AI prompt:
List some quotes from Heidegger and Deleuze with reference to their respective discussions of Nietzsche: especially in Heidegger's "Nietzsche" lectures and Deleuze's "Nietzsche and Philosophy."
Answer:
Here are some quotes from Martin Heidegger and Gilles Deleuze regarding their interpretations of Friedrich Nietzsche, based on their respective works:
From Martin Heidegger's "Nietzsche" Lectures:
On Nietzsche's Overcoming of Metaphysics: "Nietzsche's thinking sees itself as belonging to metaphysics; yet, in truth, it is the end of metaphysics." - Heidegger sees Nietzsche as both within and concluding the tradition of Western metaphysics.
On Will to Power: "The will to power is the essence of power itself. It consists in power's overpowering, that is, its self-enhancement to the highest possible degree." - Here, Heidegger interprets Nietzsche's will to power not just as a desire for control but as the fundamental essence of all dynamics in life.
On Eternal Recurrence: "The eternal recurrence of the same is the way in which the being as a whole is, not as a static now, but as becoming." - Heidegger discusses the eternal recurrence as Nietzsche's attempt to think about time and Being in a new way.
From Gilles Deleuze's "Nietzsche and Philosophy":
On Nietzsche's Method: "Nietzsche's method: to make philosophy with a hammer. This method is itself an act of force, an act of will to power." - Deleuze refers to Nietzsche's approach to philosophy as one that challenges and deconstructs.
On The Will to Power: "The will to power is not a wanting of power, but the principle of the synthesis of forces." - Deleuze interprets the will to power as an affirmative force of creation and differentiation rather than domination.
On Eternal Return as Selective Being: "Only the eternal return can act as a selective thought because it makes something affirm its own difference by forcing thought to distinguish between what can and cannot return." - Deleuze's unique take on eternal return focuses on its role in affirming difference.
On Nihilism and Overcoming: "Nihilism is overcome not by negating it but by affirming life in such a way that all loss, all negation, becomes a moment of creation." - Deleuze sees Nietzsche's philosophy as an affirmative way out of nihilism through the revaluation of values.
These quotes encapsulate key aspects of how both philosophers engage with Nietzsche's ideas, reflecting their interpretations and extensions of his philosophy into their own philosophical projects. Remember, these interpretations are creative and selective, aimed at integrating Nietzsche's thought into their broader philosophical inquiries.
AI prompt:
What did Deleuze write about Nietzsche in his book "Nietzsche & Philosophy?"
Answer:
Gilles Deleuze's book "Nietzsche and Philosophy" (originally published in French as "Nietzsche et la philosophie" in 1962) is a seminal work that interprets and expands upon Nietzsche's philosophy through Deleuze's unique philosophical lens. Here are some key points from Deleuze's interpretation:
Genealogy: Deleuze emphasizes Nietzsche's method of genealogy, which is not merely a historical method but a way to understand the origin and value of values. Genealogy involves tracing the forces that give rise to values, distinguishing between active and reactive forces. Deleuze highlights how Nietzsche uses this to critique morality, particularly the values of good and evil versus good and bad.
Will to Power: For Deleuze, the will to power is not about domination or a literal will to control but is an internal principle of life and creation. It's the differential and genetic element of forces, the principle that determines the relation between forces. Deleuze interprets it as a creative force that drives the synthesis of forces, leading to the production of new values and interpretations.
Eternal Return: Deleuze offers a novel interpretation of Nietzsche's eternal return. He argues it's not the return of the same but the return of difference. Only that which differs from itself returns; it's an affirmation of becoming and multiplicity. The eternal return serves as a selective principle: only what can be affirmed and willed to return eternally will persist, thus acting as a test for the overman (Ãœbermensch).
Critique of the Negative: Deleuze sees Nietzsche as overturning traditional philosophy's focus on negation and dialectics. Instead of dialectics, which operates through negation and contradiction, Nietzsche's philosophy, according to Deleuze, operates through affirmation. This shift emphasizes life's affirmative power, where even what is traditionally seen as negative (like suffering) can be affirmed as part of life's richness.
The Overman (Ãœbermensch): Deleuze interprets the Overman not as a superior human in an evolutionary sense but as a break from humanity's current form, which is tied to reactive forces and ressentiment. The Overman represents a new mode of existence that affirms life through the creation of new values, beyond the human-all-too-human.
Nihilism and Transvaluation: Deleuze explores Nietzsche's confrontation with nihilism, where traditional values lose their value. However, he focuses on the positive aspect of this crisis: the opportunity for transvaluation (Umwertung aller Werte), where new values can be created from the active forces rather than from a place of resentment or negation.
Philosophy as Creation: Deleuze sees Nietzsche's philosophy as an act of creation rather than mere reflection or discovery. Philosophy, in this view, becomes an art of inventing concepts, where concepts are created in response to problems, and these concepts must be evaluated by the life they affirm or deny.
Forces and Bodies: Deleuze uses Nietzsche to discuss how bodies are composed of forces in relation, where health and sickness, strength and weakness are understood not in moral terms but in terms of the quality of forces (active vs. reactive) that dominate within a body or a system.
Deleuze's reading revitalizes Nietzsche's thought by integrating it with his own concepts of difference, repetition, and the philosophy of becoming. He uses Nietzsche to critique traditional metaphysics and to propose a philosophy that aligns with life's inherent multiplicity and creativity.
Gilles Deleuze: Against the Dialectic (Nietzsche & Philosophy, Part 1 of 2)Gilles Deleuze: Ressentiment, Bad Conscience & Becoming-Active (Nietzsche & Philosophy, Part 2 of 2)AI prompt:
What did Heidegger say about Nietzsche in "Nietzsche" Lectures?
Answer:
Martin Heidegger's lectures on Friedrich Nietzsche, compiled in his work titled "Nietzsche," span several volumes and delve deeply into Nietzsche's philosophy, particularly focusing on themes like the will to power, the eternal recurrence, and nihilism. Here are some key points Heidegger made:
The Will to Power: Heidegger interprets Nietzsche's concept of the "will to power" not merely as a psychological drive but as a fundamental metaphysical principle. For Heidegger, the will to power is the essence of beings as a whole; it's about the enhancement and expansion of power, where power itself is the aim.
Eternal Recurrence: Heidegger sees the idea of the "eternal recurrence of the same" as Nietzsche's attempt to think Being in terms of time. This concept, according to Heidegger, is Nietzsche's deepest thought and his attempt to offer a counter-movement to nihilism. It's not just about the literal return of all events but about affirming life in its totality, with all its pains and joys, beyond traditional morality.
Nihilism: Heidegger views Nietzsche as both the culmination of Western metaphysics and its most profound critic. Nietzsche's declaration of "God is dead" is central to understanding nihilism, where traditional values devalue themselves. Heidegger explores how Nietzsche's philosophy aims to overcome nihilism by reevaluating all values, yet he also critiques Nietzsche for remaining within the bounds of metaphysics by simply inverting Platonism.
Metaphysics and Being: Heidegger criticizes Nietzsche for not escaping the metaphysical tradition he sought to critique. While Nietzsche inverts the Platonic hierarchy (by valuing becoming over being, body over soul), Heidegger argues that Nietzsche still operates within the binary logic of metaphysics, merely flipping the terms rather than transcending them.
Art and Truth: Heidegger discusses Nietzsche's views on art and truth, where art is seen as the fundamental occurrence of Being. Art, for Nietzsche according to Heidegger, is where the truth of beings as will to power is most clearly revealed, contrasting with the traditional philosophical pursuit of truth which Nietzsche critiques.
The Overman (Ãœbermensch): Heidegger interprets the Ãœbermensch not as a biological evolution or a superhuman in a Darwinian sense but as a new kind of being who can affirm the eternal recurrence and thus overcome the nihilism of the "last man." This figure represents a new way of being in the world, one that embraces life's flux without seeking refuge in eternal truths outside of life itself.
Heidegger's engagement with Nietzsche is complex, as he both admires Nietzsche's depth in confronting the issues of metaphysics and criticizes him for not fully overcoming the tradition he sought to dismantle. Heidegger uses Nietzsche's philosophy as a stepping stone to discuss his own ideas about Being, time, and the history of metaphysics, positioning Nietzsche as the end of one epoch of philosophy and potentially the beginning of another, albeit one that Heidegger feels Nietzsche himself couldn't fully enter.
Nietzsche 1/13: Heidegger