The Point Of Absurdity
In nature
the rule is not the state of distress
it is superfluity, prodigality,
even to the point of absurdity.
The struggle for existence is only an exception,
a temporary restriction of the will of life.
The struggle, great and small,
everywhere turns on ascendancy, on growth and extension,
–in accordance with the will to power
which is the will of life.
The Gay Science by Nietzsche, trans. R. J. Hollingdale, aphorism 349
One more day of recovery from covid. Spring appears as a cresting wave of growth that demands attention. Chores are to be done especially since we’ve replaced our vegetable growing beds. Each passing day brings the vegetable planting time closer. I decided that I’d work as much as I could never mind covid recovery. Five more bags of organic soil were added to the beds. I mixed that thoroughly with the underlying soil. In the afternoon the rain is forecast.
This excerpt from The Gay Science expresses the insight that mere survival is not the point of Nature. The more traditional Darwinian view is that of a scrum for survival. The most fit, the strongest survive. Nietzsche criticizes the paradigm as a reflection of poverty-stricken English lower class living conditions. For Nietzsche nature considered broadly is extravagance, superfluity, over-the-top experimentation, to the point of self sacrifice. Nature celebrates, exudes strength, endorses risk in contrast to a necessary defensive posture when simply survival is desired.
Personally I much prefer Nietzsche’s assessment that strength, will-to-power is very much the point. Not mere survival.
Following are some photos which I captured today.
2 thoughts on “The Point Of Absurdity”
“Will to Power”
As we’ve discussed many times, the understanding of words within a shared language can be misinterpreted, reinterpreted, confused, and misaligned. I read the words, Will to Power and interpret that behavior as not just detrimental to our species but as an underlying antithesis to evolution. The hunger for power, the desire to lord over others, at least to me, never ends well. Certainly in the animal kingdom the intent with any mating ritual is to express superiority over another of one’s kind to impress a potential mate. This kind of behavior seems to be a staple among all living beings. Yet when consciousness, curiosity, and intelligence are added to the mix that animal desire is bastardized into a self-destructive frame of mind. We humans misinterpret the beneficial aspects of the evolutionary process and turn that innate behavior into a quest for personal power as compared to something that would benefit the species as a whole. Anyway, just a couple of cents worth of my own nonsense.
It seems to me that Nietzsche argues over and over for a frank recognition of the animal that we are. A grasp of the expansive thrust of life itself would be a giant step forward from the usual forms of denial, -somehow we (our tribe) transcends our animal nature, thereby rationalize the right-to-rule our neighbors. However we might justify the ruse of self-deception, it portends catastrophe for everyone. We agree on this point.
Will-to-power is a major theme for Nietzsche. He treats the idea in all of his writings.