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The Will to Affirm Music: Overmusic and Last Music in Nietzsche's Philosophy

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The Will to Affirm Music: Overmusic and Last Music in Nietzsche's Philosophy The Will to Affirm Music: Overmusic and Last Music in Nietzsche's Philosophy Kevin Ralph Capstone Advisor: Dr. Justin Marquis Honors Capstone Spring 2013 University Honors in Philosophy Kevin Ralph 2 Abstract: This paper addresses the significance of music in Nietzsche's philosophy, for he establishes that there is a strong link between music and his method of philosophy. Central to my argument is the application of the Overman, the proper philosopher and freethinker, and the Last Man, the man of the herd who subscribes to ideology. I argue that the parallel between music and Nietzsche's philosophy can go further, that the existence of the Overman and the Last Man must be met with a similar polar structure between Overmusic and Last Music. For this analysis, I use a survey of Nietzsche's philosophical works, biographical information, and a comparison of the music that he advocates for and the music that has his contempt. In my paper, I first outline the arguments that form Nietzsche's Overman and Last Man. Doing so is necessary to draw out the similarities between music and philosophy. Part of this discussion involves the role of music in Nietzsche's personal life, which I will elucidate through the often-quoted maxim from Twilight of The Idols: “Without music, life would be an error” (TI “Maxims” 33). Then, I analyze the reasoning that allows him to distinguish the higher types of music from the lower types, which I will link to the Overman and the Last man. This allows me to make the argument for Overmusic and Last Music, and I use Wagner's Parsifal and Bizet's Carmen as case studies for each. Kevin Ralph 3 Introduction and Thesis: Through a survey of Nietzsche's works, it is clear that he places high value on music. In The Case of Wagner, he states that “music liberates the spirit...gives wings to thought” and makes “one [become] more of a philosopher the more one becomes a musician” (CW 1, p. 614). The more one is acquainted with music, either by listening or especially by performing, the more one is in tune with their passions and their perception. Because of this, music must then be the same as philosophy. However, he makes distinctions in the different types of music as he does with different types of people and philosophies. He establishes the conditions that makes one an Overman or Last Man, and similarly he makes claims that there are better types of music than others. I argue that the parallel between music and Nietzsche's philosophy can go further, that the existence of the Over and Last Man must be met with a similar polar structure between Overmusic and Last Music. Making this distinction not only shows how music and philosophy are equated, but also shows that there is a moral structure that belongs to music to compliment Nietzsche's own understanding of morality. First, I outline the arguments that form Nietzsche's Overman and Last Man. Doing so is necessary to draw out the similarities between music and philosophy. Part of this discussion involves the role of music in Nietzsche's personal life, which I will elucidate through the often-quoted maxim from Twilight of The Idols. Then, I analyze the reasoning that allows him to distinguish the higher types of music from the lower types, which I will link to the Overman and the Last man. This allows me to make the argument for Overmusic and Last Music, and I use Wagner's Parsifal and Bizet's Carmen as case studies for each. Kevin Ralph 4 Philosophy According to Nietzsche: Proper Philosophy: Nietzsche's understanding of philosophy lies in direct contrast with the tradition that precedes him. He understands philosophers are unable to obtain truth when they posit a dogma. In the Preface to Beyond Good and Evil, he reasons “that the gruesome seriousness, the clumsy obtrusiveness with which they have usually approached truth so far have been awkward and very improper methods” for reaching truth (BGE “P,” p. 192). The problem of having such systems is that they do not allow for people to exercise will to power, to experience life as something that is uniquely his or her own. Instead, thought and ethics are held up to single standard, an ideal that rules upon them and that they must adhere to, even blindly. This abandonment is not an error committed out of ignorance or blindness, but instead an act of cowardice (EH “P,” p. 674). For this is to follow a given system rather than creating one, to adhere to givens rather than to act out the will to power and create. A dogmatic system, akin to religion, provides limitations that are shameful to transgress, because supposedly following a system will result in a higher end. This foolish belief provides the “inclination to depreciate himself, to let himself be robbed, lied to, and taken advantage of,” the result of the “modesty [or shame according to Kaufmann's footnote] of a god among men” (BGE 4:66, p. 269). Proper philosophy, according to Nietzsche, is more of an autobiography and a critique than a proposition of a dogma. The autobiographical nature is representative of enacting the will to power, the drive for life. This involves the person realizing their fullest individuality in overcoming the ideals that guide and cause certain values and actions. This means that the truths that they produce are no longer supposed to be taken as universals. In fact, “it must offend their Kevin Ralph 5 pride, also their taste, if their truth is supposed to be a truth for everyman,” so there must be a degree of individual ownership that comes with these truths (BGE 2:43, p. 243). Otherwise, it would be a contradiction of terminology, for “whatever can be common always has little value,” so to follow a universal principle is degrading to the will to power (BGE 2:43, p. 243). The philosopher according to Nietzsche must exercise the resources to the best of his or her potential, to eat well and to keep health and to stay active instead of relying on given values. This affirmation of the senses and the experience of life reveals Nietzsche's love and recurrent use of Dionysus as central to his philosophical project. Nietzsche categorizes himself as “a disciple of the philosopher Dionysus,” a satyr in contrast to a saint (EH “P,” p. 673). In The Birth of Tragedy, Dionysus is the art deity for the nonimagistic arts, especially music. This is highly important because Dionysus is the god of the passions. Completely separate from the dogma that separates people, the primal nature of the passions allows anyone to share in them. There is therefore the opening to create values out of the open passions. It is upon this divergence between creation and stagnation that Nietzsche posits the distinction in the typology of man that is found throughout his works: the typology of the Overman and the Last Man. In this next section, I describe each and why the Overman is favored over the last man. Overman and Last Man: The Overman, the proper philosopher, is the one who surpasses all of the conditions that degrades the significance of humans. Nietzsche's Zarathustra proclaims that “man is something that shall be overcome,” that there is something about man that keeps people grounded, unable to actualize the will to power (Z:1 “Zarathustra's Prologue”). Throughout his works, it is clear that Kevin Ralph 6 nihilism must be overcome, which can come from many sources, including Christianity, pity, and the Western philosophical tradition. Both Christianity and the history of philosophy perpetuate nihilism through preaching dogmatisms. Again, the fruitful life is that which exercises the will to power, the force of life that is created through the individual's practices of perspective and action. Despite the intentions of allowing a person to fully realize their potential through guiding principles and protections, like having the grace of the Holy Spirit guiding the individual through moments of temptation and sin, such a system is nihilism because it does not allow for the full experience of the moment. Importance is not on being in the sense that a set of rules is followed, but rather on “the innocence of becoming,” on the person enacting their will to power to the fullest extent and experiencing the consequences (WP 552, p. 299). When realizing their will to power, the individual is able to think freely without constriction. The ability to adapt to any new stimulus is affirmed by the will to power, since the focus is on the use of perception rather than adherence to a fixed set of values. Coming from this line of thought, Nietzsche posits that the situations of the people, including diet and climate, are the important characteristics to their being, for they make decisions based on the stimulus that affects them. From the emphasis placed on the situation rather than some sort universal set of values, the key to the life of the Overman is the affirmation of life and the body. This focus on vitality is how Nietzsche also affirms the love of fate, the “amor fati” (GS “Sanctus Januarius,” 276, p. 223). The Overman must affirm what he is given. The proper practice of philosophy aims to “see as beautiful what is necessary in things... [t]o not...wage war against what is ugly” (GS “Sanctus Januarius,” 276, p. 223). One cannot negate any aspect of life that he or she does not find agreeable or pleasant. The Overman “remain[s] faithful to the earth” and does “not believe Kevin Ralph 7 those who speak of otherworldly hopes,” and affirms what the Last Man would not (Z: 1 “Zarathustra's Prologue”).
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