Date: Fri, 10 Feb 95 17:04 GMT
From: WIDDER-AT-VAX.LSE.AC.UK
Subject: Re: Goetterdammerung


In TWILIGHT OF THE IDOLS, Nietzsche speaks of the 'Spiritualization of 
Emnity', and writes something to the effect of (since I don't have the
books with me):  "The Church has at all times desired to destroy its enemies.
We, we immoralists and anti-Christians, recognize that it is to our advantage
that the Church exists."  Similar ideas are presented by Zarathustra when he
says "you shall hate your enemy, but never despise him."

Basically, I don't see any necessary connection between being a violent 
thinker, a powerful antagonist, and despising one's enemy -- in Nietzsche's
case, Christianity.  And while there are some academics that try to make
Nietzsche more acceptable by pacifying him, there are others who are much
more sensitive to walk the fine line between violent critique and despising
the enemy.  Bill Connolly (someone more people on this list really ought to
read) has written a lot on this under the terms of replacing antagonistic
relationships with relations of 'agonistic respect'.

Nathan
widder-AT-vax.lse.ac.uk

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