Published: 2018-12-211

Camel, Lion and Child. Analysis and Reconstruction of the Three Metamorphoses of wise man Zarathustra

Leszek Galas
Humanities and Natural Sciences
Section: articles
https://doi.org/10.31648/hip.2629

Abstract

The aim of this work is to reconstruct the spiritual development of Zarathustra, who is the main character in Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra. This development depends on achieving three stages of consciousness: (1) conformist camel, (2) oppositional lion and, finally, (3) life-affirming child. The methodology of this work is based on an analysis, reconstruction and synthesis of the text of  Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The context of this study is Heidegger’s thesis on the complementarity of the main aspects of Nietzsche’s philosophy: the doctrine of the will to power, and the idea of the eternal recurrence of the same. To achieve the stage of a lion and later the stage of a child, Zarathustra will have to discover and accept this complementarity. Zarathustra’s main antagonist is the spirit of heaviness, which represents the negation of life and destructive charity.

Keywords:

camel, lion, child, eternal recurrence, will to power

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Citation rules

Galas, L. (2018). Camel, Lion and Child. Analysis and Reconstruction of the Three Metamorphoses of wise man Zarathustra. Humanities and Natural Sciences, (24), 375–390. https://doi.org/10.31648/hip.2629

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