Safronov’s work offers a groundbreaking analysis of Nietzsche’s critique of industrial culture and its crisis. The author argues that Nietzsche uniquely frames the upheavals of modern political economy as a crisis of governing values. He examines norms that contribute to escalating debt, impersonal slavery, and oppressive social control, suggesting these trends are on a collision course with potential human and environmental catastrophe. Core themes such as debt, slavery, and the division of labor are explored alongside the perspectives of Adam Smith and Karl Marx, set against the backdrop of the Long Depression (1873–1896), a period during which Nietzsche completed much of his work. Nietzsche posits that modern political economy is built on valuations that undermine humanity's future and harm the planet, as profit is prioritized over present well-being. His critical insight challenges the foundational principles of modern economics, advocating for a shift from speculative visions of the future to a grounded understanding of present demands. He emphasizes the need to confront our past rather than embellish the present or disregard future consequences. Nietzsche asserts that the potential for changing our values lies within us, waiting to be unlocked before it is too late.
