Dionysian vs. Apollonian: Nietzsche’s Philosophy of Life
The Dionysian Principle
The Dionysian is a metaphor that Nietzsche uses to describe a way to conceive of life without reducing it to concepts and definitions. He contrasts the Dionysian to the Apollonian. Nietzsche draws this metaphor from ancient Greek civilization, specifically the theatrical spectacle that was staged in Athens known as Attic tragedy. In tragedy, Nietzsche noticed a constant opposition between two tendencies:
- The Apollonian: Represented by the hieratic nature of the sculptures that make up the stage.
- The Dionysian: Embodied in the dynamism of the action, the choir, and the music within the scene.
Apollo and Dionysus: Opposing Forces
The Dionysian spirit stands in opposition to the Apollonian. It represents a morality based on the desire to live, to be more. According to Nietzsche, the Greek gods Apollo and Dionysus represent the opposing, dialectical forces that occur in every person and society. These forces are seen as a joint and inseparable duality that generates all artistic creation. Apollo embodies the figurative arts, finished space: painting, sculpture, and architecture. Dionysus represents rhythmic forces, the temporary, the unfinished that continually re-creates: dance, music, and tragedy. Apollo is the perfection of form, while Dionysus embodies undefined forces, the will to live, to feel, and to express the deployment of human drives. Apollo is clarity, measure, beautiful forms, serenity, and wisdom. Dionysus is chaotic, without measure, associated with sexual heat, and the god of the night. The god Dionysus is also closely linked to the cycles of life and death, growth and harvest, spring and autumn, the cyclical nature of time, and the stations of life. It is because of this pairing of gods that perfectly represents the dialectic of opposites that are needed and destroy each other to be reborn. Apollo cannot live without Dionysus.
The Dionysian as an Affirmation of Life
The Dionysian is a resounding YES to life. Dionysus is the synthesis of art and the philosophy of nature. Nature delights in beauty, in art, but needs an explanation. This explanation must be given by philosophy, and to do all this is to “know”, a gay knowing (gay = joyful), or Gay Science. Nietzsche believes that, as in the ancient Attic tragedy, life is resolved in a continuous opposition where the Apollonian is imposed on the Dionysian, and the Dionysian subverts the power of the Apollonian.
Dionysian Survival in European Culture
According to Nietzsche, the latent idealism that has characterized European culture, especially in its Christian component, has seen the Apollonian dominate. However, the Dionysian has never disappeared and has always sought a way to survive: in folk customs, art, some literary works, and a few philosophers (Epicurus, Schopenhauer), etc. Nietzsche distinguishes between the figure of Jesus Christ and (St.) Paul of Tarsus. He sees Paul, the Levitical priest, as having established the theological basis of Christian language and the abstract division of the world. For Nietzsche, Paul represents resentment against life, the hypocrisy of preaching humility and service while practicing pride and lust for power. In Jesus Christ, Nietzsche distinguishes a person close to Dionysian values: the creativity of metaphorical language (expressed in symbols and parables), one who risks for their ideals, who does not fear pain or death, who faces the priestly caste of the Pharisees, and who celebrates life and enjoys it with friends.
Nietzsche’s Conclusion
Nietzsche proposed replacing certain aspects of the Apollonian with the Dionysian but ultimately chose to recognize the two trends in philosophy, art, the interpretation of history, customs, etc.