For many artists and philosophers, Greek mythology has been a permanent source of inspiration. In this sense, the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) took the gods Apollo and Dionysus as a symbolic reference to expose his vision of Western art and culture. The first mention of both gods appeared in his work “The Birth of Tragedy.”
The Apollonian and the Dionysian
For Nietzsche these two adjectives serve to describe the different artistic manifestations. The Apollonian expresses the finished and beautiful forms that are manifested in the figurative arts, while the Dionysian refers to those artistic manifestations based on rhythm and passion. Therefore, it is about two creative forces or two types of energy that the artist uses as a form of expression to capture his desires and concerns.
The god Apollo serves as a symbol to explain the art that seeks perfection in forms and conceptual clarity, as occurs with classical architecture, figurative painting or poetry with a conventional metric. These artistic manifestations are Apollonian because they are based on a yearning for wisdom and aesthetic serenity.
The god Dionysus represents the drives and primary instincts. Thus, in art it stands out for its passionate component, as evidenced in some dances, in primitive music and, ultimately, in any artistic expression that seeks to connect with the deepest human drives.
Two symbols that complement each other
For Nietzsche it is not about completely antagonistic symbols, since in all art there are Apollonian and Dionysian components. The philosopher comes to say that the inspiring force of the god Apollo carries Dionysus within him and, conversely, any Dionysian manifestation hides an Apollonian component.
In the educational field
Nietzsche’s reflections on both concepts can serve as valid references for education. Thus, any educational model should include both creative forces. The Apollonian is present in the conceptual clarity and in the formal aspects of the teaching-learning process, while the Dionysian is present in the most primary emotions of the individual. In other words, we learn with reason symbolized in the god Apollo and with the passion of Dionysian inspiration.
Nietzsche’s vision connects with Freud’s approach
For Freud, individual mental schemes are divided into three dimensions: the id, the super-ego and the ego.
– The id is the primary part of our psyche and seeks the satisfaction of the most basic pleasures and for this reason this dimension of the individual presents a Dionysian force.
– The superego is the part of our psyche where the moral norms that govern the whole of society are incorporated and in some way this dimension would be associated with the Apollonian.
– The id and the super ego are in a permanent conflict (what we want to do and what we should do) and between them would be the third mental structure, the ego.
Photo: Fotolia – Karepa
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