Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia

Listening to Nietzsche Author(s): Jeremiah L. Alberg Source: Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia, T. 57, Fasc. 1, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900): I Efeitos do seu Pensamento (Jan. - Mar., 2001), pp. 61-71 Published by: Revista Portuguesa de Filosofia Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40337606 . Accessed: 24/07/2013 09:10
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toNietzsche Listening
Jeremiah L. Alberg*
of Tragedy 's The Birth Abstract: Thisarticlegives an interpretation of F. Nietzsche In itadvances initsowntextual that thetheory that practice. (1872) as a text exemplifies thedisNietzsche undoes thewayin which theauthor toshowthis, order explains first embodies this and then scienceand artin thetext between tinction of undoing bya kind and is art a about the sense theoretical in which is both theory tragedy ofbeing writing inthis He shows a tragedy. inthesenseofbeing waywas necwriting further why itself interThekeyto the 's understanding to Nietzsche present oftragedy. essary according conheroofthe as thetragic is theidentification piece. Thearticle ofSocrates pretation with Dio's identification a fewconsiderations cludeswith ofSocrates ofhowNietzshe can helplead us beyond Dionysus. nysus Classics.Cross.Dionysus. Nietzsche. Key Words:Art Aesthetics. Tragedy. Christianity. Violence. Socrates. Suffering. Tragic effect da Tragdia da obraA Origem ser urna Resumo:O presente interpretando pretende artigo teoria. texto Nietzsche, que pe emprticaa sua prpria (1872) de Friedrich enquanto abNietzsche modo como o o autorcomega istomesmo, Para demonstrar por explicar aboliestamesma cienciae artepara depoisexemplificar entre a distinguo le no texto de ser urna no sentido terico umtipode escrita co mediante que simultaneamente urna de ser ele prprio ditano sentido e artepropriamente teoriaacerca da tragdia tendo era necessario at que pontoestemodode escrever tambm Mostra-se tragdia. esta identidestainterpretacao No centro de tragdia. emcontaa noco nietzschiana consicomalgumas conclu da peca. O artigo como heritrgico ficaco de Scrates e entre Scrates deracoesacerca do modocomoa identificando operadapor Nietzsche estaltima nospodejustamente Dionisio figura. ajudara ultrapassar Cristianismo. Nietzsche. Cruz.Esttica. Palavras-Chave: Arte.Dionisio.Efeito trgico. Violencia. Socrates. Tragedia. Sofrimento.

Introduction He must theSirens.1 with encounter describes Homer theOdyssey Odysseus From the mast. bound to himself is he while with ears all the crew's wax, plug without what from to theSirens, he can listen there being they say, profiting
* ofHumanities, Japan). (Tokyo, SophiaUniversity 1 Faculty tr.E.V. Rieu (London:Penquin TheOdyssey, Books,1946) Bk. 12. 1 am inHomer, from the in audiotapesavailable It occurs debted to Gil Baillieforthefollowing analysis. Institute. Florilegio
57 (200 1), 6 1-71 Q RevistaPortuguesa de 1'ii.osoeia,

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L Albero Jeremiah

as a sort oftheSirensis usually led to destruction. The attractiveness interpreted death.But if sailorsto their of sexualallure, butlusting seducing unsuspecting tellofOdysone readsthetext, it is notsexualfavors that rather offer, they they as the the The then be seus' exploits; tell tales of war. can interpreted danger they to the listen too of into heroic world of To deeply these myth. danger falling is to be destroyed. But Odysseuscan hearthemand theycan helphim, stories ofthisbeing"tied to thesignificance becausehe is tiedto themast.I will return attheendofthis article. tothemast" world.The and stories of theancient Nietzsche listened deeplyto themyths I am by no of thislistening is his philosophy result and his madness. Although diI sharetoo deeplyin themodern or postmodern meansa deconstructionist, I these tworesults. lemma notbe wary toogreat a distinction between ofmaking wouldlikenowto listen to Nietzsche, and at thesametimeto ask how itmight without foland be helpedbyhim, be possibleto listen to him, thatis, to listen him the that leads to madness. on lowing path The Genre The textI would liketo listen to, is to, thetextI choose to put questions to it,we need Nietzsche's first Butin order to listen book,TheBirth of Tragedy.1 kindofwriting Thisis perhaps the to know what we are listening is this? to,what of thistext.Whathas disturbed mostimportant thereader most question facing is thedual nature of thework.3 The Nietzsche commentators, himself, including Birth is a theory abouttragedy, i.e. a contribution But to aesthetics. of Tragedy thistheory oftragedy contained inthetext demands that thetheory itself be non-theoretical or practical. Aesthetics must be a practical teachhumans art,itmust howto liveand itcannot be practical as a theory butonlyas an art.TheBirth of overcomes thedistinction between and practice Tragedy theory by overcoming thedistinction between science{Wissenschaft) and art(Kunst).It overcomes it inthetext itstheory. TheBirth is itself notsimply about bypracticing ofTragedy it is itself in thatitattempts a tragedy to produce and notjust describe tragedy; thetragic effect in thereader. It is onlywhenthetextis readon thislevelthat onecan understand thewholetext andthetext as a whole.

2 This work first appeared as Die Geburt der Tragdie aus dem Geiste der Musik in 1872 and was reprinted in 1874. A new editionwitha foreward by Nietzsche was published in 1886 as Die Geburtder Tragdie. Oder: Griechenthum und Pessimismus.The textI have used comes from:Friedrich Werke.KritischeStudienausgabe in 15 Nietzsche, Scimmtliche Bnden. hg. v. G. Colli und M. Montinari, Mnchen 1980. For the Englishtranslation I have used: The Birthof Tragedy,trans.Shaun Whiteside,ed. Michael Tanner (London: Penguin Books, 1993). 3 Cf. "Versuch einer Selbstkritik", unterder Optik especially Par. 2: ..die Wissenschaft des Knstlers zu sehen. die Kunstaber unter der des Lebens...v p. 14.
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OtherReadings I haverevealed ofmyreading, butbefore something myownlistening, Already I wouldliketo situate it in terms of other interpretations. Certainly goingfurther, withGreektragedy. It was itself is a workthatconcerns The Birth of Tragedy von Reibnitz a comBarbara written a brilliant gives very by youngphilologist. first of The Birth and of the twelve Tragedy, of analysis chapters commentary plete In many as a young scholar.4 itinNietzsche's waysthisis a development situating dimension of Nietzsche to ignore thiscritical to the tendency welcomeredress intended thiswork as a contrithefact that Nietzsche She takesseriously thought. itis the fact On theother ofclassicalphilology. bution totheworld hand, very that i.e. shows its limited on first twelve the a viewpoint, the only commentary chapters of classical literature. study has itsvalueand itsplace.Less clearto I believe sucha limited that approach a work did notwrite thefactthat Nietzsche of bemoaning me is theadvantage Kauftnann does just thatin this Walter other thantheone he did in factwrite. and TheCase of Wagof TheBirth to thetext translator Introduction of Tragedy ner?I quote:
The Birthof Tragedydoes not end withSection 15 as an early draft Unfortunately, did and the book clearly ought to. Anotherten sections follow thatweaken the whole book immeasurably. The heartof the book and inferior 6 are introductory Sections 1 through stylistically. This is and deathof tragedy. is foundin Sections 7 through15, whichdeal withthe birth Secwell itself. understood be book and can of the far the best by fairly probably part by else of comparablelengthhe ever tions 16-25 are less worthof Nietzsche thananything soon feltthis. published and he himself

a text, anddismembering is to dismember kind ofinterpretation this To practice which ofthetext, sections can lead one to expelthevery a text giveonethetools does not scholar outby a famous it.The factthatit is carried forunderstanding makeitmore acceptable. of the a marvelously M.S. Silk and J.P.Stern6 study comprehensive provide of Their Birth 77 of and explanations Nietzof Tragedy. background development are mostwelto theGreektragedies, to theclassics,especially sche'sallusions butcanonly nature ofthework, what call the"hybrid" come.Theyrecognize they in succeeded never Nietzsche or aimsthat drives of different explainit in terms
4 Barbaravon der Die Geburt zu Freidrich Ein Kommentar Neitzsche, Reibnitz,

Trazdie ansdem Geiste der Musik (Kap. 1-12), (Stuttgart, Verlag J.B. Metzler,1992). 5 witha Friedrich Nietzsche, The Birthof Tragedyand The Case of Wagner,translated commentary by Walter Kaufmann,(New York: Vintage Books, 1967). The quotationthat followsis takenfrom p. 13. 6 M.S. Silk and J.P. Stern,Nietzscheon Tragedy,(Cambridge,Cambridge UP, 1981). to as 'Silk & Stern'. thiswill be referred Hereafter
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It is of interest that several times refer to theworkas a centaur integrating.7 they Thereis something thatis, a monster, a mythical of figure composite makeup.8 iteasier Itmakes of and at the same time very apposite this, something very wrong. of critical moments forus to simply one more time. At Nietzsche's work expel to rather than to interpret thetext asking they interpretation prefer mythologically for levelofassociations what itmayrefer.9 to stay on thesurface Theytend reality I hopeto show their rather than for connections. looking necessary interpretations ifone does notgraspthefundamental then all one whichis hidden, why, reality, cando is lookatthesurface riddles.10 in of TheBirth John Sallishasproduced an excellent of Tragedy Finally, study ' xI am indebted hisCrossings: to hisdevelopNietzsche and theSpace of Tragedy. He is also very senment ofthis work. oftheideaof"space"for theinterpretation But between extremes. sitive to thewayinwhich Nietzsche movesbackand forth He Nietzsche. he also sees all thisas a kindof play,a gamethat one playswith doesnotpursue theself-destruction which he so clearly what liesbehind ofthetext to sees.12 He is awareofwhat he callsthe"sliding" ofthetext from thetheoretical that under its theartistic, butas thewordsuggests, this is something occurs sliding ownweight, andnotfor a reason.13 Scienceand Art Before a detailed ofhowNietzsche the to produce goinginto analysis attempts andthuswrite effect in a theoretical I would like to tragic tragedy 'key', explain inthismanner is theonlywaythat conforms to hisownaesthetic thewhy writing Nietzsche is awarethat inthiswaytransforms of notonlythescience ory. writing aesthetics into a practical butthat ittransforms artitself. Artbecomes at oncea art, theoretical anda practical enterprise. We can understand thecrossing of categories, in which Nietzsche undertakes thefollowing manner. is for Nietzsche the art form whose end or Tragedy purpose is therepresentation ofthe ofhuman existence. Itmakesitpossible for justification humans to live.According to Nietzsche theworld and our lifein itcan onlyfind their whenconceived as an "aesthetic Thusaesthetics justification phenomenon".
7Cf. 'Silk&Stenvp. 189. 8 The authorsquote a letter written by Nietzsche in 1870, in whichhe statesthat"Scholinside me so much thatTil be giving arship,ait and philosophyare now growingtogether birth to centaurs one dav/*Cf. n.39 and n. 188. 9 Cf. Silk & Stem p. 202, where they give theirinteipretation of the vultureor Geier whichappeal'son p. 132 of thetext. 10 Cf. Silk & Sternp. 206-209 torwhattheyview as ..riddles". 1' JohnSallis, The Birth of Tragedyin his Crossings: Nietzscheand theSpace of Tragedy, (Chicago: Univ.of Chicago P, 1991). 12 Cf. Sallis, p. 148. 13 Cf. Sallis, p. 147-149.
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cultural a science ofbeauty, a disinterested ofhowcertain is notsimply description The new scienceof aesthetics has effects. suchas tragedy, achievetheir artifacts, hufor it it humans a reason bent an extremely gives living justifies practical of life.It is also thescienceor in thefaceof thepain and horror manexistence endofart.But,as we thispractical is to understand whoseend or purpose theory has beenhistoriIn fact, thispurpose as theory. do thissimply shallsee, itcannot inSocrates andwhich that was embodied attitude bythetheoretical callyfrustrated In order to cease beinga block culture. theAlexandrian with Nietzsche identifies to has to be shown thescienceof aesthetics on account of itstheoretical nature, the led the Greeks which to manto thesameinsight leadmodern tragic tragedy theorize cannot andso TheBirth itself. aesthetics, Thus, merely ofTragedy, insight as douIt is onlywhenwe readthetext ithas to embody abouttragedy, tragedy. inin the also inscribed text the that in the sense back theory bling upon itself, Our usual distinctions for us. unfold to a praxis, thatitsmeaning scribes begins artand sciencedo notapply as well as thosebetween and praxis, between theory The disin TheBirth has accomplished This is whatNietzsche here. of Tragedy. is undone. art andphilosophy between tinction The TragicEffect is to Nietzsche is for oftragedy what theessence thebestwayto grasp Perhaps Aeswhenhe watched of whatEuripides listen to his description experienced "whichanyone In thetheatre something experienced Euripides chylean tragedy. haveforetold": ofAeschylean secrets into thedeeper initiated might tragedy
a certaindeceptive in every feature, every line, he foundsomethingincommensurable, background.The clearest precisionand at the same timean enigmaticdepth,an infinite to still had a comet's tail attachedto it,which seemed to pointto uncertainty, character the shrouded The same illuminated. not be could that (Zwielicht) twilight something the meaningof thechorus(p. 58-59). of the play, particularly structure

Ceris theessenceof tragedy. that thedual nature We see herequiteclearly hidden. is is that revealed but what is is something something revealed, tainly be ilthat cannot inevery line.Something incommensurable" Thereis "something is a what is revealed that is such of the essence luminated Thus, tragedy appears. is hidden. is that what is revealed a something veiling; Umschleierung of oftheeffect ofphenomenology also givesa kind Nietzsche inthework Later his own friend can attentive that the so musical true (p. experiences interpret tragedy as ifhispowers kind ofomniscience, onefeels is presented, myth 105).As the tragic to thevery butcouldpenetrate werenotmerely of vision (ibid). depths superficial
Cf. GT, p. 139. Nietzsche is speaking of the very point where tragedyreaches its "hchste ZieF%and says it does this throughthe apollinian Tauschung,which is a "anhalder eigentlichendionysischenWirkung".Thus, we need not only to tende Umschleierung the"eigentlichen but also to ask after look at the natureof the Umschleierung, dionysischen Wirkung".
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The world is transfigured but it is preciselythisworld,which is also denied (ibid). This denial is not some flight intounreality, but is concretely rejoicingin the destruction of the tragichero. It is comprehension "to theirverydepths"yet it loves "to escape into incomprehension". is thus: "He Nietzsche clearest formulation looks more keenly,more deeply than ever, and yet wishes for blindness"(ibid). This does not mean thatone does in fact see everything and only wishes to be blind. In thedrama,as said above, one penetrates intothe innerworld,and "yetwe we could divine its feltas thoughwe were watchinga symbol,almost imagining and wishingto draw it aside like a curtain to glimpsetheprimordeepestmeaning, The dial imagethatlay behind"(p. 113). The clarity does notsatisfy. of thepicture further. effect on thevieweris clear; theeye is kept"in thrall"butcannotpenetrate with its itseemed, . . .for it[the toreveal as much as itconcealed; andwhile seemed image] behind themysteries todemand that we tear theveil, that we reveal it, revelation, symbolic that lit andresisted further the (ibid). brightly clarity kept eyeinthrall penetration The viewingitself becomesthereasonwhyone cannotsee. seriThis is whatNietzschecalls in another passage, the"supremeand properly the horrors into ous taskof art"(p.93-94). That is, the"rescuing theeye from gazing the conof night and releasingthe subject,withthe healingbalm of illusion,from this phenovulsive stirrings of the will" (ibid). Nietzsche says that if we transfer the genesis menonto the analogous process of the tragicartist, we will understand of thetragicmyth it to The Birthof (cf. p. 1 14). I would like,however,to transfer in order itself to substantiate Nietzscheis writing Tragedy myclaimthat tragedy. in The Birthof Tragedy How Tragedy is effected In orderto show fully theprocessby whichNietzschebrings aboutthetragiceffectin The Birthof Tragedyit would be necessary,first, to go through the entire work and show how he makes the duplicity, which characterizes tragedy, present. One would have to beginwiththeveryfirst sentence. We shallhavegained much for thescience ofaesthetics inperwhen we havesucceeded and notonlythrough that artderives itscontinuous ceiving directly, logicalreasoning, from theduality oftheApolline andDionysiac;.. . (p. 14). development We mustgive thissentence a new inteipretation. The duplicity is not,according to our view, the duplicity betweenApollo and Dionysus,but beforeall else within the One wouldthenhave to interpret thisworkin Apollianand theDionysian respectively. such a way to show thateverydistinction thatis asserted this by Nietzsche,including mostfamous or lack one, is at thesame timedeniedand deniednotthrough oversight of consistency, butdeliberately because Nietzscheis adhering to thelogicof thetragic. A logic,whichexpresses the"contradiction intheheart oftheworld".15 15 Thisfamous which this totheir totheduality opposition, begins bycomparing duality ofthesexes(p. 14) endsintheir "fraternal bond"(p. 113). The reversal and undoing ofthe distinction couldnotbe clearer. posited
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I will not pursue this full-fledged analysis. Ratherthan this type of formal to I want to confine myself showingthatThe Birthof Tragedyembodies analysis, as the "contentof the tragicmyth", whatNietzsche himselfidentifies namely,"an will this I show hero" the event that 114). by identify(p. glorifies struggling epic he is enthe that Birth of The the hero struggle showing by of Tragedy, tragic ing gaged in and showingthathis fateis in facta tragicdeath.For it is preciselyin our of the hero thatthe tragiceffectis achieved. It is in rejoicingin the annihilation seeing a new orderemergefromthe death of the old thatthe aestheticexperience oftragedy consists. its The tragichero of The Birthof Tragedyis notGreektragedy itself, although tragicdeath is also recorded.Greek tragedyis too farremovedfromthe modern its death cannot be perhimselfwith it and therefore reader.He cannot identify much Socratesthe historical not so but hero is ceived as tragic.The tragic Socrates, Nietzsche wants to a Socrates as explainthe influence individual, representing type. of Socrates,which extendsto Nietzsche's own time and indeed "beyond" (p. 71). of Socratesthiskindof weight,i.e. to Nietzschemakes clear thatto give the figure Socrates. to thehistorical themeaning makeitan "epic event"we cannotrestrict culall other own and of our charioteers as one ofthese Socrates Ifwe wishto consider theproofa newandunimagined life-form, we needonlysee himas theprototype tures, man(p. 72). oftheoretical totype man who is thetrueheroof the piece. He is the descendent It is thistheoretical culture. of Socrates,thecitizenof Alexandrian of the strugglebetween Socrates and Let us listento Nietzsche's description main elements. its in order to identify Dionysus, andthereolder the understand whodidnot second wasthat ButSocrates tragedy spectator ofa new theherald tobecome dared choseto ignore fore him, it;inleaguewith Euripides Socratism is the then aesthetic the older that If it was this tragedy, destroyed creativity. wasdirected as thebattle Butinso far itsdeath behind Prinzip]. [dasmrderische principle of theopponent we maycall Socrates of theolderpart, elements theDionysiac against to be destined who rose new the and, although Dionysus up against Orpheus Dionysus, The of theAthenian to piecesbytheMaenads torn court, godto flight. putthepowerful the of the into the of the sea, when he tied as Edoni, depth escaped king Lycurgus, god, world whole the tocover wasgradually that cult ofa secret floods (p. 64). mystical to emerge. thatallows the tragicinsight We see in thisquote the basic pattern him. Reason he Socrates opposes Dionysus; cannot,however, strugglesagainst it can only expel it and defineitselfover againstit. At the irrational; comprehend withDionysus.That is, Socrates is identified thesame timeSocrates is structurally torn to to be "destined like by the Maenads of the Athepieces Dionysus, exactly of Dionysus. nian court,..." Third,his expulsion of Dionysus ensuresthe return Dionysussimplyhides himselfin "the mysticalfloodsof a secretcultthatwas graduallyto coverthewhole world." in a bit more detail. How exactlydoes Socrates We can examine this pattern theoppositiontake? How does Dionysuswork does What forms oppose Dionysus?
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his return? Finally,we need to raise the question of this troublingidentification betweenthefigure of Socratesand thefigure of Dionysus. Nietzsche tells us thatGreek tragedydied tragically, died by suicide, in conthis conflict.It was originallyEuripideswho fought sequence of an irreconcilable of tragedy.But Euripides is "merelya mask" forSocrates (p. 60). death-struggle a and vanquishedAeschyleantragedywith a Socratic tendency, Euripidesfought which the the art never historical Socrates. For Socrates tendency tragic precedes even appears"'to tellwhat's true'" (p. 68). Therefore itmustbe rejected.Nietzsche made no is claimingthatSocrates,and afterhim the whole philosophictradition, to get to the heartof tragedy.Ratherhe rejectedit, fought against it and attempt theyrejectedthe means by whichtheycould expelled it. And in rejecting tragedy, have access to thisdeepertruth, It is only in to thereality whichtragedy represents. thisway thatwe can make sense of Nietzsche's nearlyincredibleclaim to be the first to present a coherent of tragedy. theory - "the Dionysiac and the Socratic,and thatconThus we have a new antithesis flictwas to be the downfallof Greek tragedy"(p. 60). Socrates expels Dionysian withtheoretical belief This optimism consistsin thethreefold pessimism optimism. that:"Virtueis knowledge,all sins arise fromignorance,the virtuousman is the what is unfamiliar is the happy man" (p. 69). These positionsare not unfamiliar, genealogythatNietzsche gives them. They do not stem,accordingto Nietzsche, fromany insightinto the Good, rather away fromthe they stem froma turning of Dionysusand from the attempt to expel it.Optimismis the weapon deepertruth Socratesuses to expel theDionysian. Socratessucceeds in his struggle againstthe Dionysian. For a while at least,he is able to make "existenceappear intelligible and consequently justified"(p. 73). WhatfollowsfromSocrates is the whole history of Philosophyin itswidestsense That is, thewhole story of knowledgeand its development. "Waves of philosophical schools emergedand vanished one afterthe other"(ibid), is Nietzsche's dethe vortex of world scription.In this way Socrates becomes the turning-point, forceof Socraticoptimism had (ibid). Nietzschefeelsthatifthe incredible history" not been thereto use the energiesthat it did, the practicalpessimismcould have lead to "a terrible ethic of genocide through pity"(p. 74). It is art in the formof science or religion thatprevent this"breathof pestilence"(bid). But the science of the theoretical man proceeds to its limits, "where the optimism essentialto logic collapses" (ibid). Before the theoretical man arises preciin thetheatre in Athens- the ineffable. sely whatarose beforeEuripidessitting
If he sees here,to his dismay,how logic twistsaround itselfand finallybites itselfin the tail theredawns a new formof knowledge,tragic knowledge,which needs ait as both and remedy, ifwe are to bear it(p. 75). protection

The wide ocean of knowledgeonto which Socrates launched Westerncivilization has a paradoxical effect. That is, modernman sees the "limits"of this Socraticlove in its limitlessness and therefore searches fora coast in thisocean. It is of the search thatteaches modernman its limits The preciselythe limitlessness
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limitlessness of Socrates is anotherform of optimism, an optimism foundedon the delusionof limitless power(cf. pp. 70-71). I would like to take one specificexample from Nietzsche's analysisof thetheoreticalhuman and Alexandriancultureto show how the exclusion of Dionysus leads to the culture'sdownfalland the return of Dionysus. Nietzsche argues that the cultureof Socrates, needs slaveryin orderto continuein Alexandrian culture, its theorizing, denies this need. existence.At the same time this culture,through Does this need exist because philosophersneed slaves to do theirmenial tasks, while theyspend theirtime in the leisurenecessaryforphilosophy?Perhaps,but I think thereason is deeper.A culturebuilton theexclusionof the Dionysianis built on theillusionthatitsparticular form of violence is better thanthe Dionysianform, when in facttheyare the same thing. Thus, forthissocietyto continuein existence, and hide the expulsionof the Dionysocial formsare requiredwhich both reflect sian. In a societywhere some are slaves and some are free,therewill also exist a as long rancoror bitterness thatallow people to believe, without religionand myth as the mythholds, thatsome humansare born slaves and some are born free.In between Socrates and Dionysus,one also need a orderto keep up the distinction distinction and free.As this latter distinction between slaves gets dissociological solved throughthe Socratic project that emphasizes the dignityof humans,the also gets undercut. distinction former whichanimatesitonlyworksso long as ithas universal Science and theculture the analysisof the limitsof the conclaims,but theseclaims get undercut through that ditionsof knowledge.This is the natureof the "'breach'" in modernculture, at his consequences" (p. 88). mantakesfright "'theoretical of sciencemust basedon theprinciple Al thesamelimehe feelshow a culture perish tobecome toilee itsownconsequences onceitbegins (p. 89). illogical, or philosophicartthatreveals in a universal It is Nietzsche's artistic philosophy claims of science. theundoingof theuniversal manner The Dilemma of the textnow and give my explanation I would like to back away a bit from of art. whatNietzschehas accomplishedby his "art"which is also a theory is He has shown how Socrates,and withhimthe whole philosophicaltradition, but forcesof Dionysus. He has verybriefly, rootedin an expulsionof the irrational of thatwhich is exshown how this expulsion ensuresthe return also brilliantly pulsed. The culturebuilt on logic becomes illogical and is thus lead to the tragic one sees that If one followstheargument of tragedy. and open to the rebirth insight led the readerto the followingposition: 1) One can Nietzsche has veryskillfully accept Nietzsche's position,which is basically a rejectionof Socrates,i.e. a rejecwhichends the tionof the rejectionof Dionysus and followNietzsche's invitation, work, "to sacrifice" in the temple of Dionysus and Apollo. 2) One can reject Nietzsche's analysis and side withSocrates. Socrates or Nietzsche? But thechoice
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Jl'RIlMIAH L Al.BHRC,

ofDionytherejection is nota choice.Forto sidewith Socrates is still to sidewith ofDionysus. susandthus toensure thereturn Thusone's choiceis between Dionyhe represents, becomesa 2000 year sus or... Dionysus. Socrates and theculture detour from which itbegan. that comesbacktotheineffable wouldnot evenas he published Nietzsche it,thatTheBirth knew, of Tragedy in his field. As Nietzsche wrote to hisownteacher be accepted scholars byother "The book, for more than a month after itspublication: after nothearing anything Alis silence".16 it invites after all is something of a manifesto, andthelastthing it drew a scathing attackfiom Ulrich von Wilamowitzmost immediately is to myanalysis, thisattack -Moellendorff entitled According Zukunftsphilologie. becausein the whatNietzsche desired. Either or passionate rejection acceptance endthey arethesamething. of thelimits Itthink that there is. To keepwithin Itsthere another alternative? as it of developing it as fully thisessay,allow me to simply it,instead suggest oftheidentity, involves thenature deserves. Thewayoutofthedilemma exploring an arbitrary and Dionysus. Is thissimply asserted between Socrates byNietzsche, it to ensure that of hisargument identification madebyNietzsche at thebeginning - with for Socrabetween the choice wouldendthere there no real difference being unI do notthink it is simply We must tesor thechoiceforDionysus? arbitrary. fact is on the derstand what the assertion of their is based. It based upon identity that arethevictims ofviolence. Socrates is thevictim Socrates andDionysus, both, inAthens marvelous relate ofthecrowd andDionysus is theone,"ofwhom myths that he was dismembered ofthemyth ofDionybytheTitans" (p. 52). Attheheart sus is a victim ofviolence andNietzsche the"disis misleading whenhe saysthat thetrueDionysiac amounts to a transformation intoair, memberment, suffering, earth and fire, andthat we should therefore see thecondition of individuawater, tionas thesource andorigin ofall suffering andprimal (p. 52) The source ground of all suffering is rather mobviolence. Nietzsche himself theDioThus, saysthat is Heraclitus' "force that buildstheworld", thatis polemos^ nysian phenomenon strife orviolence 1 At the heart of this is violence. (p. 14). myth Conclusion Atthis inhisdevelopment, Nietzsche hisreaders with thechoice point presents I outlined that above- Socrates or Dionysus. Atthesametime he showsthat they ThechoiceofSocrates leadsthrough a 2000 are,intheend,thesamething. simply that one backto Dionysus. I think that Nietzsche is basically yeardetour brings ifoverly in his assessment. After TheBirth Nietzsche accurate, stark, of Tragedy willdevelop a contrast inwhich theopposing eachother polesdo notcollapseinto andwhich of Western culture which is basically in The picksup thestrand ignored Birth theopposition between and theCrucified. Herealso of Tragedy, Dionysus 16 Letter ofJanuary 30. 1872 toRitschl, inSilk andStem, quoted p.91.
RevistaPortuguesade Filosofia, 57 (200 1), 63-71

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LlSTlNING TO NllTZSCHI

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is partof the Nietzsche is correct.We have to choose. For Nietzsche Christianity choices thata tragicexisproblem.It does not help someone to make the difficult tence entails. Rather,it obscures the choices and make the noble choices appear of Christianity can and Other interpretations base. Thus, he rejects Christianity. to the should be given. 1 will not develop thispoint.I will simplyend by returning I bethe with which I Our choice then relates to which started. with image image gan this article.Odysseus is tied to the mast and this allows him to listento the some sort of the mast as representing Sirens withoutbeing doomed. I interpret transcendental relationshipis the relationship.One formof this transcendental Cross of Christand its epistemological power. It directsone to look forthevictims thevictimizes. In thisway turn and victimize to around allow one and yetdoes not I think itcan help us to readNietzscheand to be helpedby him.

RevistaPortuguesa di:Filosofia, 57 (2001), 63-71

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