Faust’s Redemption: Nietzschean and Schopenhauerian Perspectives

Page 1

Faust’s Redemption: Nietzschean and Schopenhauerian Perspectives

Nietzsche, Schopenauer And Faust

Nietzsche, Schopenauer And Faust

Can Faust, pre and post Mephistopheles, be seen in an either Nietzschean or Schopenhauerian light?

This piece of work grew out of reading chapters four and five of Walter Kaufmann’s book The Owl and the Nightingale. These chapters deal largely with Goethe and his relation to Faust and Faust’s redemption; the following two quotes are largely responsible for the enquiry:

“…Schopenhauer found the quintessence of human nature-indeed, of the universe-in Faust. His metaphysical conception of the ultimate reality as relentless striving, blind will may be considered a cosmic projection of Faust’s ceaseless aspiration.” (Kaufmann p54, 1959)

“…the clue to Faust’s redemption should be found in Goethe’s faith and not in Faust’s…