Monday, June 3, 2013

Inspiration, Will to Power, Creativity

Nietzsche's description of Inspiration, in the 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' section of Ecce Homo, is reminiscent of that of the Dionysian experience that he presents in Birth of Tragedy, one phase of which is "the collective release of all the symbolic powers." (BT, #2)  However, his exposition of how the Will to Power aims at the "expansion of power" (The Gay Science, #349), ignores that example, so he never seems to explicitly consider that Inspiration is an effective means in that expansion.  Thus, his exhortation, in #211 of Beyond Good and Evil, to philosophers to be "commanders and legislators" that "create values", falls short, according to Dionysian standards, of one that also calls for them to 'be inspirational', and to create values that specifically promote Creativity itself.  He thus misses an opportunity to more explicitly discourage some of those who have claimed to be inspired by him--Egoists, Fascists, Oligarchs, etc.--each of whom advocates the suppression of Creativity in one respect or another, and, hence, constrains, not liberates, the Will to Power.

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