Nietzsche's revaluation of the cardinal virtues: the case of Sophrosyne

Abstract

Peter Geach is reported to have said that temperance is far from being an interesting subject, but "rather a humdrum common sense matter". I hope to show that his opinion proves that he did not know the early history of the concept, nor what Nietzsche did on it. My subject will therefore be 'temperance', or 'sophrosyne' or in Nietzsche's language: measure.