HEALING

The project aims first at defining – at least in part – the meaning of the concepts of “health” and “illness” in Nietzsche’s works. These concepts will be understood not metaphorically (e.g. illness as a synonym for cultural decay) but physiologically, as referring to both body and mind. The comparison with ancient Greek concepts of health and illness is crucial to this project, insofar as Nietzsche finds the archetypical models of health and illness in ancient Greek thought. This inquiry will be the stepping-stone for the second phase of the project, that aims at investigating whether Nietzsche’s concepts, as defined in phase one, can be applied to the theory and practice of care. Medical, psychological and nursing studies will help shed light on this problem. Indeed, medical and psychological studies propose to understand the concepts of health and illness in Nietzsche’s philosophy as co-entailing: “health in illness” and viceversa. Nursing studies propose to apply Nietzsche’s thought to the practice of care, especially with regard to chronic illness.

The project is divided into three steps. Step one will define the meaning of “health” and “illness”, physiologically understood, in Nietzsche’s thought. At the end of step one a seminar will deliver the results. Step two will investigate whether Nietzsche’s concepts can be applied to the theory and practice of care. The third step will consist in dissemination activities.