Tsinghua Philosophical Annual (2002)

Author: Wan Junren
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features:
1. The myths of Dionysus and Apollo in ancient Greece are very rich and complex. The origins of the gods are a specialized field of study. Broadly speaking, the gods on Mount Olympus have diverse origins and are rarely purely "local" Greek deities. However, the Greeks used their wisdom to connect them, creating their own "genealogy" (Hesiod's Theogony). According to modern research, the Greek "sun god Apollo" may have originated from the north, possibly related to herding, and was a "pastor," giving him skills such as "brightness," "music," "healing," and "hunting," which are associated with herding. He might even wear a "sheepskin" to manage the flock; ① The "god of wine Dionysus" also has a similarly complex "origin." His connection to wine stems from his expertise in winemaking, which he passed on to people. Sometimes, wine's ability to intoxicate led to misunderstandings. ② The relationship between these two deities and ancient Greek tragedy is also a specialized and complex issue. Broadly speaking, Greek tragedy performances were centered around festive activities, much like athletic competitions, with a competitive nature. Perhaps the prize for tragedy was a sheep, or maybe because Apollo was skilled in singing and dancing, or for some other reason, this competition was linked to Apollo. In various legends, the connection between tragic competitions and Apollo is quite clear, whereas the relationship with Dionysus is not as close. Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy primarily aims to link "Apollo" and "Dionysus," pointing out that the ancient Greek tradition of tragedy hides the spirit of "Dionysus" behind the "Apollo." Here, "Apollo" is defined as "light," "reason," and "contemplation"; while "Dionysus" represents "darkness," "ecstasy," "emotion," and "movement." Nietzsche believed that Greek tragedy, according to its "origin-creation" theory, was like this, but in later developments, the spirit of "Apollo" became increasingly important, while the spirit of "Dionysus" was deeply "buried." Nietzsche's own task was to awaken this "original" Dionysian spirit. This was originally a philosophical question, but it was elaborated through the study of Greek tragedy. This idea was later fully developed by Nietzsche as the "will" as a "creative" "free" "force," "transcending," "surpassing," and being "more fundamental" than "reason." Here, it is clearly seen that Nietzsche expressed a philosophical idea from Schopenhauer: "the will" is the origin of the world, and this origin is obscured by the "phenomenal world—Apollo's domain," which has been rationalized. Nietzsche followed this idea to utilize his classical knowledge. In The Birth of Tragedy, Nietzsche explicitly pointed out that this hidden ecstasy—the Dionysian spirit—is not animalistic, not a "monkey," but quite the opposite, it is the "primitive man—Urbild des Menschen," embodying the "highest—h?chsten" and the "strongest—staerksten." ① Here, we see that Nietzsche particularly emphasized the "non-animalistic" nature of "will" and "sensation," not a "passive" "passion," but an "active" "creation."