The two senses of the Nietzschean criticism: socrates as an examplar case

Abstract

This paper discusses Nietzsche’s critique of Socrates as a paradigmatic case which exemplifies the two fundamental dimensions of the Nietzschian concept of “critique”: (i) a “critique” contains both blame and praise, which are different though coexistent and compatible aspects of a critical procedure; and (ii) Nietzsche’s “critique” is a process of self-criticism. When Nietzsche criticizes someone, he is always criticizing some aspect of his own thought or experience.