap in the literature on Nietzsche and represents a seminal contribution to a more balanced and accurate understanding of his philosophy.