When one thinks of the classical Nietzschean narratives that have dominated literary and philosophical criticism over the years, one thinks almost automatically of the musings on the Apollonian and Dionysian forces underpinning life, and the will to power that Nietzsche so adamantly pursued as a theme throughout his powerful, sometimes haunting works. Modern interpretations and circumscriptions of Nietzsche as a man and an intellectual tend all too readily to reference his unfortunate demise into madness and irrationality. Aside from the personal painting of Nietzsche’s life and health, however, there is the fundamental question of hermeneutics and interpretation in the context of his compelling works of philosophy and their bearing on the modern mind; how can we think about current socio-political circumstances through a Nietzschean lens?
Post-structuralism, post-truth, postmodernism; these are just a few of the terms coined in modern parlance to delineate the cultural narratives that have dominated this century. The end of history, the idea that we have reached a point of evolution that no longer fits simply into analytical and intellectual categories; this would seem to be the transcendent consensus of 21st century social thought. It is often forgotten, or perhaps taken for granted, that much of the modern consensus owes its analytical origins to the thought of that controversial ‘punk’ philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche. The concept of a realm beyond good and evil, the death of God, the birth of tragedy and the concept of a will to power; these ideas point towards that distinctly modern consciousness of possessive individualism. Even those political labels we readily avail ourselves of today – conservatism, liberalism, socialism – have somewhat of a Nietzschean undercurrent to them; the very concept of individualism, arguably epitomised by the politics of Margaret Thatcher, has a whiff of Nietzschean inspiration about it.
In these times of grave political uncertainty and volatile social identity, it would be useful to draw upon the ideas of morality, will and ethics in Nietzsche’s writings to illuminate an understanding of what has been happening in politics and culture of late. The voices that have come to dominate modern political populism – Trump, Farage and Le Pen, for example – have all championed the forces of the ‘ordinary’ man; the ‘working’ man. A move away from the lofty ideals of liberalism, constitutionalism, jurisprudence and intellectualism has been the direction of 21st century populist visionaries. The movement has predominantly grown out of an emergence of anti-establishment sentiments and reactionary emotions, combined with deep feelings of marginalisation felt by those on the cusp of industrial society. A disdain for modern experts and intellectualism, and a return to a more basic, bottom-up state of affairs; this has been brewing in the political waters for decades.
So, how does any of this relate to a 19th century ‘forward-thinking’ Germany philosopher? Anyone who has had the pleasure of reading Nietzsche’s works will know how distinctly modern his ideas seem; how apt they appear in the context of a 21st century political mood. One need only examine the questioning of moral and intellectual certainties that Nietzsche presents us with to inform a deeper understanding of the current dynamics both within and between societies; the rising success of populism and anti-establishment thinking that is quickly becoming a sign of the times has a distinctly amoral texture to it, probing us to confront the fact that those high-minded ideals that grew out of the enlightenment have slowly faded into a tendency of distrust towards moral and intellectual claims.
Many of us are far too quick to attack the rising waves of populism around the world with rhetoric relating to small-mindedness, nationalism or fascism; we may be better off looking towards deep thinkers like Nietzsche to comprehend the 'all too human' forces that are dividing social structures at present. Moral certitude is gradually fading away, and a new dawn of political consciousness - beyond good and evil - is perhaps upon us…