Nietzsche, Philosopher of the Perilous Perhaps

In Nietzsche, Philosopher of the Perilous Perhaps, a new interpretation of Nietzsche's writings weaves together several issues: power, value, nature, sexuality and sexual politics, and religion. This is perhaps the first book to address all these issues, and it offers the reader new possibilities for engaging this amazing thinker. The title of the book, taken from Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, encapsulates his philosophical adventure.

Friedrich Nietzsche's notoriety is most often associated with his perspectives on, and interpretations of, Christianity. Here, the author 'unmasks' the great essayist as he surreptitiously and cleverly proceeds to expose the destructive power of Christianity on Western culture (and hence the world).

As we face a rapidly growing specter of religious turmoil and see faith being used to rouse passions and threaten stability around the world, this timely study provides an overview of Friedrich Nietzsche's positions and ideas about the Church and about power more broadly.

Nietzsche was a thinker who was acutely aware of the dangers and challenges inherent in his work. He perceived himself as a “time-bomb,” adopting masks and employing puzzles and riddles as strategic devices to conceal the radical nature of his thoughts while simultaneously provoking his readers to rethink entrenched values.

This use of contrariety and enigmatic style is no literary flourish — it’s a necessary tactic as Nietzsche confronts the overwhelming power of Christian morality. His critique of Christianity is not merely theological but also psychological, revealing how Christian morality functions as a “web of deceit” that sustains a particular order of power and rank, especially in terms of gender relations. Nietzsche’s challenge to this order is framed as an apocalyptic cultural revolution, one that demands new values and new modes of understanding.

A significant contribution of the book lies in its nuanced interpretation of Nietzsche’s concept of power, or the “will to power.” Nietzsche redefines power expansively, not merely as political or economic dominance but as an omnipresent energy underlying all life and motion. He conceptualizes the universe as a “monster of energy,” eternally self-creative and self-destructive, characterized by ceaseless transformation and conflict. This cosmological vision grounds his understanding of human behavior, morality, and values as manifestations of power dynamics, where the drive to create and impose values is central.

The author also sheds light on Nietzsche’s engagement with sexuality and gender-consciousness, areas often overshadowed by his critiques of religion and morality. Drawing on Nietzsche’s philological background and his exposure to Johann Jacob Bachofen’s theories on cultural history and matriarchy, Peery highlights how Nietzsche grappled with the “uncanny duality of nature,” symbolized by male and female opposites, hardness and softness, creation and destruction. This perspective enriches the interpretation of Nietzsche’s “revaluation of all values,” emphasizing the intricate interplay between power, gender, and cultural norms.

The latter parts of the book return to Nietzsche himself, portraying him as an experimenter, contrarian, historian, and revolutionary. Peery presents Nietzsche’s philosophy as an ongoing experiment, a daring engagement with the “perilous perhaps” of human existence, where masks, riddles, and paradoxes serve both to protect and to illuminate. The book thus invites readers to reconsider Nietzsche’s legacy with fresh ears and eyes, uncovering a wealth of insights that remain vital to contemporary discussions on power, morality, identity, and culture.