Abstract In response to Hegel’s thesis concerning the “end of art,” John Sallis suggests that the... more Abstract In response to Hegel’s thesis concerning the “end of art,” John Sallis suggests that the future or the “promise of art” may be opened in thinking through Heidegger’s essay “The Origin of the Work of Art.” Sallis proposes that this promise of art may lie in the capacity to “set forth various elements through transfigurement into shining.” In this paper I reflect on what this suggestion concerning the promise of art may mean. Furthermore, I propose that “The Origin of the Work of Art” shows a resonance with Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy that Heidegger’s reading of Nietzsche obscures, and that this resonance is suggested in Sallis’ earlier work on Nietzsche’s book. I suggest that the Gestalt configuration of “world” and “earth” in Heidegger’s essay echoes the configuration of the Apollonian and Dionysian in Nietzsche’s thought. I further suggest in the conclusion that this resonance enables one to draw the connection between “The Origin of the Work of Art” and Heidegger’s later work in which the promise of art opens up a different mode of dwelling upon the earth.
This article focuses on the poetry of Albert Saijo, one of the lesser-known figures in the Beat l... more This article focuses on the poetry of Albert Saijo, one of the lesser-known figures in the Beat literary movement. I suggest here that Saijo's work should be better-known, and in drawing out some resonances between Saijo's poetry and Nietzsche's philosophy, I make a case that Saijo should be taken seriously as a poet and philosopher. Saijo has been described as "a post-apocalyptic wisecracking prophet, speaking the language of the human future," and here I provide some justification for this statement. One could say that the Beat literary movement developed around the intersection of Existentialism and Zen, and this article explores that juncture in examining the play between language and silence in the writings of Saijo and Nietzsche. In addition to taking Saijo seriously, this article perhaps also opens another perspective on Nietzsche. I draw attention to the rhapsodic nature of Nietzsche's Zarathustra, and suggest that the thought of eternal recurrence might be something like a Zen kōan, or even a joke by another post-apocalyptic wisecracking prophet. The thought of eternal recurrence is compared with the bodhisattva vows, and Saijo's poem on those vows is highlighted as a great example of his "Zensational" rhapsody.
Thanks to a recent viewing of the film, The U.S. vs John Lennon, the simple message in John Lenno... more Thanks to a recent viewing of the film, The U.S. vs John Lennon, the simple message in John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s campaign for peace at Christmas 1969—later turned into the song Happy Xmas (War is Over)—keeps playing over and over again in my mind. At Christmas in 1969 over 47,000 American soldiers had already perished in Vietnam, and over 10,000 more would die before the war was really over. Yet in seven different languages in eleven different cities around the world, Lennon and Ono had posted on giant billboards the bold declaration: “WAR IS OVER!” along with, of course, the whispered proviso in small print: “If you want it.”
In response to Hegel’s thesis concerning the ‘‘end of art,’’ John Sallis suggests that the future... more In response to Hegel’s thesis concerning the ‘‘end of art,’’ John Sallis suggests that the future or the ‘‘promise of art’’ may be opened in thinking through Heidegger’s essay ‘‘The Origin of the Work of Art.’’ Sallis proposes that this promise of art may lie in the capacity to ‘‘set forth various elements through transfigurement into shining.’’ In this paper I reflect on what this suggestion concerning the promise of art may mean. Furthermore, I propose that ‘‘The Origin of the Work of Art’’ shows a resonance with Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy that Heidegger’s reading of Nietzsche obscures, and that this resonance is suggested in Sallis’ earlier work on Nietzsche’s book. I suggest that the Gestalt configuration of ‘‘world’’ and ‘‘earth’’ in Heidegger’s essay echoes the configuration of the Apollonian and Dionysian in Nietzsche’s thought. I further suggest in the conclusion that this resonance enables one to draw the connection between ‘‘The Origin of the Work of Art’’ and Heidegger’s later work in which the promise of art opens up a different mode of dwelling upon the earth.
Abstract In response to Hegel’s thesis concerning the “end of art,” John Sallis suggests that the... more Abstract In response to Hegel’s thesis concerning the “end of art,” John Sallis suggests that the future or the “promise of art” may be opened in thinking through Heidegger’s essay “The Origin of the Work of Art.” Sallis proposes that this promise of art may lie in the capacity to “set forth various elements through transfigurement into shining.” In this paper I reflect on what this suggestion concerning the promise of art may mean. Furthermore, I propose that “The Origin of the Work of Art” shows a resonance with Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy that Heidegger’s reading of Nietzsche obscures, and that this resonance is suggested in Sallis’ earlier work on Nietzsche’s book. I suggest that the Gestalt configuration of “world” and “earth” in Heidegger’s essay echoes the configuration of the Apollonian and Dionysian in Nietzsche’s thought. I further suggest in the conclusion that this resonance enables one to draw the connection between “The Origin of the Work of Art” and Heidegger’s later work in which the promise of art opens up a different mode of dwelling upon the earth.
This article focuses on the poetry of Albert Saijo, one of the lesser-known figures in the Beat l... more This article focuses on the poetry of Albert Saijo, one of the lesser-known figures in the Beat literary movement. I suggest here that Saijo's work should be better-known, and in drawing out some resonances between Saijo's poetry and Nietzsche's philosophy, I make a case that Saijo should be taken seriously as a poet and philosopher. Saijo has been described as "a post-apocalyptic wisecracking prophet, speaking the language of the human future," and here I provide some justification for this statement. One could say that the Beat literary movement developed around the intersection of Existentialism and Zen, and this article explores that juncture in examining the play between language and silence in the writings of Saijo and Nietzsche. In addition to taking Saijo seriously, this article perhaps also opens another perspective on Nietzsche. I draw attention to the rhapsodic nature of Nietzsche's Zarathustra, and suggest that the thought of eternal recurrence might be something like a Zen kōan, or even a joke by another post-apocalyptic wisecracking prophet. The thought of eternal recurrence is compared with the bodhisattva vows, and Saijo's poem on those vows is highlighted as a great example of his "Zensational" rhapsody.
Thanks to a recent viewing of the film, The U.S. vs John Lennon, the simple message in John Lenno... more Thanks to a recent viewing of the film, The U.S. vs John Lennon, the simple message in John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s campaign for peace at Christmas 1969—later turned into the song Happy Xmas (War is Over)—keeps playing over and over again in my mind. At Christmas in 1969 over 47,000 American soldiers had already perished in Vietnam, and over 10,000 more would die before the war was really over. Yet in seven different languages in eleven different cities around the world, Lennon and Ono had posted on giant billboards the bold declaration: “WAR IS OVER!” along with, of course, the whispered proviso in small print: “If you want it.”
In response to Hegel’s thesis concerning the ‘‘end of art,’’ John Sallis suggests that the future... more In response to Hegel’s thesis concerning the ‘‘end of art,’’ John Sallis suggests that the future or the ‘‘promise of art’’ may be opened in thinking through Heidegger’s essay ‘‘The Origin of the Work of Art.’’ Sallis proposes that this promise of art may lie in the capacity to ‘‘set forth various elements through transfigurement into shining.’’ In this paper I reflect on what this suggestion concerning the promise of art may mean. Furthermore, I propose that ‘‘The Origin of the Work of Art’’ shows a resonance with Nietzsche’s Birth of Tragedy that Heidegger’s reading of Nietzsche obscures, and that this resonance is suggested in Sallis’ earlier work on Nietzsche’s book. I suggest that the Gestalt configuration of ‘‘world’’ and ‘‘earth’’ in Heidegger’s essay echoes the configuration of the Apollonian and Dionysian in Nietzsche’s thought. I further suggest in the conclusion that this resonance enables one to draw the connection between ‘‘The Origin of the Work of Art’’ and Heidegger’s later work in which the promise of art opens up a different mode of dwelling upon the earth.
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Papers by Timothy J Freeman