Nietzsche's Apollonian and Dionysian principles in The Birth of Tragedy

Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844 -- 1900) was a German philosopher and classical philologist. He had criticized nihilism in Europe, Christianity and challenged the contemporary philosophical concepts on morality/ethics, politics, culture and science. He is poetic in his arguments, adroitly using metaphors and aphorism. His contributions are immense on the future sciences of psychology, sociology, political science and anthropology; his philosophical contributions are substantial in existentialism, post-modernism and post structuralism. He made his name in emphasizing ethics and criticizing the European Historical ideals. His first major work Birth of Tragedy is a critique on ancient Greece and Socrates who is considered the founder of Western Civilization.

Richard Wagner (1813-1883) and Schopenhauer (1788-1860) influenced Nietzsche (Russel). Wagner's book Tristan and Isolde is significant in the start of modern music. Nietzsche rejected Wagner's Aesthetics and Romanticism; he also criticized Rousseau and Kant. However he (Nietzsche) regarded himself as the successor of Schopenhauer. He inherited anti-Christianity from Schopenhauer; he also conferred to the idea of Schopenhauer Nihilism in Europe. To distinguish his concept of nihilism he named it Dionysian pessimism, which forms the central part of Birth of Tragedy.

The Birth of Tragedy was published in 1871. It was a critique on Wagner emphasis on music as a divine function like religion. He used the metaphors of Apollo and Dionysus (ancient Greek Gods) to develop his idea of art and nature. Apollo is the god of sun, of dream and of reason; whereas Dionysius is the god of wine, ecstasy, and intoxication. The Birth of Tragedy had 25 chapters out of which the first 15 chapters explain the tragedy of nihilism (meaninglessness) in Greek life in which Apollonian met with the Dionysian (Dutton).

Phenomenon of Music in the eyes of Nietzsche

Socrates was a rebel. He criticized the existing meaningless life of Athens in ancient Greece. He wrote little but his teachings reached us through Plato. Almost 60% population of Athens was slaves. Women were not allowed to vote. A small majority of bourgeoisie elected the Congress, which used to take decisions for the whole population. War was an important part of their life especially with the Spartans. Socrates is one of the founders of Western Civilization; his most important contribution was the introduction of the new method of dialectic method of inquiry which he applied to the examination of ethics (good or bad). The dialogues between Socrates and Plato talked of creating a Utopia, named it Republic (380 B.C). These ideas were embryonic in nature laying the foundations of the modern Social Sciences. Republic was considered as a central piece of Western philosophy. Socrates challenged the pagan traditions and talked about some order in the society, however music and intoxication remained the central piece of that ideal life with a concept of providing temporary relief to the individual. The moral ideals were created through dialogue between mythos (Religion) and Logos (Logic). The responsibility to set these standards of morality lies on the philosopher. Unfortunately, Christianity came to help the down trodden of the society (plebs), instead Nietzsche thinks that the new religion became a tool in the hand of the autocrats/bourgeoisie (Durant).

Nietzsche was a rebel of his age. Using the method of dialectic he wanted to give meaning to life. He was a philologist. To challenge the Nihilism in European life and make a way out towards modernism, he had to challenge religion specially the concept of Fatalism, contemporary traditions specially Romanticism and ultimately challenge the morality/ethics. Being son of a Protestant pastor, criticizing Christianity was not a problem (Russell). His congruence of ideas with Schopenhauer was automatically instinctual; as one needs intellectual support to challenge religion in a traditional conservative society of Germany. His idea of God is Dead, argued the religious concept of fate and supporting the idea of making one's own fate. Birth of Tragedy was his first major works. It was written at a time when Richard Wagner's book Tristan and Isled was talked about. The ideals of the German composer had to be criticized to start his intellectual journey. Nietzsche criticized the Greek life and the ideas of Socrates and Plato. He used Socrates as a metaphor to show his disagreement with dictates of Roman Catholicism. He called it a tragedy; which took birth in ancient Greece.

Music and intoxication were the integral part of the life in ancient Greece. Music and intoxication were used to lessen the sufferings of the people, which had been imposed on individuals by Fate. This concept was the hallmark of European Nihilism. Music captures the soul and creates dissonance, which could be used positively as well as negatively. Nietzsche criticized music in the first 15 chapters of Birth of Tragedy; he thought that music was used negatively (Hawley). As already explained that this negativity was a combination of Apollonian and Dionysian principles. I think that Nietzsche was not against music, however, he used it as a metaphor to create interest amongst the audience towards his reformatory approach. In the last 10 chapters he talks about the use of music which can have a positive impact on the society to break the Nihilism.

Speculate on what a philosophy whose foundation rested in music or the Dionysian would be like. Who would be such a philosopher?

I think that Nietzsche is talking about the philosophers who believe on Romanticism and Liberalism to lessen the miseries of the individuals. He had criticized Kant and Rousseau as they were supporting Liberalism (Russell). Nietzsche was witnessing the post Renaissance period of Europe which in his opinion was taking refuge through the promotion of arts and music. It is also possible that Nietzsche envied the position enjoyed by Richard Wagner in the society. He knew Wagner and his wife personally. The pompous life of the German bourgeois considered music and theater a means to show their love for liberal arts; this perception was adding to the meaningless life which he called Dionysian Pessimism. In Nietzsche's views, such philosophers were not helping the society. Nietzsche was a philologist who wanted change and modernization; he had admired Voltaire for his free thinking for change.

Nietzsche was a complex personality his views changed throughout his life. Birth of Tragedy was a prelude to his journey of intellectualism.