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Amor Fati, Amor Mundi : Nietzsche and Arendt on Overcoming

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Amor Fati, Amor Mundi : Nietzsche and Arendt on Overcoming View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Stellenbosch University SUNScholar Repository AMOR FATI, AMOR MUNDI: NIETZSCHE AND ARENDT ON OVERCOMING MODERNITY Vasti Roodt Dissertation presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophy) at the University of Stellenbosch Promoter: Prof. P.J.M. van Tongeren Co-promoter: Prof. W.P. Esterhuyse April 2005 ii I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in this dissertation is my own original work and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it at any university for a degree. Signature: ……………………….. Date: ……………...…… iii ABSTRACT The purpose of this thesis twofold: first, to develop an account of modernity as a “loss of the world” which also entails the “death” of the human as a meaningful philosophical, political or moral category, and second, to explore the possibility of recovering a sense of the world in us and with it, a sense of what it means to be human. This argument is developed by way of a sustained engagement with the work of Friedrich Nietzsche and Hannah Arendt, whose analogous critiques of modernity centre on the problem of the connection between humanity and worldliness. My argument consists of three parts, each of which spans two chapters. Part one of the thesis sets out the most important aspects of Nietzsche’s and Arendt’s respective critiques of modernity. Chapter one focuses on modernity as a rupture of a philosophical, political and religious tradition within which existence in the world could be experienced as unquestionably meaningful. Following arguments developed by Nietzsche and Arendt, chapter two establishes that the loss of this tradition results in a general crisis of meaning, evaluation and authority that can be designated as “modern nihilism”. The second part of the thesis deals with what may be called the “anthropological grounds” of the critique of modernity developed in part one. To this end, chapter three focuses on Nietzsche’s portrayal of the human as “the as-yet undetermined animal” who is neither the manifestation of a subjective essence nor the product of his own hands, but who only exists in the unresolved tension between indeterminacy and determination. This is followed in chapter four by an inquiry into Arendt’s conception of “the human condition”, which in turn points to the conditionality of being human. What is clearly demonstrated in both cases is that, in so far as the predicament of modernity is incarnate in modern human beings themselves, any attempt at overcoming this predicament would somehow have to involve re-thinking or transcending our present-day humanity. The third part of the thesis examines the way in which the reconceptualisation of the human as advocated by Nietzsche and Arendt transforms our understanding of “world”. The more specific aim here is to demonstrate that both thinkers conceive of a reconciliation between self and world as a form of redemption. In chapter five I explore their respective attempts to resurrect the capacity for judgement in the aftermath of the death of God as the first step in this redemptive project, before turning to a more in-depth inquiry into the “soteriology” at work in Nietzsche’s and Arendt’s thinking in chapter six. This inquiry ultimately makes clear that there is a conflict between the Nietzschean conception of redemption as amor fati (love of fate) and Arendt’s notion of redemption as amor mundi (love of the world). I conclude the thesis by arguing that what is at stake here are two conflicting notions of reconciliation: a worldly – or political – notion of iv reconciliation (Arendt), and a much more radical, philosophical notion of reconciliation (Nietzsche), which ultimately does away with any boundary between self and world. However, my final conclusion is not that we face an inevitable choice between these two alternatives, but rather that the struggle between these two dispositions is necessary for an understanding of what it means to be human as well as for the world in which our humanity is formed. v ABSTRAK Hierdie proefskrif ontwikkel in die eerste plek ’n perspektief op moderniteit as ’n “verlies aan die wêreld” wat terselfdertyd ook die “dood” van die mens as ’n betekenisvolle filosofiese, politieke of morele kategorie impliseer. In die tweede plek word die moontlikheid ondersoek om opnuut sin te maak van ons verhouding met die wêreld, en daarmee saam die aard van ons menslikheid. Hierdie argument word ontwikkel by wyse van ’n volgehoue gesprek met die filosowe Friedrich Nietzsche en Hannah Arendt, wie se onderskeie kritiek op moderniteit inspeel op die onlosmaaklike verbintenis tussen menslikheid en wêreldlikheid. My argument bestaan uit drie dele, wat elkeen weer twee hoofstukke beslaan. Deel een van die proefskrif hanteer die belangrikste aspekte van Nietzsche en Arendt se kritiek op moderniteit. Hoofstuk een fokus op moderniteit as ’n breuk in ’n filosofiese, politieke en religieuse tradisie in terme waarvan die menslike bestaan in die wêreld oor ’n onbetwyfelbare betekenis beskik het. In navolging van argumente wat deur Nietzsche en Arendt ontwikkel word, ondersoek ek in hoofstuk twee die wyse waarop die verlies aan hierdie tradisie uitmond in ’n algemene krisis van betekenis, waarde-oordele en gesag wat deur die term “moderne nihilisme” aangedui kan word. Die tweede deel van die proefskrif ondersoek die “antropologiese gronde” vir die kritiek wat in deel een ontwikkel word. Met dit ten doel, fokus hoofstuk drie op Nietzsche se uitbeelding van die mens as ’n “nog nie vasgestelde dier” wat nòg die manifestasie is van ’n subjektiewe essensie, nòg die produk van sy eie hande, maar wat slegs bestaan as ’n onopgeloste spanning tussen bepaaldheid en onbepaaldheid. Hierdie bespreking word in hoofstuk vier opgevolg deur ’n ondersoek na Arendt se opvatting van “die menslike kondisie”, wat in die eerste plek wys na die kondisionaliteit van ons menswees. Wat duidelik blyk uit beide gevalle is dat, in soverre die probleem van moderniteit in die mens self gestalte kry, die poging om hierdie dilemma te oorkom ’n her-denke of oorstyging van ons huidige menslikheid sal moet inhou. Deel drie van die proefskrif ondersoek die wyse waarop die herkonseptualisering van die mens soos deur Nietzsche en Arendt beoefen word ons verstaan van “wêreld” transformeer. Die meer spesifieke doel hier is om te demonstreer dat beide denkers gemoeid is met ’n versoening tussen self en wêreld wat as ’n soort verlossing getipeer kan word. In hoofstuk vyf ondersoek ek hul onderskeie pogings om in die nadraai van die dood van God ons oordeelsvermoë te laat herlewe as ’n eerste treë in hierdie verlossingsprojek. Hierna verskuif die fokus in hoofstuk ses na die “soteriologie” in Nietzsche en Arendt se denke. Hierdie ondersoek bring uiteindelik ’n konflik aan die lig tussen ’n Nietzscheaanse opvatting van verlossing as amor fati (liefde vir ons lot) en Arendt se opvatting van vi verlossing as amor mundi (liefde vir die wêreld). Ek sluit die proefskrif af deur te argumenteer dat dit hier gaan om twee konflikterende konsepsies van versoening: ’n wêreldlike − of politieke − siening van versoening (Arendt), en meer radikale filosofiese opvatting van versoening (Nietzsche), wat uiteindelik wegdoen met die grens tussen self en wêreld. Die slotsom waartoe ek kom is egter nie dat ons ’n noodgedwonge keuse tussen hierdie twee alternatiewe in die gesig staar nie, maar juis dat die konflik tussen hierdie twee ingesteldhede noodsaaklik is vir ons verstaan van wat dit beteken om mens te wees sowel as vir die wêreld waarin ons menslikheid gevorm word. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS AKCNOWLEDGEMENTS ix INTRODUCTION 1 PART I: CRITIQUE CHAPTER 1: MODERNITY AND THE RUPTURE OF TRADITION 11 Introduction 1. The time of modernity 2. Establishing the measure: the Greeks 3. The death of God and the rupture of tradition 4. History as substitute for tradition 4.1 Nietzsche: Against history as process 4.2 Arendt: Against history as fabrication CHAPTER 2: MODERN NIHILISM AND THE UNMAKING OF THE HUMAN 35 Introduction 1. Three facets of nihilism 1.1 A crisis of meaning 1.2 A crisis of evaluation 1.2 A crisis of authority 2. The animalisation of the human 3. The rise of the social 3.1 The unnatural growth of the natural 3.2 The loss of plurality 3.3 Atomisation and mass society 4. The unmaking of the human 4.1 Modern science and the drive to universal mastery 4.2 Totalitarianism and the fabrication of the human PART II: “GROUNDS” CHAPTER 3: RETHINKING THE HUMAN: NIETZSCHE 84 Introduction 1. On human becoming 2. The as yet undetermined animal 3. Appearance and identity 4. The will to power 5. Becoming who / what one is 6. Fate, limitation, transcendence viii CHAPTER 4: RETHINKING THE HUMAN: ARENDT 118 Introduction 1. Appearance 2. The vita activa 2.1 Labour and work 2.2 Distinctions between labour, work and action 2.3 Action and character 3. The life of the mind 3.1 Thinking 3.2 Willing PART III: REDEMPTION CHAPTER 5: JUDGEMENT AND WORLDLINESS 159 Introduction 1. Nietzsche on judgement 1.1 Perspectivism 1.2 Perspectivism and historical judgement 2. Arendt on judgement 2.1 Reflective judgement 2.2 Historical judgement CHAPTER 6: ON REDEMPTION 188 Introduction 1. Nietzsche’s redeeming thought 1.1 Metamorphosis and new beginning 1.2 Amor fati and eternal recurrence 2. Arendt’s messianism 2.1 A new beginning 2.2 Amor mundi 3. Thinking philosophically, thinking politically BIBLIOGRAPHY 220 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not have appeared in the world without the encouragement, support and critical input from a number of people, and it is only fitting that I acknowledge them here. To begin with, this work was conceived, written and completed under the invaluable guidance of my promoter, Prof.
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