The radical confrontation between Nietzsche and Heidegger on the overcoming of metaphysics

Abstract

Nietzsche and Heidegger, the two most influential philosophers of our time, maintained a clear position against traditional metaphysics as it appears in the history of European philosophy. However, Heidegger maintained the thesis that Nietzsche?s philosophy of will to power was, after all, a metaphysics. On the other hand, one might infer, through a rather natural conjecture, that Nietzsche would also reject Heidegger?s fundamental ontology as being pure metaphysics. So we have a confrontation between two anti- metaphysical philosophers accusing each other of being metaphysicians. One way out from this curious impasse is to accept that both thinkers have different conceptions of metaphysics and that, if strictly assumed, each one of these conceptions must consider the other as metaphysical. It follows that the Heidegger?s interpretation of Nietzsche is not unfair or pointless, as it is frequently claimed, but strictly correct if one accepts existential ontology?s anti-metaphysical grounds. Similarly, Nietzsche?s interpretation of Heidegger as a metaphysician would also not be unfair or senseless if one accepts the anti-metaphysical basis of Nietzsche?s naturalistic genealogy.