Will to cruelty in Nietzsche’s tragic writings

Abstract

This text aims at showing how the problem of cruelty is already present in Nietzsche’s early texts, which I call “tragic writings”. It is true that the concept of will to power and the destructive drives that it contains will become fully explicit only during the third and last period of Nietzsche’s productive life. Nonetheless, the issue of forces and their relation permeates and fundamentally marks the reflections the philosopher develops from 1869 onwards on tragedy and Hellenic civilization. Thus, besides tragedy as such, he analyzes the role that art, politics, religion and the genius played in the formation and development of Greek life. The most important thing, however, is to notice that, together with the cruelty that characterizes the will in the “tragic writings”, there exists a delight emanating from the same will, a will that knows neither satisfaction nor end.

Keywords: Nietzsche, will to power, cruelty, forces, delight.