Nietzsche's Schadenfreude

Journal of Nietzsche Studies 44 (1):25-48 (2013)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

ABSTRACT Recent scholarship shows that in the late 1870s and early 1880s Nietzsche attempted to make contemporary naturalism, especially various strands of evolutionary biology, the basis of a new method of historical inquiry and a new style of moral criticism and experimentation. This scholarship demonstrates that nineteenth-century evolutionary thought was crucial to Nietzsche's formulation of his moral and political project. In this article I claim that Nietzsche did not simply draw on and apply contemporary naturalistic theories. Rather I argue that he attempted to refract the ancient model of philosophy and its “spiritual exercises” through the new evolutionary paradigm. In particular, this article argues that Nietzsche tried to hinge one particular ancient spiritual exercise—the “view from above”—to the new evolutionary naturalisms. Nietzsche, I suggest, recast this spiritual exercise in terms of Darwinian evolution. Nietzsche's anchoring of the classical model of philosophy in contemporary naturalisms underpins and explains his claims that joy is the key “philosophical” emotion. By ascending to the Darwinian view from above, as we might call it, Nietzsche suggests that the “joyful” scientist experiences Schadenfreude—he can delight in rather than lament human misfortune and suffering. Nietzsche's fröhliche Wissenschaft derives from and expresses Schadenfreude. I argue that despite his attempt to found his philosophy on the new strands of Darwinian naturalism Nietzsche's own ethical orientation fatally compromises his naturalism.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 91,349

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Nursing Schadenfreude: The culpability of emotional construction.Michael John McNamee - 2007 - Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 10 (3):289-299.
Fortunes-of-Others Emotions and Justice.Kristján Kristjánsson - 2003 - Journal of Philosophical Research 28:105-128.
Schadenfreude in Sport: Envy, Justice, and Self-esteem.Mike McNamee - 2003 - Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 30 (1):1-16.
Brief report.Wilco van Dijk, Jaap Ouwerkerk, Sjoerd Goslinga & Myrke Nieweg - 2005 - Cognition and Emotion 19 (6):933-939.
Nietzsche's Double Binds: Giuseppe Fornari and René Girard on Nietzsche's Thought.Martino Pesenti Gritti - 2013 - Contagion: Journal of Violence, Mimesis, and Culture 20:141-162.
Nietzsche humanist.Claude Nicholas Pavur - 1998 - Milwaukee: Marquette University Press.
Basic writings of Nietzsche.Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche - 1968 - New York: Modern Library. Edited by Walter Arnold Kaufmann.

Analytics

Added to PP
2013-11-24

Downloads
56 (#279,626)

6 months
10 (#251,846)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references