Nietzsche, Genealogy, History

These notes are old and were written while reading — they don’t necessarily reflect my current views.

Foucault calls into question that truth should or even can be at the bottom of the philosophical structure. He believes it to be non-sense to believe in the truth as origin of ethics. (At least this is what he reads in Nietzsche). He describes the act of genealogy as much more fitting than ordinary metaphysical analysis, as it can give account of the structures of meaning over time, without having to impose a higher (the current) meaning on things. It’s much more suited for moral ambiguity and much more observing than judging. It’s interesting to see where Nietzsches philosophy is used to build Foucaults on it. (p. 150 ll. 16ff).

Foucault, in the end makes their typical argument, that we can’t judge past injustices by our truths, as both truth and justice are relative concepts.