Dance with Nietzsche
In the “mechanical” perspective, the human heart may simply be an organ pumping blood throughout the body, and the stars in the sky may be mere masses of matter burning millions of miles away, rather than symbols of love or hope.
“For those who cannot feel, anyone who participates in the dance is considered insane.” This is a famous quote often attributed to the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, known for his prominent mustache and sharp intellect. He dedicated much of his life to dissecting the layers of how we label things as good and evil, how judgments are formed, and, most importantly, how the categorization process can unleash the potential for humans to become the best version of themselves. His uncompromising and brutal ideas directly challenged the comfortable assumptions of religion, morality, and science, ushering humanity into the modern world that had been dominated by religion (Catholicism).
In Nietzsche’s quote, music can represent anything — it can be the EDM enthusiasts going crazy to the rhythm of a music festival (such as Ravolution), but it can also be an allegory for any specific idea, faith, or desire — the dancers reacting, feeling, and celebrating the music they love. Outsiders, unable to perceive the music, perceive the dancing individuals as insane and foolish. Nietzsche’s main message to spread is that something we cannot understand or feel is not necessarily hopeless or insane. Specifically, in his masterpiece “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” (a book that holds a cherished place in his family’s small library), he states: “You have your way, I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.” This statement reflects the core principles of Nietzsche’s perspectivism: observing the world through multiple lenses or different perspectives. According to Nietzsche, there are countless different perspectives shaped by the cultural, social, and biological limitations of human beings: “There are no facts, only interpretations.” It is highly likely that certain seasoned philosophers who claim to have found objective truth have overlooked their own biases. This viewpoint sparks intense debate, as astrophysicists, for example, may overlook many alternative perspectives on the nature of the universe when trapped in the assumption that the world operates according to the rules of physics, based on mathematical foundations and a wealth of empirical data. In the “mechanical” perspective, the human heart may simply be an organ pumping blood throughout the body, and the stars in the sky may be mere masses of matter burning millions of miles away, rather than symbols of love or hope that inspire many poets and writers.
Returning to the concept of “dance” mentioned above, Nietzsche extensively explores this idea throughout his works. Participating in dance is a way of constantly saying “Yes!” to life. Each dance has its own rhythm, style, context, and meaning. The dances that Nietzsche refers to take place in the festivities of ancient Greece, the satyr plays (which feature gods with wild and uninhibited personalities who spend much of their time drinking, singing, dancing, and chasing beautiful nymphs), the tragedies of Attic, the history of the Bible or Catholicism, the social structure, or the present-day crowd that leads the human mind. The BBC has made a very interesting film about Nietzsche, depicting the journey of the philosopher by Bettany Hughes, starting from the encounter between Nietzsche’s Jewish sister and Hitler, who perpetrated the Holocaust by pursuing the Aryan ideal, to his connections with contemporary great thinkers such as Richard Wagner (composer) and Schopenhauer (metaphysical philosopher), and how his academic achievements shaped the context of the modern world (here’s the link to the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzcD-LCKuNs). In this note, I will share a very interesting summary of Nietzsche’s masterpieces by Kimerer LaMothe, a religious scholar in New York, as well as the way the “dance” thread connects his works, which you can relate to the information in the documentary.
It is challenging to fully grasp the entire structure of Friedrich Nietzsche’s academic body of work. The renowned philosopher wrote in various styles, including essays, aphorisms, poems, and fiction. He introduced a series of peculiar concepts to humanity, such as the “free spirit” (a person not limited by social norms), the Ubermensch (the superhuman in Nietzsche’s philosophy is not someone with supernatural powers like in Hollywood movies, but a human who surpasses all criticism to achieve greatness), eternal recurrence (a concept suggesting that the universe has repeated and will continue to do so in a similar form), ressentiment (resentment or hatred), the ascetic ideal (used in his work “On the Genealogy of Morals” to describe the development of the value system of “master-slave morality”), the revaluation of values, and the affirmation of life (emphasizing the unique value of life and the need for a positive and optimistic perspective). Nietzsche also changed his focus over time, for example, he initially wrote to support composer Richard Wagner and philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (two pillars in the fields of music and metaphysical philosophy), but later criticized both of them. It’s not surprising that different scholars interpret Nietzsche in different ways: Is he a poet or a philosopher? Is he a nihilist, a relativist in morals (someone who doesn’t believe in absolute right or wrong, viewing them as relative depending on circumstances and subjects), a Nazi sympathizer, a critic, or a system builder? Is he a Catholic or anti-Catholic? The answers depend on which part of his academic achievements the reader considers most important.
At the surface of this complexity, Nietzsche provides us with an interpretive key: his reference to “dance” (dance/tanz). These references illuminate the path to Nietzsche’s first book, “The Birth of Tragedy” (1872), extending through his various works to his final masterpiece, “Ecce Homo” (1908). These references not only guide us to his ideas and style but also shed light on Nietzsche’s perennial motivation: guiding the reader on how to affirm life positively and optimistically in the here and now, based on their own flesh-and-blood human selves. The “dance” references call attention to the necessity of sensory education, an effort Nietzsche emphasizes as crucial for creating values faithful to the Earth.
When writing his first work, Nietzsche did not realize the immense significance of “dance” to his philosophy, perhaps because he deeply admired Wagner. At that time, the composer had created four parts of the famous opera “The Ring” (Ring, a cluster of Richard Wagner’s operas inspired by Norse mythology), with the intention of reviving the ancient Greek tragic tradition. Wagner hoped to unleash the power of music as described by Schopenhauer: to redeem humanity from the cravings and sufferings of the Will. During Wagner and his wife Cosima’s visits to the young philosopher, they encouraged him to write an academic book to substantiate their viewpoint. Nietzsche later admitted that due to his eagerness to praise Wagner (and Schopenhauer), he overlooked his own unique insights — specifically, the importance of the dance of the chorus in ancient Greek tragedies, which is crucial in evoking affirmation of life despite the madness, suffering, and even the most brutal deaths that resonate with the audience.
In “The Birth of Tragedy,” Nietzsche analyzes the ambiguous experiences of advancement. He explains that the dance and song of the chorus deeply connect the audience with what the artists express: the elemental rhythms of Nature, which are perpetually creative. When the audience is captivated by the melodies, they feel joy and elation, as they sense themselves participating in an ever-creating whole. From this sensory vantage point, they do not feel disappointed by the tragic deaths of heroes, gods, or any ideals; instead, they embrace these deaths as mere moments in the continuous flow of appearances. Nietzsche refers to this effect as a “magic transformation”: the audience’s perception of suffering and oppression is linked to a sense of “metaphysical comfort” and the recognition that at the bottom of things, beneath all appearances, there is an irreducible power and satisfaction.
In his next work, “Human, All Too Human” (1878), Nietzsche delves into the symbolic system of human beings, including even music, formed through the process of “imitation of gesture” in the medieval drama. He discusses the ancient human impulse to imitate one another, predating the emergence of language and sometimes occurring beyond conscious control… even when gestural language is widely suppressed, as observed in the Catholic people of his time. When humans abandon the learning of how to respond to their own bodily callings, Nietzsche emphasizes, their senses will dull and gradually lose the ability to discern what is truly beneficial for themselves. He poses the question: Where are the books teaching us how to “dance” now? Therefore, “dance” serves as a constant thread throughout Nietzsche’s works, serving as a litmus test for any value, idea, practice, or individual. Does it possess the quality of “dance”? Does it undermine the affirmation of life?
Immediately after completing the work “Human, All Too Human,” Nietzsche’s declining health forced him to leave his teaching position, and he began to pursue plans to write about the tragedy of his own life — a book designed to awaken readers to the sensory advantages they possess, from which they can experience the death of a god — in this case, the death of the Christian God — which Nietzsche believes brings good to the reader and provides them with a justifiable reason to love life. A book that teaches us how to create dance.
Nietzsche began writing about his tragedy right after severing ties with his friends, such as the psychologist Paul Ree and Lou Andreas Salome, a woman they both loved. Nietzsche believed he had found in Andreas Salome someone who could understand his quest: the search for radical, rational affirmation of life. He planned to live with Salome and Ree in an intellectual community called the “Unholy Trinity” (a play on words contrasting with the Catholic faithful). However, due to some suspicions from Nietzsche’s sister, Elisabeth, the trio couldn’t proceed with the plan. A disillusioned Nietzsche wrote to his dear friend Franz Overback: “If we cannot find the alchemical art to turn manure into gold, then I am completely lost.”
Nietzsche’s magic transformation takes place one month later: the first part of the work “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” (1883) is immediately followed by three other parts. The content revolves around Zarathustra, a prophet who has lived alone on a mountain for ten years, descending to teach people how to love themselves and humanity. All four parts make reference to dance, the dancer, and bodily movement. Zarathustra is a dancer, and “dance” is what he urges others to engage in. Zarathustra exclaims, “You are higher men, but it is a pity that you have not learned how to join the dance that urges from within (which I have to perform) to surpass yourselves! What does it matter if you fail? How much possibility of success still remains?” Zarathustra continues, “I believe only in a god who knows how to dance,” emphasizing that beautiful ideals must strongly encourage us to affirm bodily life.
Following Zarathustra, Nietzsche continues to champion “dance” as a touchstone to produce life-affirming values. The work “On the Genealogy of Morals” (1887) focuses on criticizing the moral foundations of European Christianity. “Dance” appears as a practice undertaken by the strong to maintain their ability to absorb their experiences; those who can “dance” will not be burdened by resentment or the urge for revenge. Humans need deep sensory discernment to resist the harmful effects of the ascetic ideal. In the works “Twilight of the Idols” (1889) and “Antichrist” (1895), “dance” appears as a disciplinary method to train sensory awareness and harness the skills of consciousness and responsibility, enabling us to engage responsibly in creating value and gaining clear understanding of the movements someone is making.
The widespread reference to Nietzsche’s concept of “dance” serves as a timely reminder of the effort to overcome oneself — freeing oneself from anger, bitterness, and sorrow — to always say “Yes” to life. This is not merely an intellectual or scientific endeavor. The ability to affirm life requires continuous practice, discipline to align the mind with elemental rhythms, the creativity of our senses, the grand reasons. Our bodies do not say “I” but “does I.” Only through deep immersion in such practices can we attain sensory awareness necessary for accurately evaluating whether the values and movements we are leading truly express a strong love for ourselves and for this Earth.
By Quan Nguyen Ha
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