Episode #41 w Dr Neil Durrant on Nietzsche’s Renewal of Ancient Ethics, Friendship as Contest

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Neil Durrant. Neil is a former Anglican minister turned philosopher. We discuss Neil's book "Nietzsche's Renewal of Ancient Ethics, Friendship as Contest" https://www.booktopia.com.au/nietzsche-s-renewal-of-ancient-ethics-neil-durrant/book/9781350298873.html.

Nietzsche's Renewal of Ancient Ethics connects different strands in Nietzsche's studies to progress a unique interpretation of friendship in his writings. Neil Durrant explores this alternative approach to Nietzsche's ethics through the influence of ancient Greek ideals on his ideas, highlighting the importance of contest for developing strong friendships. Durrant traces the history of what Nietzsche termed a 'higher friendship' to the ancient Greek ideal of the Homeric hero. In this kind of friendship, neither person attempts to tyrannize or dominate the other but aims to promote the differences between them to stimulate stronger and fiercer contests. Through this exchange, they discover new heights-new standards of excellence-both for themselves and for others.

 

Links discussed in this episode

• 3 reasons not to be a Stoic (but try Nietzsche instead https://theconversation.com/3-reasons-not-to-be-a-stoic-but-try-nietzsche-instead-198307
• Fredrich Nietzsche https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Nietzsche
• BBC documentary on Nietzsche Genius of the Modern World - Friedrich Nietzsche
• The 1-minute video in which "all white people" are declared racist:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAMofeTJpRk 
• Part 2/3 of Russell Walter's Nietzsche series in which he discusses "Agon":  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WHAEIvtXN4
• Russell Walter's awesome video about Mishima:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEgBI8_R9l8&t=885s 
• Yukio Mishima Sun and Steel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukio_Mishima
• McGilchrist: The Coincidence of Opposites Iain McGilchrist: The Coincidence of Opposites

Connect with Neil

• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-durrant-highered/
• Neil's website https://neildurrant.com/
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/neildurrant/
• Twitter https://twitter.com/drneildurrant
• Substack https://neildurrant.substack.com/p/contempt

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