Extemporalia: music, philology, and Nietzsche's misology

Abstract

Nietzsche‘s biographers have generally based his turn to philosophy on an abandonment of academic philology. The philosopher‘s frequent declarations of suspicion toward verbal language—Nietzsche‘s misology—appear, then, to confirm this decisive turn. However, if one instead regards the philosophical work as more continuous with the previous philological studies, one could consider Nietzsche‘s untiring concern with writing, both with philology and philosophy, first as a renunciation and then as a rediscovery of his musical aspirations. After exploring Nietzsche‘s early involvement with music, the following paper focuses on the young professor‘s reflections on rhythm and meter, which seem to address his desire for a more musical philology and subsequently a more musically astute philosophy. Yet, what precisely might a musical philology entail? What precisely does it mean to lend "a subtle and patient ear" to philosophy?