This dissertation explores the ways in which Nietzsche’s experimentalism has been received in secondary literature, and argues that it should have been received differently.
The approach of this research
It does so by connecting two elements. First, a close reading of all Nietzsche's texts that contain the word ‘Experiment’ or one of its derivatives. Second, an interpretation of his philosophical work as a whole, which is taken to revolve around the question of value, or, more specifically, the human activity of valuation.
The insights of this research
When connected, these two elements cast a surprising new light on Nietzsche’s philosophy. If his project is an attempt at revaluation, experimentation can be said to serve as his new criterion of value. By applying it, he seeks to reshape not only philosophy, but indeed life itself. This becomes especially clear when the new criterion is contrasted with the old one: morality. For Nietzsche, morality has led Western culture into the trap of nihilism. Could experimentation lead us out of it?
This dissertation is part of ‘Nietzsche: Experiment and Nihilism’, a research project prompted by the Laura Foundation.
