"Apollonian Vs. Dionysian"
Online Discussion Outline
Purpose of Our Discussion
By analyzing Dionysian & Apollonian aspects, we gain insight into who we are and
how we behave in this world:
“The ultimate goal in the study of the humanities is that you become as fully
aware of yourself as possible: your needs, your fulfillments, your tastes, how
you are living your life, and what changes you’d like to make in that life. This
is the way to practice the art of being human. The humanities will always be there
for you. All you need is to be open to the experience.”
This discussion of what the humanities is all about leads us into how we discover
how the humanities can work for us. We forge into the discovery of ourselves,
by better understanding ourselves with the help of the Apollonian and Dionysian
chapter.
What helps bring peace and understanding helps form the ideal person – what the
text refers to as the infinite person:
“Refusing to have tunnel vision, to see life from one point of view, one becomes,
in a sense, infinite, able to intertwine with the lives of others. If I am tuned
in to you, if I know your thoughts as well as my own, then we begin to share a
common consciousness… Opening ourselves to the minds and hearts of others helps
to prevent the buildup of ego-centered hostilities. The infinite person is free
of rigid prejudices and never works consciously to restrict others from exercising
their right to assemble, speak their minds openly, practice their own religion,
and follow their own preferences – so long as, in being free, they do not themselves
limit the freedom of another.”
Friedrich Nietzche
(1844-1900)
German philosopher who defined the terms Apollonian and Dionysian:
Apollo – God of the Sun (hence truth and light).
Dionysus – God of the Earth, of spring and
renewal (hence everything that was natural and beyond rational analysis).
In terms of drama, Nietzche says the conflict between
emotion and reason, between Dionysus and Apollo, led to the great age of Greek
Tragedy. Nietzche considered the ideal person as one who maintained a balance
between the opposites, drawing the strong points from each, and he believed both
qualities were necessary.
Tendencies in Human
Personality
APOLLONIAN
Reason
Order
Clarity
Moderation
Control
Analysis
Research
Rule-Oriented
