The Trans-Atlanticist

The Trans-Atlanticist

Transatlantic Wisdom Finale: The Meaning of Meaning: Friedrich Nietzsche and Wallace Stevens Redux

Download it: MP3 | AAC | OGG | OPUS

There is no “I” that sees in every direction at once. In the sixth and final episode of Transatlantic Wisdom, Michael Coyle and Alan Swensen return to Friedrich Nietzsche’s Genealogy of Morality (1887) in order to explore its importance in the development of modern wisdom literature, particularly Wallace Stevens’ poetry. Key themes include an exploration of the ascetic ideal in the Western tradition; the importance of form or genre in the creation of meaning; the differences between treatise, polemic, and aphorism; the tensions between having a systemic worldview and having no systemic worldview; the impossibility of achieving pure knowledge; and lastly the joy that comes in understanding that the absence of meaning provides human beings with the unique existential opportunity to be creative.


Comments


New comment

By submitting your comment you agree that the content of the field "Name or nickname" will be stored and shown publicly next to your comment. Using your real name is optional.

About this podcast

Andrew Sola explores the past, present, and future of relations between Europe and the United States with scholars, artists, authors, politicians, journalists, and business leaders. Based at the Amerikazentrum in Hamburg, the Trans-Atlanticist provides you with insights from the thought leaders who are shaping the trans-Atlantic relationship every single day.

by Andrew Sola

Subscribe

Follow us