| dc.description.abstract | Through his views on perspectivism and the will to power, Nietzsche indirectly influences
many current discourses on identity. This article places these themes in the broader context of
Nietzsche’s thought. Firstly, it is indicated how difficult it is to speak of someone’s identity by
showing how many ‘Nietzsches’ appear in his writings, notebooks and letters and the accounts
of his contemporaries. Such comparative readings, although they may cast new light on
Nietzsche’s philosophy, are rare in Nietzsche scholarship. Next, his views on identity are
briefly explored, paying attention to his rejection of the centred subject, equality and morality
and his view on hierarchy, creativity and power struggles. Finally, it is argued that Nietzsche
confronts our discourses on identity with challenges regarding the ubiquity of power struggles,
the role of ressentiment, the possibility of communication across boundaries, the importance of
the individual and the problem of affirmation. Discourses on identity, although fashionable, are often confusing. Instead of
offering solutions, this article uses Nietzsche’s life and philosophy to identify some causes of
confusion and indicates where crucial decisions regarding our presuppositions have to be
taken. Its aim was not to produce knowledge but, in line with Nietzsche’s practice, to ‘produce
ignorance’, to question the terms we use confidently, without fully considering their meaning
or implications. | en_US |
