Beyond Good and Evil

A book of philosophical reflections arranged in nine parts, with a poem at the end. Nietzsche examines the habits of mind of earlier philosophers, their claims to pure truth and their hidden motives. He then turns to religion, morality, nations and the free spirit.

Written in short, sharp sections, it sets out his view that moral values have a history and that philosophy is shaped by the temperament of those who practise it. It is often read as a compact introduction to his mature thought.