Nietzsche Research Articles

“Water is enough.” Nietzsche, intoxication and amor fati

Abstract If we follow the motif of intoxication in philosophical reflection, we cannot overlook its role in the thought of Friedrich Nietzsche. Here, attention is usually focused on the Dionysian motif, leaving aside both the concrete, bodily function of intoxication and its broader meaning with its implications for human self-understanding and understanding of the world. Therefore, this study is concerned with the question of how the motifs of intoxication and Nietzsche’s philosophy relate to each other. If for Nietzsche the intensification of philosophical life is guided by the idea of amor fati, then the question can be formulated more precisely as follows: How do the motifs of intoxication and amor fati relate to each other? This seemingly marginal question gains urgency when we consider the paradox that Nietzsche, on the one hand, advocates the Dionysian ideal, which carries within it the meaning of intoxication, and, on the other hand, seems to stand in sharp opposition to intoxication, as evident in his Ecce Homo and its assertion that “Water is enough.” The answer to this paradox lies in the development of the motif of “bodily virtue,” which disposes a person for an affirmative attitude towards the world and prevents the threat of “odium fati.”

„Learn from artists“ – Friedrich Nietzsche on the Art of Living

This paper examines the relationship between art and life in the works of Friedrich Nietzsche. While Nietzscheʼs topos of the “art of living” has often been explored as an ethos of self-formation, the specific connection with various arts is often overlooked. Both the actor and the painter become role models whose techniques are suggested as useful strategies. Scholars often overlook that Nietzsche corrects his earlier metaphysical ideas according to which art has the role of justifying life and, on the contrary, places art in the middle of life and no longer beyond it. While usually the actor is seen as hypocritic figure, Nietzsche not only develops a specific evolutionary-biological genealogy of the artist, outlining the artistʼs origin in the need for dissimulation and acting, but also emphasizes the power of metamorphosis and transformation. Finally, Nietzsche assigns to art a new significance, which is more than just creating works of art. Inspired by the techniques of art and artists, people can use its power to beautify, elevate and reinterpret their life. The philosopher himself benefits from the techniques of transformation, insofar as perspectival cognition becomes his guide.

From Liberation to Self-Creation: Toward a Nietzschean Theory of Transformative Learning

Friedrich Nietzsche’s three stages in the development of free spirits—great separation, wandering, and self-creation—expand current understandings of transformative learning. Nietzsche, for example, explores the development of philosophers, artists, and visionaries in a way that parallels the idea of seismic transformation in contemporary literature and provides insights into the existentially precarious experiences that can accompany such deep transformation. Nietzsche’s thought also builds on the notion that identity should be considered the unit of transformation in transformative learning by exploring repeated identity crises as a method of intellectual and spiritual growth. Finally, Nietzsche argues that free spirits should harness the dream imagination in a waking state to engage symbolic images of the unconscious, which he views as a source of creative inspiration and an essential component of the process of self-creation.

Эпоха ресентимента и трагедия уходящих классов Фишман (Л.Г. Неравенство равных: Концепция и феномен ресентимента. М.: Издательский дом Высшей школы экономики, 2024)

The article examines the ideas set out in Leonid Fishman’s monograph Inequality of Equals: The Concept and Phenomenon of Ressentiment. The main goal of the book is a kind of “deconstruction” of ressentiment as an ideological tool that is increasingly used today by those who want to disarm their political opponents. This practice goes back to Friedrich Nietzsche and Max Scheler, who accused the masses of ressentiment, but ignored the fact that resentful feelings are historically inherent in those who are at the top of the social hierarchy, since they possessed something to divide and envy. In other words, they more often found themselves in a situation of “inequality of equals”. According to Fishman, the modern era can be characterized as an “era of ressentiment”, since Modern societies proclaim ideals of equality but cannot realize this equality, and therefore constant social comparisons are inevitable, provoking feelings of envy and indignation. Consequently, he believes that it is better to abandon the “ressentiment gaze”, since this concept is essentially “empty”: everyone has reasons or causes to accuse each other of ressentiment, but this says little about the real causes of certain political emotions. Agreeing with most of the theses put forward by the author of the monograph, Dmitry Davydov draws attention to one debatable point. In his opinion, ressentiment can still be a useful concept if we recognize and acknowledge the tragedy of the classes that are going away into the past, which are left with nothing but indignation from powerlessness. Such recognition will help to understand the full depth of the problems that very broad strata of the population have faced in the era of rapid social transformations, which will allow to assess the current situation not so much as “inequality of equals,” but rather as “inequality of unequals” in a fundamental historical sense.

Hirak Rajar Deshe and Hunting the Sun: A Study Of Institutionalization Of Power

Power is an abstract idea and it is expressed in different ways by different philosophers. When Karl Marx saw power as another form of wealth, Friedrich Nietzsche defined it as ‘will to power’. Sigmund Freud’s analysis of the mind made it possible to find the source of “will”, while Bertrand Russell explains power in the phrase “love of power”. According to Michel Foucault, power is the reflection of knowledge and it comes from everywhere. These different forms of power are institutionalized in different ways. The different institutional powers are respectively kingly power, disciplinary power, military power, priestly power, revolutionary power, biological power and so on. In the film Hirak Rajar Deshe (1980) directed by Satyajit Ray, revolutionary power has developed as a result of unethical application of various powers to the masses. As a result, the dynasty of King Hirak has been demolished. Exactly in the same way, the play Hunting the Sun (1971) written by Utpal Dutt, shows the abuse of kingly power, priestly power, disciplinary power etc. But the significant point here is that kingly power is suppressed by priestly power. Here too revolutionary power has developed like in the movie Hirak Rajar Deshe, but the kingly power has retained its position by destroying the revolutionary power by using tactics. This paper shall investigate how chronologically different viewers get their ideas about institutionalization and implementation of power.

Culture vs. Multiculturalism

Considered in light of the original sense of the word “culture,” “multiculturalism” is an oxymoron. That is, “culture,” as defined by Cicero, is analogous to agriculture, in that its goal is to produce virtuous, thoughtful citizens, just as agriculture aims to produce healthy, useful or beautiful plants. While there are various means of training well-cultivated human beings, just as there are diverse agricultural methods, the goal in each case is similar, and not all approaches are equally sound. By contrast, “multiculturalism” is a form of cultural relativism, derived from 19th-century historicism, which was subjected to a devastating critique, but also a radicalization, by Friedrich Nietzsche. By treating all forms of experience or acculturation as equally valid – or rather, over the past half-century, demanding the politicization of education so as to advance the claims of self-defined “minority” groups – the multicultural movement threatens to undermine both the genuine cultivation of the faculties of all young people, and their inclusion into America’s common civic culture. The quest to alter school curricula and instruction, from elementary school through college, graduate school, and academic scholarship so as to favor the claims of particular racial, ethnic, sexual, or economic groups over the objective pursuit of truth through reason (including the legitimate reasons for taking pride in America’s achievements) threatens to replace the entire notion of culture with an expression of the Nietzschean will to power. This is a recipe not for civic inclusion and tolerance, but rather for their opposite.

Two Brains: Scientific Balance and Visionary Insight in Friedrich Nietzsche and Eberhard Arnold

Abstract: Friedrich Nietzsche and Eberhard Arnold, founder of the Bruderhof communities, both struggled with a tension between scientific, balanced analysis and a visionary call to a fuller experience of life. Nietzsche moved from a balance of Apollonian and Dionysian factors in life, to a unitary vision of the will to power and individual development. Arnold began with a balance of creation and re‐creation, but shifted to a focus on the will to community. Arnold's path here highlights the need to respond to Nietzsche according to Nietzsche's own style, to address his concerns. But it also shows that the need to balance scientific and visionary modes of knowing may also require the deep community that Arnold proposes.

DIE ARBEIT DES ÜBERSETZENS: RILKE UND MICHELANGELO („SE ’L MIE ROZZO MARTELLO‘‘)

ABSTRACTThis essay examines Rainer Maria Rilke's reception of the sculptor and poet Michelangelo in the context of interest in the Renaissance around 1900, focusing first on the Stundenbuch, the Florenzer Tagebuch and the story ʻVon einem, der die Steine belauschtʼ (from the prose collection: Geschichten vom lieben Gott). Drawing on Friedrich Nietzsche and his concept of Artistenmetaphysik, Rilke portrays Michelangelo as a ‘superman’ (ʻÜbermenschenʼ) and a desperate seeker for God. Rilke's translation of ʻSe ʼl mie rozzo martelloʼ then shows how he uses Michelangelo's poetic self‐reflection to express a poetics of transformation (‘Verwandlung’) that focuses on the concept of ‘work’. Thus, Michelangelo becomes a figure of identification and reflection for Rilke in two respects: as a poet, he refers back to Rilke himself, as a sculptor to Auguste Rodin, who in his time was often perceived as a new Michelangelo.

Російський ресентимент: його застосування на прикладі України

According to the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, resentment means a feeling of resentment and hostility towards those who – in the subjective sense – are responsible for someone else’s failures. Russia as a state and Russian society often attribute the blame for their problems to external factors, instead of looking for it within themselves. Therefore, the authors use the concept of resentment to analyze the Russian attitude towards Ukraine and Ukrainians. The full-scale aggression of Russia against Ukraine is justified by its organizers as the need to regain something allegedly lost. To this end, the history of Ukrainian statehood has been completely falsified, and its significance has been diminished against the background of the Russian historical narrative. The authors analyze Russia’s actions aimed at denying the existence of an independent Ukraine, repeated attempts to ban the Ukrainian language, and imposing a Russian version of Orthodoxy. The contempo rary expression of these aspirations is the ideology of the so-called “Russian peace.”

The Persistence of the Old Regime and its Culture: Friedrich Nietzsche and the Aristocratic-Bourgeois Bloc

The Persistence of the Old Regime and its Culture: Friedrich Nietzsche and the Aristocratic-Bourgeois Bloc

Legal Nullism and Perspectives of Indonesia People's Belief in Today's Legal Conditions

Legal nihilism in Indonesia arises from widespread public distrust in the legal and political systems. Rooted in philosophical nihilism, mainly as expounded by Friedrich Nietzsche, legal nihilism reflects the belief that law, much like other social constructs, lacks inherent purpose or justice. This phenomenon has grown due to disillusionment with political elites, legal bureaucracy, and corruption cases, leading the public to perceive legal enforcement as selective and biased. Public skepticism is exemplified by viral social media movements like #NoViralNoJustice, which suggest legal accountability only occurs when incidents gain online attention. This study examines the socio-legal implications of legal nihilism in Indonesia and its destructive effects on societal order. Drawing from legal philosophy and sociology, the paper analyzes how misaligned legal reforms, such as the controversial MyPertamina subsidy policy, deepen public dissatisfaction. The research highlights the urgent need for legal reforms prioritizing social welfare, transparency, and public trust, emphasizing the role of utilitarian legal philosophy as a potential framework for restoring legal credibility in Indonesia.

Translations in a time of crisis: the role of translators of Nietzsche, Sorel, and Bergson in addressing Edwardian political fragmentation, 1907–1915

ABSTRACT This article examines the role of British translators of European philosophers from 1907 to 1915 in addressing Edwardian political crises. In an age of fragmentation between the main parties as well as crises within political groups, cultural and political magazines were a ‘counter public sphere’ in which intellectuals could discuss the conflicts of public life. This article will show how translators of Friedrich Nietzsche, Georges Sorel, and Henri Bergson opened up debate between intellectuals across the political spectrum in the avant-garde magazine The New Age through the worship of intellectual heroes not bound to any tradition. The translators Oscar Levy, Millicent Murby, and T. E. Hulme all sought to create cultural icons to overcome splits in their different political projects. Whilst Edwardian intellectuals played with tropes of British insularity and philistinism, scholarship has neglected how the geographical concept of insularity was projected onto a reality that was ideological disintegration.

PERSPECTIVE ASUPRA LIBERULUI ARBITRU: DE LA DUMNEZEU A MURIT LA PARADOX

This work is the second part of a work published in 2022 („The Concept of the Free Will in the Philosophy of the Eternal Recurrence”), where I elaborated on the concepts of the free will and the eternal recurrence in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. I chose to present in this article the point of view of Søren Kierkegaard that corrects and completes the overthrow of all values that takes place in Nietzsche’s writings. If the German philosopher states a type of freedom achieved through extrem individualism and personal morality, Kierkegaard withholds the freedom that emerges from the relation with God and a free will dependent on choices that can dissapear (alongside freedom) when the individual does not respect (conciously or not) the paradox of faith and does not take into account God when making a decision.

Терапевтична функція художнього образу: поетика біблійних образів Сергія Жадана

This article delineates the specific therapeutic function of art in general and the artistic image in particular. Their therapeutic and compensatory potential is examined within philosophical and literary discourses. The discussion engages with Plato’s reflections on the educational and moral role of art and Aristotle’s theory concerning the cathartic effects of tragedy. Contributions from V. Maggi, S. Haupt, G. Lehnert, E. Zeller, E. Müller, and J. Bernays are considered. The study explores Friedrich Nietzsche’s notion of the receptive-compensatory function of art, particularly the reconciliation of Apollonian and Dionysian principles. Sigmund Freud’s concepts are interpreted in relation to the unconscious and the interaction between individuals and art during periods of epistemological crisis. Roman Ingarden’s perspective emphasises the therapeutic aim of literature when there is a corresponding receptive inquiry from the reader. Key ideas from reception aesthetics are foregrounded, highlighting art’s capacity to act as a medium of transcendence, influence the reader, and underpin the therapeutic effects of art and literature. Hans Robert Jauss’s concepts of the “horizon of expectations” and catharsis as a communicative dimension of aesthetic experience are revisited. Wolfgang Iser’s analysis of aesthetic experience in addressing gaps of indeterminacy is examined, alongside Umberto Eco’s insights on receptive indeterminacy as a defining feature of the “open work”, which catalyses co-creation by the recipient, stimulating imagination, fostering empathy, and providing intellectual therapy. The study also considers the therapeutic potential of sacred images during periods of radical epistemological shifts prompted by cataclysms, historical events, revolutions, or wars. Mircea Eliade’s framework of the “sacred-profane” dichotomy and the capacity of sacred images to function as points of transcendence, transcendent centres, or ontological anchors is discussed. Paul Ricoeur’s interpretation of the therapeutic influence of sacred motifs, images, and symbols on readers as they engage with existential questions is also addressed. Finally, the therapeutic role of biblical imagery – God, the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, and the Apostle Thomas – is analysed through the lens of Serhiy Zhadan’s poetry collection “Life of Maria” (2015).

Deconstructing the image of ‘God’: Re-visiting Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Vyasa’s Mahabharata

Currently, it has been 141 years since Friedrich Nietzsche announced the death of God in his Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883) and 59 years after J. Hillis Miller declared God as an object of only ‘thought’ in his The Disappearance of God (1965). The deconstructive analysis of God will not negate the divinity; rather, it will aim to uncover the Almighty’s diversity. In literature and philosophy, God has been represented in various ways. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the poet shows another side of God, who is kidnapping and raping the mortal girls. Arachne, a mortal weaver, has been challenged by the goddess of weaving, Minerva. Minerva seems hesitant to acknowledge any other weaver but Herself, dissecting God’s ‘kind’ image. In Vyasa’s Mahabharata, Draupadi always referred to Lord Krishna as her “Sakha,” or loving friend, while Krishna called her “Sakhi.” In order to defend Draupadi’s honour during the trying time of the game of dice, Lord Krishna maintained his word and granted her an infinite saree that could never be taken off. This article will demonstrate that not only human beings are capable of committing the seven deadly sins, but also the gods are unable to escape from the sins, being confined to the ‘Satanical Pride.’ It will attempt to illustrate God’s humanlike characteristics by deconstructing His ‘Ideal’ image.

The role of self-directed humour in anarchist thought and practice

This commentary article explores the role of humour within anarchist thought and practice, emphasising its function as a tool for challenging authority and established norms. Drawing on historical and philosophical sources, it investigates how humour has been used to expose the absurdity of authority and foster a sense of invulnerability against oppression. The paper highlights the use of humour in Parisian cabarets post the 1871 Paris Commune and the case of the French anarchist Ravachol’s smile. These examples, both discussed in the articles of Julian Brigstocke (2017, 2022), demonstrate two kinds of humour: directed at other and at one-self. Building on the ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche (1968, 2008) and Albert Camus (2012), I propose a theoretical framework suggesting that anarchist humour should be self-directed in nature, contrary to the argument of Brigstocke. The paper concludes by arguing that this form of humour, by confronting the absurdity of life and the limitations of norms, fosters liberation and resistance, thereby undermining the power of oppressive forces.

Екзистенційні виміри війни в есе Ернста Юнґера «Війна як внутрішнє переживання»

This article explores the existential dimensions of war as presented in Ernst Jünger’s essay “War as Inner Experience”. As a direct participant in World War I, Jünger centers his reflections on the protagonist’s (his own) personal engagement with the destructive phenomenon of war, which serves as a means for self-transformation and the integration of these experiences into a cathartic process. The study underscores that Jünger’s poetic portrayal of combat operates as an attempt to grapple with human existence in its most critical and extreme states. Invoking Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical concept of the “Übermensch”, the analysis posits that war gives rise to a new archetype of soldier – individuals who, through an ongoing process of existential transformation, adeptly navigate societal destruction and derive self-identification from their wartime experiences. Existential categories such as solitude, fear, anxiety, freedom, and faith are intricately woven into each chapter of Jünger’s work. The study further identifies key binary oppositional existential themes that form the conceptual core of Jünger’s narrative. These include the oppositions “Eros and Blood”, “The Trench and Pacifism”, and “Horror and Courage”, which reflect the author’s moral and philosophical contemplation of his wartime experiences. The dichotomy of “Eros and Blood” serves as a metaphor for the tension between the polarities of “life and death”. Blood is emblematic of the mortal violence inflicted upon the enemy, whereas Eros, by contrast, signifies the affirmation of life and a quest to reclaim vitality. Similarly, “The Trench and Pacifism” illustrates the gulf between the harsh realities of frontline existence and the utopian aspiration for peace. The trench becomes a symbol of dehumanization, while pacifism embodies the longing for a harmonious world. Lastly, Jünger’s existential pair “Horror and Courage”, forged through the crucible of war, captures a spectrum of emotional extremes. Horror immobilizes and disorients, whereas courage replenishes the inner resolve of the soldier, enabling decisive action. Through such oppositional binaries, Jünger constructs a conceptual framework in which war emerges as a transformative force, capable of forging a new human identity.

The Phenomenon of Heroism in the Understanding of Philosophical Anthropology

Purpose. In today’s global society, traditional values, including patriotism and heroism, have been called into question. However, the new challenges of hybrid warfare require new manifestations of heroism, and thus a new philosophical understanding of it. The main purpose of this article is to provide a philosophical and anthropological understanding of heroism as the ultimate manifestation of the strength of the spirit, which combines the institutional foundations of the public good and the individual will to achieve it. Theoretical basis. The phenomenon of heroism is studied in the classical works of Homer, Plutarch, and Thomas Carlyle. Important contemporary philosophical and anthropological interpretations of this phenomenon are provided by Friedrich Nietzsche, Helmut Plessner and Albert Camus, according to whom every person can become a hero, provided that he or she demonstrates strength of spirit and an unbreakable desire to fight and win. Therefore, the phenomenon of heroism is gaining popularity and, although it can never be total in society, it can become a subject of education and self-education. Originality. The strength of a warrior’s spirit is reflected in his or her everyday resilience, which has no gender. Its vivid embodiments in modern society can be traced to the heroism, dedication and perseverance of a warrior in a hybrid war. These new incarnations not only confirm the established philosophical and anthropological ideas about heroism, but also give it new features. Conclusions. The modern rethinking of heroism on the example of the ultimate manifestation of the strength of spirit in a hybrid war has made it possible to clarify its philosophical and anthropological concept. The exemplary steadfastness and consistency in manifesting democratic values in extremely unfavourable circumstances makes modern heroes not only professional military men, but also all citizens who demonstrate their best social virtues in defence of the social institutions of democracy. Modern hybrid warfare creates a frontier of heroic confrontation with totalitarianism on a global scale. The modern hero appears as an exemplary citizen of his/her nation-state and at the same time demonstrates the virtues of a true representative of the global civil society.

Friedrich Nietzsche in Marxist Disguise: on the Proportion of the Divine and Mundane in Russian Philosophy

The author of the article analyzes the disputes of the Russian thinkers at the turn og the 19th and 20th centuries, especially among the authors of “Vekhi” almanac and Russian religious philosophers representatives, and divides them in two groups ideologically opposed to each other. One group, striving to impossible, principally new world beyond the limits, considered it possible to ignore any boundaries. Such choice could be based on Nietzscheanism, as well as on religious motives – the “case” of Job of the Old Testament. The other group believed in the possibility of perfecting the existing world, in particular by improving the moral and ethic aspects underlying it. Ivan Ilyin belonged to the second group. Still in the course of Russian revolution the fi rst group as a mat5er of case prevailed – provisionally,Nietzsche in Marxist Disguise.

Power and Resilience: A Textual Study of Bulha by Shahid Nadeem

This research paper aims to examine the concept of power and resistance in the play Bhula (2004) by Shahid Nadeem. Through the theoretical lens of power and resilience, the analysis demonstrates Bhula's transcendence from voicelessness to empowerment through the interplay of individual trials and community imposition. It involves analyzing the psychological and sociocultural factors that contribute to Bhula's metamorphosis. Upon close reading of the text, the study explores Bhula’s progression within the overarching power dynamics of the narrative as well as the implications of the depiction of resilience-building processes, represented in an increasingly symbolic realm. The understanding of power and resilience applied in this study builds on insights from multiple arenas. While his work on power is expansive, Foucault's text Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison (1977) provides specific analyses of power at work in society, particularly in relation to disciplinary systems that point to how power operates and individual and collective agency. Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche (1883-1891) focuses on the concept of resilience and strength through the will to power and becoming who you are meant to be, as well as overcoming struggles to create a better society. This research therefore, employs these theoretical frameworks to be applied to the analysis of Bhula to elucidate the protagonist's transformative journey while also underscoring the broader implications of power and resilience in contemporary narratives and societal contexts.