The Role of Suffering in Nietzsche's Philosophy Open Access

Abstract

The goal of this thesis is to elucidate the concept of suffering in Nietzsche’s philosophy by examining, in order, three works from his overall anthology: The Birth of Tragedy, Thus spoke Zarathustra, and Ecce Homo. Starting with The Birth of Tragedy, I explore suffering’s role primarily through the concepts of the Apollonian and Dionysian and establish that suffering is a destructive force in Nietzsche’s philosophy that he sees as essential for creation; from there, we move into Thus Spoke Zarathustra, where I discuss changes in the role of suffering, most notably the break from any metaphysical framing of the concept, and how suffering is now depicted as a challenge that Nietzsche advocates for and approaches through the concepts of  “courage,” “pity,” and “triumphs.” In the third and final chapter, I bring the lessons of The Birth of Tragedy and Thus Spoke Zarathustra into their culmination with an examination of Ecce Homo. In Ecce Homo, I show how our previous examinations on the role of suffering are brought into discourse, and that Nietzsche’s final conception of suffering is a destructive force that is utilized both internally and externally for the purpose of self-creation and discovery. Throughout the entirety of the thesis, I use secondary sources and other works from Nietzsche, including his unpublished notebooks, to examine suffering and justify my claims.

Table of Contents

Introduction ……… 1

Chapter I…….……… 6

Chapter II…………… 25

Chapter III ….……… 46

Conclusion…………. 64

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Philosophy
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Philosophy
Keyword	Nietzsche
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Prof. Andrew Mitchell, Emory University
Committee Members	Prof. Axelle Karera, Emory University Prof. Louise Pratt, Emory University Prof. Ernesto Blanes-Martinez, Emory University

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