Nietzsche vs. Canetti- Zwei Anthropologische Systeme Im Vergleich

This thesis compares the anthropological systems of Friedrich Nietzsche as described in "Also sprach Zarathustra" and of Elias Canetti as described in "Masse und Macht." This comparison is based on the fact that both authors share a certain number of key theoretical terms, namely "crowds," "power," and "metamorphosis." Each of these terms is analyzed for each author and then compared.For Nietzsche's crowd theory, this thesis comes to the conclusion, that it is part of the narrative frame of "Also sprach Zarathustra." Through a series of spatial approaches and alienations of the protagonist Zarathustra in relation to different crowds, it becomes obvious that Zarathustra has a highly ambivalent "love affair" with the crowd. Ultimately, he gets over his affection to follow his true calling, the realization of the socalled "Ubermensch."In contrast to Nietzsche, Canetti is a much more detail oriented examiner of the crowd. He provides us with reasons and motivations of the crowd's genesis, its goals and its different manifestations. This thesis points out several analytical misconceptions in Canetti's terminology, like the blurry differentiation between "the mass" and "the pack," and provides alternative explanations. It becomes obvious, though, that Nietzsche and Canetti share a fundamental distrust when it comes to crowds.The similarities end here though. Nietzsche's affinity for power is not shared by Canetti. This is because of Nietzsche's martial and anti-humanistic praise of the ideal "Ubermensch." A closer look shows that this violent concept is leading towards selfdestruction. This is because of Zarathustra's inability to use power in the realm of life and politics. Instead of glorifying the "vita activa" of the leader, he sympathizes with theultimate sacrifice of the warrior.Canetti does not agree with this notion. Although he cannot argue against life's brutal mechanisms, he pleads for a humanistic approach, in spite of the omnipresence of power. Especially the brutal ruler, whose only goal is to survive everybody else, is seen as the ultimate realization of power in the world. It is Canetti's harsh rhetoric against this ruler, which convicts him of the same martial notion that he criticized in Nietzsche.For Nietzsche, who is pro-power, this is not a problem. He only worries about the process of getting close to power. According to Nietzsche, this can only be done through a series of metamorphoses. The three stages he suggests, camel, lion and child, represent the liberation of the individual. At the end of this process stands the "Ubermensch" who has broken with the traditional values of society and created his own values. It is a metamorphosis to power while Canetti argues for a metamorphosis against power.From his point of view, being able to transform oneself into everyone means to feel pity even for the weakest. This idealization totally ignores the violent side of metamorphosis, which Nietzsche rightly points out and calls the Dionysian. This is one of many examples of how reading Canetti through Nietzsche and vice versa can foster a significantly better understanding of the texts.In the final chapter of the thesis, the positions of Nietzsche and Canetti are juxtaposed with other thinkers of early modernism, especially Oswald Spengler. It becomes clear that metamorphosis and its opposite, solidification, are the two primary modes of intellectual operation since antiquity. It is on us to take sides in this struggle or alternatively to strive for a harmony of these extremes which has long been lost.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Germanic Languages and Literatures

Grantor dc:publisher

The Ohio State University

Year dc:date

2006

Author dc:creator

• Bohrman, Niels

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hammermeister, Kai

• Germanic Literature

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1363688573

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:osu1363688573