Description
Book SynopsisMatthew Tones examines the early ontological development of the tragic disposition in Nietzsche's analysis of the pre-Platonic Greeks and its influence on Nietzsche's quest to discover a future nobility. This book fuses the popular reading of Nietzsche as a naturalist with noble creative impulses to reveal further complexities in his mature work.
Trade ReviewThis is an impressive study of the central role that the tragic plays in Nietzsche's philosophy, including how creativity and nobility figure in this core notion. Noteworthy is an account of how Nietzsche both relied upon, and then diverged from, the Greek sense of tragedy. A welcome contribution to the literature. -- Lawrence J. Hatab, Louis I. Jaffe Professor of Philosophy, Old Dominion University
Nietzsche himself emphasized how much he owed to the ancients, and now this challenging and fascinating study by Matthew Tones reveals how the "tragic disposition" of Nietzsche’s thought is intimately bound up with the question of the future of nobility. An invaluable volume for intellectual historians and classicists alike, and for anyone interested in understanding Nietzsche's tragic wisdom. -- Paul Bishop, University of Glasgow
Nietzsche, Tension and the Tragic Disposition traces the development of Nietzsche’s philosophical vision from his earliest contacts with pre-Socratic and pre-Platonic thinking to its final apogee in the therapeutic teachings of Beyond Good and Evil, and Zarathustra. It gives an excellent account of the unavoidable suffering implied in the human condition, and how the attainment of great heights of nobility of soul is always dependent on acts of sacrilege. Matthew Tones deftly reveals Nietzsche’s proclamation of the death of God as a new act of such sacrilege, enabling new heights of vision over deep abysses of terror. -- Horst Hutter
Table of ContentsChapter 1: The Greek Origin of Tragic Disposition Chapter 2: Growth from Becoming: Phusis as Nurturer Chapter 3: Sacrilege: The Need for Promethean Nobility Chapter 4: Unknown Paths: The Tension of the Journey Chapter 5: New Antipodes: Pathos, Vertigo, Wanderings
