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Nietzsche's Understanding of Socrates Nietzsche's Understanding of Socrates NIETZSCHE'S UNDERSTANDING OF SOCRATES NIETZSCHE'S UNDERSTANDING OF SOCRATES BY SEAN STEEL Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts McMaster University MASTER OF ARTS (1998) McMASTER UNIVERSITY (Religious Studies) Hamilton, Ontario TITLE: Nietzsche's Understanding of Socrates AUTHOR: Sean Steel, B.A. (McMaster University) SUPERVISOR: Professor Z. Planinc NUMBER OF PAGES: xi, 293. ii INDEX OF NIETZSCHE'S REFERENCES TO SOCRATES The Antichrist 20. Beyond Good and Evil Preface, 80,190,191,202,208,212. The Birth of Tragedy Preface, "Critical Backward Glance" I, 12, 13 ,14, 15, 16, 17, 18. Daybreak 1:9,1:22; II:116; 111:165,168; III: 199; V:544. Ecce Homo 1.1; BT.I, 2, 3; UM.3. The Gay Science 32, 36, 328, 340, 372. On The Genealogy of Morals 111.7. Human, All Too Human 1.7, 102, 126,261, 361, 433,437; II.i.94; Il.ii.6, 72, 86. The Philosopher as Cultural PhysiCian 168, 175. The Philosopher: Reflections on the Stntggle Between Art and Knowledge 25, 31, 32, 57,70, 143. Philosophy During the Tragic Age of the Greeks Later preface 1. Philosophy in Hard Times 53, 62. Selected Letters 19, 42. The Stntggle Between Science and Wisdom 189 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 198, 199,200. Twilight of The Idols II; X.2,3. Untimely Meditations H.6; S.6, 8. We Philologists 21, 120, 149. The Will To Power 274, 427, 429~33, 435, 437, 441~43, 578. iii ABSTRACT From Nietzsche's early writings to those marking the end of his intellectual life, Socrates remains a permanent figure for his scrutiny. In his own words, Nietzsche writes. "Socrates is so close to me that I am almost continually fighting him". As a physician, a gad-fly, and a philosopher, as a man of strong character, and yet also as a self-confessed decadent, Nietzsche both identifies with Socrates and opposes him. In the following investigation, I examine Nietzsche's philosophical and intellectual struggles against Socrates. In pursuit of Nietzsche's understanding of Socrates, I undertake a chronological study of the entire corpus of his writings, and I provide a detailed analysis of each reference made to Socrates, the "Socratic", the "Socratic schools", and "Socratism". By noting the various changes and continuities in Nietzsche's view of Socrates throughout his writing career, I illustrate how Nietzsche comes to understand his own "task" as a philosopher through this struggle against his most worthy adversary. Finally, through my critical analysis of his views concerning Socrates, I will demonstrate to what extent Nietzsche's own "task" is itself Socratic. IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special thanks are due to Dr. John C. Robertson for directing me towards excellent secondary literature concerning my topic, as well as to Dr. P. Travis Kroeker for having offered me continuous challenges throughout my time at McMaster University as a graduate student. I am especially indebted to Dr. Zdravko Planinc for the last seven years of my education, for his friendship, for teaching me about philosophy and the gods, and for encouraging in me a love for both Plato and Nietzsche (and of course, for Socrates!). This thesis could not have been written without the love and generosity of my two wonderful parents, Doug and Sylvia Steel, who have always supported me in my interests, both emotionally and financially. Just as Nietzsche honours friendship above all things, so too would I give thanks to my friends (you know who you are!) both at home and abroad for having shown me the truth of Nietzsche's words. Lastly, this thesis is dedicated to two very special women: Rebekah Whiteley and baby Jasmine: TOV OE AOYOV TOY nEpi TOU- "'E_P(!)TO~, OVy '"'OT'" ~1(oucra -Plato's Symposium, 201d. v T ABLE OF CONTENTS Index To Nietzsche's References To Socrates J1l Abstract 1V Acknowledgements v Key To Abbreviations IX INTRODUCTION 1 i. A Review of Scholarship 3 ii. The Parameters of My Own Study 19 PART ONE: SOCRATES -- ANCIENT OR MODERN? 27 1. The Birth of Tragedy (1872) 28 2. Early Notebooks (1872-3): 63 1. The Philosopher: Reflections on the Stmggle Between Art and Knowledge (1872) 64 11. The Philosopher as Cultural Physician (1873) 67 iii. Philosophy During the Tragic Age of the Greeks (1873) 68 VI Vll lV. Philosophy in Hard Times (1873) 71 3. Untimely Meditations: 76 i. "On The Uses and Disadvantages of History for Life" (1874) 77 ii. "Schopenhauer as Educator" (1874) 86 4. Later Notebooks (1874-5) 93 1. We Philologists (1874-1875) 94 ll. The Stmggle Between Science and Wisdom (1875) 98 5. Human, All Too Human: Volume One (1878) 104 PART TWO: SOCRATES VERSUS JESUS AND MODERNITY 126 6. Human, All Too Human: Volume Two: 127 1. "Assorted Opinions and Maxims" (1879) 129 ll. "The Wanderer and His Shadow" (1880) 131 7. Daybreak (1881) 142 8. The Gay Science (1882) 158 PART THREE: NIETZSCHE AS "PLA TONIZER" VERSUS SOCRATES 170 9. Beyond Good and Evil (1886) 176 10. On The Genealogy ofMorals: "What is the Meaning of Ascetic Ideals?" (1887) 203 11. Nietzsche's "Twilight" Writings of 1888: 213 Vlll 1. Will to Power (notebooks 1885-1888) 214 11. Twilight of The Idols (1888) 229 lll. The Antichrist (l888) 242 IV. Ecce Homo (1888) 249 CONCLUSION 256 Bibliography 289 KEY TO ABBREVIA nONS I. Nietzsche's Published Works A. The Antichrist BGE. Beyond Good and Evil Bl'. The Birth of Tragedy D. Daybreak EH. Ecce Homo. The first three and final sections of this work are cited in the text as E:I, E:II, E:III, and E:IV. In those sections wherein Nietzsche comments on his earlier works, I have abbreviated these as EH:BT (The Birth of Tragedy)~ EH:UM (Untimely Meditations)~ EH:Z (Thus Spake Zarathustra); EH:CW (The Case of Wagner). GM:I On The Genealogy of Morals, the first essay; GM:I1, the second essay; GM:III, the third essay. GS. The Gay Science HH:I Human, All Too Human, Vol. I HH:II.i Human, All Too Human, Vol. II: "Assorted Opinions and Maxims" HH:II.ii Human, All Too Human, Vol. II: "The Wanderer and His Shadow" T1:1 Twilight of The Idols, chapter 1; T:II, chapter 2, etc .. IX x UM:H Untimely Meditations: "On The Uses and Disadvantages of HIstOry for Life". Wvf:S Untimely Meditations: "Schopenhauer as Educator". II. Nietzsche's Unpublished Works G. "The Greek State" He. "Homer's Contest" HT. "Philosophy in Hard Times" P. "The Philosopher: Reflections on the Struggle between Art and Knowledge" PC. "The Philosopher as Cultural Physician" PTA. "Philosophy During the Tragic Age of The Greeks" SL. The Selected Letters of Friedrich Nietzsche SSW. "The Struggle Between Science and Wisdom" W. "We Philologists" WP. "The Will To Power" In the text all abbreviations for published works are in italics and those for unpublished works are not italicized. Each abbreviation is followed by an Arabic numeral which designates the aphorism or section number. A lower case "p" indicates "preface". Because The Birth of Tragedy, The Untimely Meditations, as well as some of the unpublished works are not aphoristic and the sections into which they have been divided xi are lengthy, r have also provided page references from the editions listed in the bibliography. These page numbers, where they are provided, are designated by a number which follows immediately after the semi-colon within citations. INTRODUCTION Perhaps one of the best ways to approach a study of Nietzsche is through an examination of his passion for music. Nietzsche was very fond of music. He studied Schumann diligently. As a freshman at Bonn, and later at Basel, he composed many songs for various voices and piano, as well as piano works, chamber music, and solo music for both violin and piano. Nietzsche is also credited with having created an experimental form of music known as "melodrama for voice and piano". In many ways, his desire to experiment, to wander, and to explore is prefigured in his talents as a composer. However, Nietzsche truly displays his abilities as a musician only through his writings; it is here that we discover how terribly important music was for Nietzsche. Indeed, he claimed that his own Thus Spake Zarathustra "may be reckoned as music"(EH:Z.l). Just as Nietzsche considered his own philosophical writings to be music, so too did he view the entirety of life much like a musical composition. Life -- and therefore also philosophy, which is a way of life for Nietzsche -- may very well be evaluated according to how it would sound if it were music. Fundamentally, Nietzsche's ear for music is the source of his criticisms of modernity, morality, Christianity, modem philosophy, and in our study, Socrates. According to Nietzsche, to read his works properly one has to suffer of the fate of music as of an open wound. -- Of what do I suffer when I suffer of the fate of music? That music has been done out of its world-transfiguring, Yes-saying character, so that it is music of decadence and no longer the flute of Dionysus. (EH:CW.I) In The Birth of Tragedy, Socrates is presented as the proto-typically non-Dionysian and 2 unmusical man. Nietzsche claims to have been the first human being both to have truly articulated an understanding of Dionysian phenomenon, and to have recognized the perils of "Socratism". Nietzsche defines "Socratism" as the '''rationality' at any price", and as "a dangerous force that undermines life" (EH:BT.l). These insights into the Dionysian and "Socratism" are earlier rendered in music by the Austrian composer, Franz Joseph Haydn.
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