For those Free Spirits in training Nietzsche reminds us of the following in BGE 41 aka "cleavage"
One must subject oneself to one's own tests that one is destined for independence and command, and do so at the right time. One must not avoid one's tests, although they constitute perhaps the most dangerous game one can play, and are in the end tests made only before ourselves and before no other judge. Not to cleave to any person, be it even the dearest—every person is a prison and also a recess. Not to cleave to a fatherland, be it even the most suffering and necessitous—it is even less difficult to detach one's heart from a victorious fatherland. Not to cleave to a sympathy, be it even for higher men, into whose peculiar torture and helplessness chance has given us an insight. Not to cleave to a science, though it tempt one with the most valuable discoveries, apparently specially reserved for us. Not to cleave to one's own liberation, to the voluptuous distance and remoteness of the bird, which always flies further aloft in order always to see more under it—the danger of the flier. Not to cleave to our own virtues, nor become as a whole a victim to any of our specialties, to our "hospitality" for instance, which is the danger of dangers for highly developed and wealthy souls, who deal prodigally, almost indifferently with themselves, and push the virtue of liberality so far that it becomes a vice. One must know how TO CONSERVE ONESELF—the best test of independence.
Love this passage, especially this one: "Not to cleave to any person, be it even the dearest—every person is a prison and also a recess." Whether in love or in politics, the facility with which we find ourselves renouncing our own sense of self in favor of being defined by another is among the riskiest of all.
The challenge it seems to me, which is one Nietzsche so clearly points out, is the myriad ways in which we are taught and told to follow others' definition of the self because we feel lost, lonely, weak, etc. In times of strife especially, it takes quite a strong character to avoid this pitfall. I guess we've just gotta keep writing and reading? Seems like the most surefire way to reclaim a sense of self
Excellent series. It is easy to forget that fascism generally and Nazism specifically owed so much to the Italian experience in the 1920s. I appreciate the combination of history and its philosophical underpinnings. Thank you.
Thank you for the kind words David. It's fascinating to me just how obvious so much of how Hitler rose to power was based on Mussolini's own rise, as well as contemporary extremist ideologies and how they pander to our most primordial selves. The fact that so many folks remain shocked by what's happening with far right movements across the world is what shocks me the most. We've seen it all before. But cultural amnesia is no joke.
I think of all the Mussolini-era massive marble architecture in Rome, including his marble maps of the growth of the Roman empire. You can draw a cultural line from there to the far right in the United States today and the wish to return to "greatness." It's all irredentism in one form or another.
That'd be quite an interesting essay to show the parallels between then and now in regards to the far right movement. The HBO documentary about McVeigh, "An American Bombing," is quite pertinent and worth a watch for contextualizing what the USA is currently facing.
Irredentism is also a fantastic word and one that (thankfully?) we haven't heard in a while. But the more things change ...
For those Free Spirits in training Nietzsche reminds us of the following in BGE 41 aka "cleavage"
One must subject oneself to one's own tests that one is destined for independence and command, and do so at the right time. One must not avoid one's tests, although they constitute perhaps the most dangerous game one can play, and are in the end tests made only before ourselves and before no other judge. Not to cleave to any person, be it even the dearest—every person is a prison and also a recess. Not to cleave to a fatherland, be it even the most suffering and necessitous—it is even less difficult to detach one's heart from a victorious fatherland. Not to cleave to a sympathy, be it even for higher men, into whose peculiar torture and helplessness chance has given us an insight. Not to cleave to a science, though it tempt one with the most valuable discoveries, apparently specially reserved for us. Not to cleave to one's own liberation, to the voluptuous distance and remoteness of the bird, which always flies further aloft in order always to see more under it—the danger of the flier. Not to cleave to our own virtues, nor become as a whole a victim to any of our specialties, to our "hospitality" for instance, which is the danger of dangers for highly developed and wealthy souls, who deal prodigally, almost indifferently with themselves, and push the virtue of liberality so far that it becomes a vice. One must know how TO CONSERVE ONESELF—the best test of independence.
Love this passage, especially this one: "Not to cleave to any person, be it even the dearest—every person is a prison and also a recess." Whether in love or in politics, the facility with which we find ourselves renouncing our own sense of self in favor of being defined by another is among the riskiest of all.
The challenge it seems to me, which is one Nietzsche so clearly points out, is the myriad ways in which we are taught and told to follow others' definition of the self because we feel lost, lonely, weak, etc. In times of strife especially, it takes quite a strong character to avoid this pitfall. I guess we've just gotta keep writing and reading? Seems like the most surefire way to reclaim a sense of self
"...every person is a prison and also a recess" is one of my favorite N bangers.
Nietzsche Bangers. Now that's a snack I'd abide with a cold glass of milk.
Excellent series. It is easy to forget that fascism generally and Nazism specifically owed so much to the Italian experience in the 1920s. I appreciate the combination of history and its philosophical underpinnings. Thank you.
Thank you for the kind words David. It's fascinating to me just how obvious so much of how Hitler rose to power was based on Mussolini's own rise, as well as contemporary extremist ideologies and how they pander to our most primordial selves. The fact that so many folks remain shocked by what's happening with far right movements across the world is what shocks me the most. We've seen it all before. But cultural amnesia is no joke.
I think of all the Mussolini-era massive marble architecture in Rome, including his marble maps of the growth of the Roman empire. You can draw a cultural line from there to the far right in the United States today and the wish to return to "greatness." It's all irredentism in one form or another.
Looking forward to the next installment!
That'd be quite an interesting essay to show the parallels between then and now in regards to the far right movement. The HBO documentary about McVeigh, "An American Bombing," is quite pertinent and worth a watch for contextualizing what the USA is currently facing.
Irredentism is also a fantastic word and one that (thankfully?) we haven't heard in a while. But the more things change ...