Abstract

The Thought of Eternal Recurrence: From Discourse to Doctrine. This article gives a new interpretation of eternal recurrence, based on the observation that the central debate about this idea in Nietzsche studies is quite unique in the history of philosophy. This debate is based on a rather radical conflict between Lehre and Rede, doctrine and discourse. Purely doctrinal interpretations tend to underestimate the significance of the discursive form chosen by Nietzsche to express his thought in favor of the Nachlass, whereas discursive readings are generally characterized by an anti-doctrinal, parodic and purely critical function. However, it is possible to reconcile the specificity of the discourse of the eternal recurrence in Nietzsche’s published works with his attempt to establish a real philosophical doctrine. By considering the fictional structure of eternal recurrence in Nietzsche’s published works, we can reinterpret the meaning of Nietzsche’s philosophy of affirmation, which implies a new relationship with life, reality, and values, as well as a new kind of belief. Indeed, we find in fiction a paradigm for such an affirmation of life, which Nietzsche discusses in his analyses of appearance and Greek tragedy.