Nietzsche the Philosopher of Reverence

Abstract This article argues not only that Nietzsche saw reverence (Ehrfurcht) as a virtue to be included as part of a set of virtues for a particular type of individual, but also, and more radically, that Nietzsche took reverence to be a cardinal virtue—a virtue upon which all other virtues hinge—and that Nietzsche wanted to cultivate reverence, to one degree or another, in every type. The article examines the related textual and philosophical context in which it makes sense for Nietzsche to elevate reverence in the way suggested. Then, reinforcing this claim, it traces the Sophist origin of Nietzsche’s thinking about reverence, showing how Nietzsche’s understanding resembles the mythological account of reverence given by the Sophist Protagoras. This ancient influence upon a central theme of Nietzsche’s work has not been recognized before.