Nietzsche, Art, and Philosophy: 150 Years of Tragedy
Over 150 years after the publication of Nietzsche’s debut book, The Birth of Tragedy Out of the Spirit of Music, the provocative philosopher’s influence endures, fulfilling his prediction that he would be “born posthumously “with a voice that spans millennia.”
In this seminal work, Nietzsche traces the evolution of art and culture to a dynamic interplay between two primal forces: Apollo and Dionysus. He celebrates both Greek classicists and modern romantics for their ability to affirm and even relish the aesthetic portrayals of the immense suffering that nature and the gods inflict upon humanity. To these noble artistic cultures, he opposes the more optimistic rationalism that emerged when Socrates expelled the artists from his ideal republic.
Nietzsche’s impact on art, philosophy, and culture broadly has been monumental. The use and abuse of his thought can be seen in diverse artistic, philosophical and political movements, from modernism to postmodernism, existentialism to poststructuralism, and fascism to anarchism.
This book offers essays from a diverse array of scholars who are newly exploring Nietzsche’s writings and his subsequent influence at the intersection of art and philosophy.
With texts by Vincent Lê, Paris Lettau, Justin Clemens, Caitlyn Lesiuk, Vanessa Lemm, Keith Ansell-Pearson, Rex Butler, Ian McLean
