Kant & Post-Kantian German Philosophy Group Talk (Johannes Steizinger, McMaster)

The Kant & Post-Kantian German Philosophy Research Interest Group is pleased to welcome as a speaker Johannes Steizinger, an associate professor of Philosophy at McMaster University. Dr. Steizinger takes as his primary field of research European philosophy of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (also known as Continental philosophy). He has a special interest in political, social, cultural, and aesthetic issues. His current research centers on the history of the “philosophy of life” (Lebensphilosophie): from its first systematic formulations in Schopenhauer and Schlegel, through its main forms in the late nineteenth century (Nietzsche, Dilthey and Simmel) and in the Weimar Republic, to its entanglement with National Socialism.

Talk Title

The Existential Relationship of Nature and Culture: Nietzschean Lessons for the Anthropocene?

Talk Abstract

Nietzsche’s naturalism has played a pivotal role in the scholarship of the last three decades. While the naturalistic tendency of his thinking is now widely acknowledged, it is still controversial how reductionist his explanations of the cultural development of humanity are.  Such debates usually posit nature and culture as competing principles to understand the contingent genesis of humanity.  In contrast to this polarizing tendency, I argue that Nietzsche focuses on the cultural characteristics of humanity because of his naturalistic framework. Since he believes that nature is “indifferent” (BGE 9), describing its rule as “ruthless” and “cruel” (GT 7, GS 346, BGE 22, 230), culture assumes the existential role of giving meaning to life. Moreover, I submit that Nietzsche’s conceptualization of the entanglement of nature and culture contains important insights for critically understanding the challenges of the Anthropocene today.

If you have questions about this talk, please contact Nick Stang.

The Kant & Post-Kantian German Idealism Group is a a subgroup of the History of Philosophy Research Group, which focuses on European philosophy in Kant and post-Kantian traditions.