Vinod Acharya presents a new existential interpretation of Nietzsche's philosophy. He contends
that Nietzsche's peculiar form of existentialism can be understood only by undertaking a
thorough analysis of his characterization and critique of metaphysics. This reading remedies
the shortcomings of previous existential interpretations of Nietzsche which typically view
existentialism as concerned primarily with the meaning of individual existence and therefore
necessarily at odds with the abstraction and objectivity of metaphysical thought. Acharya
argues that the approach of Nietzsche's philosophy especially in his mature works is to make
the typical existential position foundational and then to develop to the fullest the
implications of this position. This meta-existential approach necessarily yields an ambiguous
and open-ended critique of metaphysics. Taking issue with the Heideggerian the
poststructuralist and the naturalistic interpretations this book contends that Nietzsche
neither simply overcomes metaphysics nor remains trapped within its confines. Acharya argues
that an ever-renewed encounter with and critique of metaphysics is an essential aspect of
Nietzsche's meta-existentialism.
