Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Japanese: ニーチェ - にーちぇ（英語表記）Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

German poet and philosopher. He is a standard-bearer of the "philosophy of life" that inherits Schopenhauer's philosophy of will, and is also considered a pioneer of existential philosophy alongside Kierkegaard. His sharp analysis of the modern mental state and his thorough criticism of civilization, in other words, his exposé of "nihilism," have had a huge impact not only on philosophy in the narrow sense, but on modern thought in general, including literature. However, if we look at Nietzsche's work objectively, we can find that his true talent is not simply in his criticism of civilization, but in his presentation of the transcendental, the ultimate foundation of human beings and the meaning of what it means to be human, as something fundamentally life-Dionysian, without being caught up in images of the underworld or death, or so-called "behind-world" metaphors.

[Yosuke Yamazaki March 19, 2015]

Life

He was born on October 15th in Löcken, Saxony, Prussia, as the eldest son of a Lutheran pastor. At the age of 14, he transferred to the prestigious Pforta College near Naumburg, where he acquired the basic knowledge of classical philology. In 1864, he graduated from the college and entered the University of Bonn, but one year later transferred to the University of Leipzig, where he established a group called the "Society for the Study of Philology." Around that time, he was deeply moved by reading Schopenhauer's The World as Will and Representation (1819). In 1868 (at the age of 24), he met the musician Wagner, whom he respected. The following year, in April 1869, he was invited to become an associate professor at the University of Basel in Switzerland, and later came into contact with the cultural historian Burckhardt. In 1872 (at the age of 27), he published The Birth of Tragedy. In 1878, he broke off his friendship with Wagner, and thereafter harshly criticized his music. In the winter of that year (aged 34), his condition worsened, and he resigned from the University of Basel the following year in 1879. He continued to write, moving from Switzerland to Italy, relying on his meager pension, while struggling with illness for the rest of his life. He completed his major work, "Thus Spoke Zarathustra," from 1883 to 1885. On January 3, 1889 (aged 44), he collapsed in Piazza Carlo Alberto in Turin, Italy, and died in a state of mental confusion on August 25, 1900 in Weimar.

[Yosuke Yamazaki March 19, 2015]

Thought - the Source of Being

Nietzsche's thought is generally divided into three periods symbolized by the following three things: (1) trust in "Dionysian wisdom" which is shown as oneness with the original oneness and a leap into the primordial Sein (Being), (2) "free spirit" which cuts off trust and attachment to all ideals and lives in the freedom of thorough skepticism and cold recognition, and finally, (3) Zarathustra who preaches total affirmation in the state of "eternal recurrence." His first work, "The Birth of Tragedy," is of course representative of the first period mentioned above, and is also one of Nietzsche's masterpieces along with "Thus Spoke Zarathustra." The decisive innovation of The Birth of Tragedy is the "Dionysian" impulse, but according to Nietzsche, there are two types of artistic impulses underlying Greek tragedy: one that leads to excess, intoxication, and passion, and the other that leads to order, clarity, contemplation, and reverie. The former is called "Dionysian" after the god of wine, Dionysus, and the latter is called "Apollonian" after the sun god, Apollon. Music and dance are Dionysian, while plastic arts and epic poetry are Apollonian, and these two impulses are beautifully combined in Greek tragedy. However, The Birth of Tragedy is more than just a philological academic paper on the establishment of Greek tragedy, making full use of the two concepts of the Dionysian and the Apollonian; it is also a statement of Nietzsche's own artistic metaphysics and ontology. The fundamental intention of this book is to go against anthropocentrism, which places the origin of art in subjectivity, and seek the original One, the original Being, honored as "Dionysian," as it has been said that "the lyric poet's 'self' resonates from the depths of Sein (existence). Its 'subjectivity' in the sense of modern aestheticians is an assumption." Since the "original One," "original being," and "heart of the world" are not empirical facts that exist within time, space, and causality, naturally they are not something that should be spoken of using "language as the organ and symbol of phenomena," but rather something that should be kept silent, or, on the contrary, should be "sung." When the principle of individuation (time, space, and causality), which is the form of empirical facts = phenomena, is overcome, the "Dionysian" is accompanied by the characteristics of joy and ecstasy that well up from the depths of human beings and from the depths of the world itself; however, while this is painful due to its excess, his later masterpiece, "Thus Spoke Zarathustra," is a hymn to the original life in which he "sang" of its characteristics as "something that has indestructible power and is full of joy despite all the changes in phenomena," something that is immortal behind all civilization.

In addition, "Pleasant Knowledge" (1882) is particularly important as a work that connects the skepticism and recognition of the second period with the reaffirmation of life in the third period. Some of his posthumous manuscripts, written between 1882 and 1888, are included in "The Will to Power."

Nietzsche had a huge influence on the Japanese intellectual world during the Meiji period, and with Heidegger's extensive work he is once again exerting an influence on Japanese philosophers.

[Yosuke Yamazaki March 19, 2015]

"The Complete Works of Nietzsche," edited by Yoshizawa Denzaburo, all 19 volumes (Chikuma Gakugei Bunko)" ▽ "Nietzsche Studies," edited by Hikami Hidehiro (1952, Social Thought Research Association Publishing Division)" ▽ "Nietzsche's Philosophy," written by Karl Lowith and translated by Shibata Jisaburo (1960, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "The Intellectual Heritage of Humanity 54: Nietzsche," written by Yamazaki Yosuke (1978, Kodansha)" ▽ "The Nietzsche Dictionary," edited by Oishi Kiichiro, Onuki Atsuko, Kimae Toshiaki, Takahashi Junichi, and Mishima Kenichi (1995/abridged edition, 2014, Kobundo)" ▽ "Nietzsche: The Idea of Tragic Realization," written by Holger Schmidt and translated by Takeda Junro and Suzuki Takuma (1996, Kokubunsha)" ▽ "Nietzsche and Language: Between Poetry and Meditation" by Sonoda Muneto (1997, Sobunsha)" ▽ "Nietzsche at the Crossroads: Between Two Pessimisms" by Shimizu Maki (1999, Hosei University Press)" ▽ "The Roots of Nietzsche's Thought" by Naito Yoshio (1999, Koyoshobo)" ▽ "Distortion of Nietzsche's Thought: 100 Years of Reception" by Manfred Riedel, translated by Tsuneyoshi Yoshitaka, Yonezawa Mitsuru, and Sugitani Kyoichi (2000, Hakusuisha)" ▽ "Nietzsche's View of Art" by Funakoshi Kiyoshi (2000, Kindai Bungeisha) ▽ "Nietzsche: A Biography of His Thought" by Rüdiger Safranski, translated by Yamamoto Masaru (2001, Hosei University Press)" ▽ "Nietzsche: A Textbook of Knowledge" by Shimizu Maki (2003, Kodansha)" ▽ "Yamazaki Yosuke, 'The Philosophy of the Basis of Living: The Case of Nietzsche' (Daisanbunmeisha, Regulus Bunko)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

ドイツの詩人、哲学者。ショーペンハウアーの意志哲学を継承する「生の哲学」の旗手であると同時に、キルケゴールと並んで実存哲学の先駆者ともされる。現代の精神状況に関する鋭い分析、徹底した文明批判、つまり「ニヒリズム」の摘発によって、狭義の哲学のみならず、文学を含む現代思想全般に多大な影響を与えた。しかし冷静にみれば、ニーチェの本領は単なる文明批評にではなくて、人間の究極のよりどころ、人間が人間であることに意味をあらしめている超越論的なものを、冥界(めいかい)や死のイメージ、いわゆる「背後世界」的な比喩(ひゆ)にとらわれることなく、根源の生＝ディオニソス的なものとして提示した点に求められる。

［山崎庸佑　2015年3月19日］

生涯

10月15日、プロイセンのザクセン州のレッケンに、ルター派の牧師の長男として生まれた。14歳のとき、ナウムブルク近郊の名門、プフォルタ学院に転校し、古典文献学の基礎的素養を修得する。1864年、同学院を卒業し、ボン大学に入学するが、1年後ライプツィヒ大学に移り、「文献学研究会」というサークルをつくる。そのころショーペンハウアーの『意志と表象としての世界』（1819）を読み感激する。1868年（24歳）尊敬する音楽家ワーグナーに会う。翌1869年4月、スイスのバーゼル大学の員外教授に招聘(しょうへい)され、のちに文化史家のブルクハルトと交わる。1872年（27歳）『悲劇の誕生』を出版。1878年ワーグナーと絶交、以後その音楽を激しく非難する。この年の冬（34歳）病状悪化し、翌1879年バーゼル大学を辞職し、生涯、病苦と闘いながら、乏しい恩給を頼りに、スイスやイタリアを転々としつつ著作活動を続けることになる。1883～1885年、主著『ツァラトゥストラはこう語った』を書き上げる。1889年1月3日（44歳）イタリアはトリノのカルロ・アルベルト広場で昏倒(こんとう)し、精神錯乱のまま1900年8月25日ワイマールに没す。

［山崎庸佑　2015年3月19日］

思想――根源の存在

ニーチェの思想は、一般に、(1)根源の一者との一体化、始原のザイン（存在）への躍入として示される「ディオニソス的智慧(ちえ)」への信頼、(2)あらゆる理想への信頼と愛着を断ち切り、徹底した懐疑と冷厳な認識の自由に生きる「自由な精神」、最後に、(3)「永劫(えいごう)回帰」の境涯におけるいっさい肯定を説くツァラトゥストラ、以上三つのものによって象徴される三つの時期に区分される。最初の著作『悲劇の誕生』は、もちろん、前述の第一期を代表するものであると同時に、『ツァラトゥストラはこう語った』と並ぶニーチェ生涯の代表作でもある。『悲劇の誕生』が打ち出した決定的な新機軸は「ディオニソス的」なものにあるが、ニーチェによれば、ギリシア悲劇の根底にある芸術衝動には、過剰、陶酔、激情に向かうものと、秩序、明晰(めいせき)、静観、夢想の方向に進むものとの2種類があり、前者は酒神ディオニソスにちなんで「ディオニソス的」と称され、後者は太陽神アポロンにちなんで「アポロン的」とよばれる。音楽や舞踊はディオニソス的であり、造形芸術や叙事詩はアポロン的であるが、これら二つの衝動はギリシア悲劇においてはみごとに結合している。しかし『悲劇の誕生』は、ディオニソス的とアポロン的という2概念を駆使したギリシア悲劇成立に関する文献学上の学術論文であるという以上に、ニーチェ自身の芸術論的な形而上(けいじじょう)学、存在論の表明でもあった。本書の根本意図は、「叙情詩人の“自己”はザイン（存在）の深淵(しんえん)から響いてくるのだ。近代の美学者がいう意味でのその“主観性”は思いこみである」といわれているように、芸術の根源を主観に置く人間中心主義に逆らい、「ディオニソス的」と尊称される始原の一者、根源のザインに求めるところにある。「始原の一者」「根源の存在」「世界の心臓」は時間空間および因果のうちにある経験的事実ではないから、当然それは「現象の機関およびシンボルとしての言語」によって語るべきものではなく、本来はむしろ沈黙すべきもの、あるいは一転して「歌う」べきものである。経験的事実＝現象の形式である個体化の原理（時間空間および因果）が越えられるとき、人間の内奥より、また世界そのものの内奥より湧(わ)き出てくる喜悦と恍惚(こうこつ)という性格が「ディオニソス的」なものには付きまとっていたが、過剰ゆえの苦痛であると同時に、「現象のあらゆる転変にもかかわらず不壊なる力をもち、愉悦に満ちたもの」、あらゆる文明の背後にあって不滅なるものという性格を「歌い」上げた根源の生への賛歌が後年の代表作『ツァラトゥストラはこう語った』である。

　なお、第二期の懐疑と認識と、第三期の生の再肯定をつなぐ著作として、『悦(よろこ)ばしい知識』（1882）はとくに重要である。1882年から1888年にかけて書きためられた遺稿は、一部『力への意志』に収録されている。

　ニーチェは、明治期の日本思想界に多大の影響を与えたが、ハイデッガーが大きく取り上げたことによって、再度日本の哲学者に作用を及ぼしている。

［山崎庸佑　2015年3月19日］

『吉沢伝三郎編『ニーチェ全集』全19冊（ちくま学芸文庫）』▽『氷上英広編『ニーチェ研究』（1952・社会思想研究会出版部）』▽『カルル・レーヴィット著、柴田治三郎訳『ニーチェの哲学』（1960・岩波書店）』▽『山崎庸佑著『人類の知的遺産54　ニーチェ』（1978・講談社）』▽『大石紀一郎・大貫敦子・木前利秋・高橋順一・三島憲一編『ニーチェ事典』（1995／縮刷版・2014・弘文堂）』▽『ホルガー・シュミット著、竹田純郎・鈴木琢真訳『ニーチェ――悲劇的認識の思想』（1996・国文社）』▽『薗田宗人著『ニーチェと言語――詩と思索のあいだ』（1997・創文社）』▽『清水真木著『岐路に立つニーチェ――二つのペシミズムの間で』（1999・法政大学出版局）』▽『内藤可夫著『ニーチェ思想の根柢』（1999・晃洋書房）』▽『マンフレート・リーデル著、恒吉良隆・米澤充・杉谷恭一訳『ニーチェ思想の歪曲――受容をめぐる100年のドラマ』（2000・白水社）』▽『舟越清著『ニーチェの芸術観』（2000・近代文芸社）』▽『リュディガー・ザフランスキー著、山本尤訳『ニーチェ――その思考の伝記』（2001・法政大学出版局）』▽『清水真木著『知の教科書　ニーチェ』（2003・講談社）』▽『山崎庸佑著『生きる根拠の哲学――ニーチェの場合』（第三文明社・レグルス文庫）』