Nietzsche vs. Tolstoy

After much contemplation, I believe that there is actually quite a difference between the concepts of Nietzsche and Tolstoy. Each seem to be speaking of the same concept but take it in different directions in their discussions of art.

I will begin with Nietzsche, since his was the most difficult for me to work through. His concept of the “collapse of principium individuationis" describes the inability to discern between reality and appearance, thus falling into the Dionysian side of life. Here, there is an association with drunkenness and a loss of the individual. In other words, it is a state of apparent literal intoxication and one becomes a member of a communal experience. To Nietzsche, intoxication refers to the concept of Dionysus and a sort of chaotic ecstasy.

On the other hand, Tolstoy’s idea of intoxication is far more structured. To him, infection serves as the portal for emotional transmission. The degree of a piece’s infectiousness depends on the individuality, clearness of the feeling transmitted, and sincerity of the artist. In this case the recipient is connecting with the artist through the piece of art. There doesn’t seem to be a loss of the individual, but rather an emotional connection between two people. The artist plays an important role in “intoxicating” the individual with his/her message, but it doesn’t seem to be in a chaotic all-consuming manner.

I guess what I’m saying is that to Nietzsche, the collapse of principium individuationis is an unstructured, chaotic group experience while Tolstoy’s concept of intoxication is simply the transfer of emotion(s). In a way they are both speaking of a similar dynamic, but each speaks of it to a different degree. However, both philosophers seem to agree that these concepts are valuable and best convey the message of art when they are at their greatest intensity.