Ethics & Moral Philosophy - Spinoza & Nietzsche on Valuing

Alexander Douglas and Christoph Schuringa give a talk on Spinoza and Nietzsche on valuing. The talk examines a distinctive approach to the nature of value that, they argue, Spinoza and Nietzsche share. This approach contrasts with that of most moral philosophers in beginning with an analysis of valuing, rather than taking values as its starting point. That is, Nietzsche and Spinoza start from the human activity of valuing in their attempt to get clear on what values are. The talk begins by outlining Spinoza’s theory of valuing as they understand it. This requires an examination of Spinoza’s theory of desire, upon which his theory of valuing depends. They then examine Nietzsche’s theory of valuing, which is seen to depend on his theory of drives. They end by showing that, although their accounts overlap in the significant ways outlined above, they also diverge in an interesting way. Nietzsche, they argue, highlights an important gap in Spinoza’s account. But, they contend, Spinoza also provides the resources to indicate a difficulty in Nietzsche’s account. “I am utterly amazed, utterly enchanted! I have a precursor, and what a precursor! This most unusual and loneliest thinker is closest to me precisely in these matters: he denies the freedom of the will, teleology, the moral world-order, the unegoistic, and evil.“ Friedrich Nietzsche This talk was given by Alexander Douglas (King’s College London) and Christoph Schuringa (Birkbeck) at Birkbeck, University of London as part of a 2013 conference on Spinoza and Nietzsche. 00:00 Talk 50:45 Discussion #philosophy #nietzsche #spinoza