Through the prism of aesthetics. Napoleonic myth in the works of Goethe and Nietzsche

Abstract

The reception of Napoleon in Germany was carried out under the sign of an aesthetic myth. The aesthetic myth is understood as a set of theories, concepts and texts of culture based on the idea of transforming the world through artistic creativity. Starting with romanticism, the aesthetic myth determines the specifics of the German discourse of culture. Under the sign of the aesthetic myth in Germany, the image of the French emperor is also comprehended. J. W. Goethe sees in Napoleon the embodiment of genius, the secret of which he is trying to unravel. Goethe sees in Napoleon a demonic personality, “the quintessence of humanity”, a genius, a natural phenomenon. Another aesthetic category through which the image of Napoleon is comprehended is the sublime. According to Goethe, the loftiness of Napoleon manifests itself not only during his political rise, but also during his fall. Another aesthetic category through which the image of Napoleon is comprehended is the sublime. The greatness of Napoleon is manifested, according to Goethe, not only in his military and political triumph, but in his tragic fall. Nietzsche sees in Napoleon the historical anticipation of the coming superman. The political activity of Napoleon is comprehended as an analogue and continuation of German art, the reincarnation of the ancient German spirit that overcomes the modern German decadence. In contrast to Bismarck’s nationalist empire, Napoleon’s all-European empire was founded on the principles of cosmopolitanism, which, in Nietzsche’s view, corresponds to the universalist nature of the German spirit.