Synthesis philosophica, Vol. 40 No. 2, 2025.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21464/sp40204
Nietzsche’s Aristocratism and Democracy – A Symbiotic Relationship?
Filip Čukljević
orcid.org/0000-0001-9188-9260
; University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy, Čika Ljubina 18–20, RS–11000 Belgrade
Abstract
In this article, I will delve into Friedrich Nietzsche’s views on democracy in light of his professed aristocratism. First, I will discuss Nietzsche’s perfectionism, meaning his belief that humankind can be justified only by its perpetual advancement, made manifest in exceptional individuals. Afterwards, I will inquire into how this belief affected Nietzsche’s political views, particularly his notoriously critical stance towards democracy. This will be followed by a discussion of Herman W. Siemens’s arguments that Nietzsche’s views on democracy and their relationship with his aristocratic leanings are nuanced, as well as of the limitations of Siemens’s reading of Nietzsche. Finally, the article will show how Thomas Fossen expands upon Siemens’s analysis to include Nietzsche’s notable pathos of distance, as well as indicate directions for further research on this subject.
Keywords
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche; Herman W. Siemens; Thomas Fossen; perfectionism; aristocratism; democracy; pathos of distance; society
Hrčak ID:
338862
URI
Publication date:
20.11.2025.
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