This paper was written by Nadeem Hussain and published in 2007. It outlines the textual challenges for accurately interpreting the metaethical position implied by Nietzsche’s critique of morality. He illustrates the problems with the interpretation that holds the will to power is, itself, a fundamental moral value. He describes this as a form of moral realism, which holds that to be powerful is what it means to be good. Moral realism is a view in metaethical semantics which holds that there are moral facts that are not dependent on human minds and humans can make claims about them that are true or false. Hussain argues that this interpretation is not accurate because Nietzsche states that “there are altogether no moral facts” (TI, ‘Improvers’, 1).
Hussain concludes that Nietzsche’s metaethical position is best described as a form of “error theory”: “the beliefs expressed by moral judgments are false because they involve believing in moral facts when in fact there are none” (2007, section 2.1). Nietzsche’s description of the creation of moral values, according to Hussain, is best understood as a form of “fictionalism,” where moral judgements are made even though they are false.
This article had quite an impact when it was published. The Philosophers Annual listed it as one of the “Ten Best Articles” of 2007. Hussain eventually revised his position.
Nadeem Hussain. 2007. Honest Illusions: Valuing for Nietzsche’s Free Spirits. In Brian Leiter and Neil Sinhababu (eds.), Nietzsche and Morality (157-191). Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Friedrich Nietzsche.Twilight of the Idols: Or, how one philosophizes with a hammer [Götzen-Dämmerung. Wie man mit dem Hammer philosophiert]. In The Portable Nietzsche, translated by Walter Kaufmann. New York: Viking Penguin, 1954/1888.