This book examines the cogency and value of Nietzsche¿s idea of eternal recurrence, as an antidote to the nihilism resulting from the catastrophic event of ¿the death of God¿. Its significance to Nietzsche¿s philosophy as a whole (when presented either as an imaginative thought experiment, a cosmological hypothesis, or a poetic metaphor) is analysed, alongside the manifold criticisms the idea has attracted. In this original reading of eternal recurrence, McNeil explores the strength of metaphorical meaning contained within Heraclitean and Stoic cosmologies, revealing their influence on Nietzsche¿s own cosmology, along with their holistic approach to life which Nietzsche endorsed. Furthermore, an extensive critique of Heidegger¿s interpretation