Friedrich Nietzsche: Cheerful Thinker and Writer. A Contribution to the Debate on Nietzsche’s Cheerfulness

Abstract Cheerfulness or serenity ( Heiterkeit ) is one of the most important themes in Nietzsche’s philosophy. Throughout his writings, from first to last, he can be found wrestling with conceptions cheerfulness and promoting a cheerful mode philosophizing. Despite importance recurrence theme entire œuvre, there have been relatively few studies specifically devoted it. An debate on has recently taken place literature Nietzsche between Robert Pippin Lanier Anderson Rachel Cristy. Both sides explored practice direct relation Montaigne. According Pippin, never succeeds writing kind In contrast, Cristy contended that both Montaigne conceive as complex, non-naïve spiritual state attitude cultivated through philosophy way life. Cristy, this deep form love life perhaps achieve at least part by writing. essay, we aim contribute offering threefold argument. First, argue conceives not only psychological ideal, desirable spirit, but also an aesthetic quality style thinking (sections 1–2). Second, that, addition Montaigne, Ralph Waldo Emerson equally neglected influence conception (section 2). Third, reconstructing self-presentation thinker writer 1886 prefaces Ecce homo (1888), conclude it possible starting middle writings thinks writes cheerfully some works, including number significant texts 3).