Nietzsche without qualities: A theory of life/practice
Abstract
My text develops a philosophy of life that is founded upon Nietzsche's notion of "self-overcoming." I have situated my discussion within the context of Robert Musil's The Man Without Qualities. My contention is that in the absence of "qualities," or a rigid self-conception, life can be taken up as an art. I argue that the art of living well involves finding "the zone" in all practices of the world--from washing the dishes to holding a conversation. When we manage to liberate movement from "qualities" or a "self," expressivity can be taken to a higher level. I call the effort to actualize such a philosophy in one's daily life "creative becoming." Creative becoming privileges the expansion and release of expressivity in the world through practices. Although I rely on philosophic texts such as Nietzsche's Zarathustra, Heidegger's Being and Time, Unamuno's Tragic Sense of Life, and Max Stirner's The Ego and Its Own to clarify my thought, the bulk of the meditation is original.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Weinstein, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Political science|Philosophy|Language
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