Friedrich Nietzsche: Ardent critic of societal reactions to unorthodoxy and non-conformism

Authors

  • Srabana Bhattacherjee Psychiatric Social Work Tutor, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Kanke, Ranchi, India
  • Dipanjan Bhattacharjee Professor of Psychiatric Social Work, Post Graduate Institute of Behavioural and Medical Sciences (PGIBAMS), Raipur, India
  • Basudeb Das Professor of Psychiatry, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Kanke, Ranchi, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29120/ijpsw.2024.v15.i1.203

Keywords:

Nietzsche, health, illness, morality, society

Abstract

Friedrich Nietzsche is a fascinating and controversial figure known for his unconventional views on health and illness. His rejection of traditional psychological sickness approaches has garnered praise and criticism. He is renowned for his unyielding criticisms of conventional morality, religion, and societal norms, often based on psychological diagnoses uncovering flawed thinking and beliefs. Additionally, Nietzsche used his psychological analyses to craft innovative theories about the self and propose new values to spark cultural renewal and improve people's social and psychological well-being. These proposals sought to supplant the outdated values he found fault with. This article attempts to delve into his ideas concerning mental health in terms of his thoughts on health and illness.

References

Nietzsche F. Mixed opinions and maxims. In W. Kaufmann (Ed. & Trans.), The portable Nietzsche (pp. 64–67). New York: Penguin Books. 1976. (Original work published 1879)

Nietzsche F. The Birth of Tragedy out of the Spirit of Music, Walter Kaufmann (trans.), New York: Vintage. 1967 (Original work published 1872).

Cybulska EM. (2019). Nietzsche: Bipolar Disorder and Creativity. Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology 2019;19:51-63.

Berry J. Nietzsche and the ancient skeptical tradition. New York: Oxford University Press. 2011.

Podolsky SH, Tauber AI. Nietzsche’s Conception of Health: The Idealization of Struggle. In: Babich, B.E. (eds) Nietzsche, Epistemology, and Philosophy of Science. Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 204. Springer, Dordrecht. 1999.

Hales SD, Welshon R. Nietzsche, Perspectivism, & Mental Health. Philosophy, Psychiatry, & Psychology. 1999;6(3):173-7.

Popper K. The logic of scientific discovery (2nd ed.). London, UK & New York, NY: Routledge Classics. 2005. (Original work published 1959).

Roberts M. Facilitating recovery by making sense of suffering: a Nietzschean perspective. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 2008;15:743-8.

Roberts M. Modernity, mental illness and the crisis of meaning. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2007;14:277-81.

Andreasen NC. Creativity and mental illness: prevalence rates in writers and their first-degree relatives. Am J Psychiatry. 1987; 144: 1288-92.

Andreasen NC. The creative brain: The science of genius. New York, NY: Penguin Group. 2005.

Hatab LJ. Nietzsche on Sickness and Health. The Agonist. 2021;15(1):15-24.

Acampora C. Contesting Nietzsche, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. 2013.

Pfeffer R. Eternal Recurrence in Nietzsche’s Philosophy. The Review of Metaphysics. 1965;19:276–300.

Downloads

Published

19-07-2024

How to Cite

Bhattacherjee, S., Bhattacharjee, D. ., & Das, B. (2024). Friedrich Nietzsche: Ardent critic of societal reactions to unorthodoxy and non-conformism . Indian Journal of Psychiatric Social Work, 15(1), 46–51. https://doi.org/10.29120/ijpsw.2024.v15.i1.203

Issue

Section

Viewpoints