The Birth of Tragedy

Analyze the role of the individual and the collective in Nietzsche’s thought. How does he define each? What is the wider significance of each element in The Birth of Tragedy?

Nietzsche sees reality as inherently tragic and pessimistic, expressing “contradiction” and “suffering.” Yet he also states that “life is at bottom indestructibly powerful and joyful” (39). Can these two statements be reconciled, in your view? Why or why not?

Compare and contrast Nietzsche’s use of the “will” with Schopenhauer’s conception of it. How are the two thinkers different or similar in their conception and application of this concept? What role does will play in The Birth of Tragedy?

Nietzsche argues that tragedy helped the Greeks produce their great social and political achievements. Do you think that art can influence sociopolitical events? Why or why not?

Analyze how Nietszche categorizes different forms of art, such as music, the “plastic” arts, and tragedy. What is the significance of each in his analysis? How does each element symbolize a different aspect of his social and cultural thought?

How does Nietzsche critique rationality and science in The Birth of Tragedy? In what ways does he conform to, or diverge from, other anti-Enlightenment cultural trends of his time?

Nietzsche characterizes the tragic spirit as having “died” at the end of the classical period of Greek culture, yet many revered tragedies have been written since then, by Shakespeare and other playwrights. Do later tragedies reflect the true tragic spirit, as described by Nietzsche? If so, how, and if not, why not?

Nietzsche offered a critical assessment of The Birth of Tragedy in “Attempt at a Self-Criticism.” Do you agree with his criticisms? What are the strengths and weaknesses of Nietzsche’s approach in the work, and how do his core ideas in The Birth of Tragedy compare to those of his more mature works?