This chapter will outline the significance of the idea of eternal recurrence in relation to the problem of nihilism that has consumed human beings, following the catastrophic event of the ādeath of Godā. Nietzsche advanced the doctrine of eternal recurrence as a potential antidote to our passive nihilism which has left us indifferent to all forms of creative, artistic and intellectual development, as these ālast humansā. The eternal recurrence acts as a new centre of gravity, giving our lives new purpose and meaning, against the meaninglessness of existence, allowing us to create values of our own which we can live by. This chapter will also analyse three key interpretations of the idea of eternal recurrence found in Nietzscheās corpus ā as an imaginative thought experiment which tests our affirmation of our lives; as a cosmological hypothesis of time which opposes the Christian linear conception of time and which is associated with ancient Greek models of time; and as a poetic metaphor witnessed in Thus Spoke Zarathustra , which encourages us to live āin the momentā and experience the moment of eternal recurrence, rather than merely conceptualise the idea of eternal recurrence.
1.1 Introduction
In this book, I would like to give an overview of the eternal recurrence of the same and its relevance in Nietzscheās texts, which he presented as being the pinnacle of his whole philosophy and philosophical outlook.1 I would also like to investigate and expose the significance of the thought of the eternal return, explaining its value and importance for us, by looking at the very meaning and significance that the thought can endow our life with, as the āheaviest thoughtā, through its creative cultivation and transformation of the individual in their self-realisation as an āoverhumanā (Ćbermensch ).
I also want to look at its role as the great counter-ideal to the ascetic ideal which drives what Nietzsche interprets as a life-denying Christian morality which is consumed with ressentiment and the spirit of revenge. The idea of eternal return also acts as an antidote to the insidious indifferent nihilism which develops out of Christian morality once it can no longer sustain us. I believe that Nietzsche saw that there was a real need for this counter-ideal to the ascetic ideal to combat and overcome both our nihilism (and our hostility to all forms of creative, artistic and intellectual development which results from this) and our anger and frustration with our temporal existence.
Another important reason for why I am engaging in an examination of Nietzscheās idea of eternal return is because of the wide difference seen among commentators when establishing the importance or lack of importance of the eternal return in Nietzscheās philosophy. Whereas some commentators, such as Ernst Bertram and Peter Poellner, say little about the idea of eternal return, others, including Bernd Magnus and Martin Heidegger, put it at the very centre of his thinking. With this book I hope to arrive at a well-based assessment of the importance of the eternal return in Nietzscheās philosophy, taking the lead from Nietzsche himself, who makes substantial claims about the importance of the idea of eternal return in his overall vision.
The structure of this book will be as follows:
The first chapter will outline the significance of the idea of eternal return in relation to the problem of nihilism that has consumed human beings, now that our Christian moral values, driven by the ascetic ideal, which once supported us, are no longer able to sustain us ethically and culturally, and so collapse. Nietzsche advanced the doctrine of eternal return as a potential antidote to our passive nihilism which has left us indifferent to all forms of creative, artistic and intellectual development, as these ālast humansā. The eternal return acts as a new centre of gravity, giving our lives new purpose and meaning, against the meaninglessness of existence, allowing us to create values of our own which we can live by. This chapter will also analyse three key interpretations of the idea of eternal recurrence found in Nietzscheās corpus ā as an imaginative thought experiment which tests our affirmation of our lives; as a cosmological hypothesis of time which opposes the Christian linear conception of time and which is associated with ancient Greek models of time and attempts to resurrect their more holistic approach to life; and as a poetic metaphor witnessed in Thus Spoke Zarathustra , which encourages us to live āin the momentā and experience the moment of eternal return, rather than merely conceptualise the idea of eternal return.
It is important to stress that these three key interpretations of eternal recurrence are all useful in their own way, as they help to give us a more rounded and holistic picture of eternal recurrence. They should not, as some commentators believe, be interpreted as necessarily being in conflict with each other. It is perfectly possible to hold, for example, that a certain thought is true and that it can also be deployed in a thought experiment intended to test peopleās attitude to life. The three interpretations are better seen as approaches which, in combination, only serve to deepen our understanding of eternal recurrence.
Chapter 2 will look in more detail at the reasons why Nietzsche furnished a cosmological model of eternal recurrence. It will look at how this more scientific and hypothetical presentation of eternal recurrence helps to support and focus our attention on the thought of eternal return and take it more seriously, as that thought that will enable us to existentially overcome the complacency of our nihilistic and indifferent disposition. It also plays the important role of presenting a model of time which is in opposition to a Christian moral linear timeline, which only devalues our lives and cultivates a bad and guilty conscience within us.
In opposition to this, the eternal return allows the human being intrinsically to develop themselves and create new values, freeing them from any ressentiment they may harbour against their past, and facilitating a much more psychologically healthy outlook on their past, present and future, including potential creative possibilities that lie ahead. This chapter will also review contemporary criticisms of Niet...
