Homo Natura

Abstract

Highlights the relevance of Nietzsche’s thinking about human nature for contemporary debates in biopolitics and posthumanism Innovatively engages Nietzsche’s philosophy with contemporary debates on philosophical anthropology, psychoanalysis, gender studies, biopolitics and posthumanism Offers a new reading of parrhesia (truth speaking): from the ancient cynics via Nietzsche’s idea of Redlichlkeit (honesty/probity), to Foucault’s recently published reading of parrhesia in Ancient Greek philosophy Provides a unique reading of Nietzsche’s view on women, gender and sexual difference Nietzsche coins the enigmatic term homo natura to capture his understanding of the human being as a creature of nature and tasks philosophy with the renaturalisation of humanity. Following Foucault’s critique of the human sciences, Vanessa Lemm discusses the reception of Nietzsche’s naturalism in philosophical anthropology, psychoanalysis and gender studies. Lemm offers an original reading of homo natura that brings back the ancient Greek idea of nature and sexuality as creative chaos and of the philosophical life as outspoken and embodied truth, perhaps best exemplified by the Cynics’ embrace of social and cultural transformation.