Values and Identities Seminar: Retrospection and Revaluation in Nietzsche: Overcoming our Evolution in the Pursuit of Freedom

Ashling McEvaddy, IRC funded PhD candidate in Philosophy, will present a paper, ‘Retrospection and Revaluation in Nietzsche: Overcoming our Evolution in the Pursuit of Freedom’ as part of the Values and Identities seminar series on Monday 24th February

Time: 3 pm

Venue: Tom Duddy seminar room, Philosophy Building, Morrisroe House, 19 Distillery Road

ALL WELCOME

Abstract: For Nietzsche, in order to qualify as ‘free’ individual, one must be capable of self-regulation and self-creation, of legislating one’s own values. Such freedom is a future possibility, but only if we first overcome our past evolution, and its current presence within us. Nietzsche sees the evolution of man as a ‘herd animal’ as a necessary stage of early human development, but its necessity is of temporal and sociohistorical specificity. Our failure to move beyond this stage prevents further evolution, evolution that is necessary if we are to ever attain the status of a ‘free spirit’ (freigeist). In this paper, I explore how it is that we have remained so entrenched in this herd mentality, and the necessity of undergoing a genealogical study of our evolution to both become aware of the dangers of remaining in this state, and to acquire the means to move beyond it. In order to appreciate Nietzsche’s positive account of evolution, I also look at his negative account – what evolution is not – for his rejection of the prevalent 19^th century teleological and moral-foundationalist evolutionary models plays a crucial role, both in the explanation of our stunted development thus far, as well as in the formation of his positive account as grounded in his Will to Power ontology and his understanding of the world as Becoming. This genealogical study is necessary for the possibility of freedom as it is only by means of acknowledging our problematic relationship to the past, and its continued affectivity within us, that we become aware of the fact that we are not actually free at all. This realization in turn awakens us to the necessity of overcoming this arrested state if we are to ever attain genuine freedom.

https://mooreinstitute.ie/research-group/values-identities/