The Transcendental Character of the Eternal Recurrence of the Same
The Transcendental Character of the Eternal Recurrence of the Same

Summary/Abstract: The eternal return may be interpreted as a transcendental notion and, therefore, as a possible condition for the other key concepts in Nietzsche’s philosophy. Based on this, I intend to link the eternal recurrence of the same to the Kantian theory of perception as described in Critique of Pure Reason , and to the categorical imperative. Before doing so, this paper will emphasize that the eternal return was made possible by conveying the message of the death of God. Hence, there are three hypotheses which need to be discussed: 1. The eternal recurrence of the same is possible in Nietzsche’s philosophy only by admitting that God is dead. 2. The eternal return is a necessary condition for lived experience. Here, I will consider the common aspects of the eternal recurrence and the a priori intuition of time presented in Kant’s transcendental aesthetic as a priori forms of the intuitions belonging to the subjective constitution of the human mind. 3. The eternal recurrence holds the value of a categorical imperative. The aim of this paper is to argue the fact that the eternal recurrence of the same is a universal and necessary condition for the lived experience It is, therefore, a transcendental principle in Nietzsche’s philosophy.

• Details
• Contents