Genealogy and the Structure of Interpretation

In this article, I consider how Nietzsche’s history of morality in On the Genealogy of Morality is relevant to his critique of morality. I argue that, on Nietzsche’s view, morality’s history is a guide to whether and where we should expect to find coherence in our current moral practice. It helps us “structure our interpretation” of morality. History is relevant to critique because it reveals that morality is unlikely to have the kind of coherence required by many of its defenders. After defending this account of how Nietzsche’s historical claims are relevant to his critique, I use the account to explain why Nietzsche’s genealogy mixes fact and fiction.