Continental Philosophy

Nietzsche's Aesthetics

Primary Sources:

Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy (BT)
Nietzsche, The Gay Science (GS), sections 57, 76, 80 - 107
Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil (BGE), section 188
Nietzsche, The Genealogy of Morals (GM), section III, parts 1 - 8, 25
Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols (TI), "The Problem of Socrates"

Secondary Sources:

A.C. Danto, Nietzsche as Philosopher, chapters 1, 2
R. Schacht, Nietzsche, chapter 8
W. Kaufmann, Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist, chapter 4
J.P. Stern, Nietzsche, chapter 7
P. Pütz, "Art and Intellectual Inquiry," in M. Pasley (ed.), Nietzsche: Imagery and Thought

Literary Illustrations:

Thomas Mann, Death in Venice

Questions:

Explain the Apollinian and Dionysiac as principles of art. Which forms of art are Apollinian, which Dionysiac? Is Nietzsche's classification justified? What does it mean that the Apollinian and the Dionysiac are artistic powers that occur in nature itself without the mediation of an artist (cf. BT 2)?

What was the function of the tragedy in the ancient Greek culture according to BT and compare it to GS 80ff.? Explain how the tragedy developed out of the chorus in the Dionysiac cult, and how the Dionysiac entered the Apollinian culture of the Greeks in the first place. What is the function of art in general according to Nietzsche in BT and compare it to GS 107 and GM III 25)? Does art have a cognitive function in Nietzsche's theory (as in Schopenhauer's)? If so is this the only function or does illusion play a role as well (cf. Schacht, pp. 503ff and GS 107)? What role does suffering and knowledge of suffering play in Nietzsche's theory (compare to Schopenhauer's pessimism)? What does it mean that "only as an aesthetic phenomenon is existence and the world eternally justified" (cf. BT 5, 24)? What is aesthetic pleasure [ästhetische Lust] (cf. BT 24)? Is Schopenhauer's will the "primal artist" (cf. BT 5), is the world a work of art produced by this will out of a "primal pleasure" (cf. BT 24)?

What is the "problem of Socrates" in BT 11 - 15 and compare it to TI? What is "aesthetic Socratism" (cf. BT 12)? How did Euripides and Socrates murder the Greek tragedy (cf. BT 11 - 14)? Why is Socrates the turning point in world history (cf. BT 15)? What is the "eternal battle between the theoretical and the tragical world view" (cf. BT 17)? Is it true that "the Alexandrinian [=Socratic] culture needs a class of slaves in order to persist in the long term" (cf. BT 18)? Why is it that the modern (Socratic) culture should turn into an artistic one (cf. BT 18)? Do you agree with Danto's formulation of Nietzsche's position that "he is indeed prepared to allow that art has no less a claim than sense or science to objective truth" (Danto, p. 37)?

I love Apache! So should you!