Nietzsche: Art and Science

Nietzsche contrasts art with science, explaining the ideas involved in each and how different they actually are. He explains that science uses its previously defined concepts to create new concepts, creating an intricate web of generalities whose definitions rely on other generalities. However, art tries to bring observations of unique situations and expose them for what they are. On this level, the two subjects are binary opposites; science builds upon itself and its concepts, while art depicts observations in the form of metaphors. This difference is further shown in his comparison of people who have different affinities—one for art, and one for science. Nietzsche expresses that “the researcher builds his hut right next to the towering structure of science in order to help with it and to find shelter himself under the existing fortification” (254), while “that drive to form metaphors…seeks a new province for its activities and a different riverbed and generally finds it in myth and in art” (254). Nietzsche uses these two opposite subjects to express that while science builds upon itself and uses concepts to protect itself, art is always looking for new metaphors. Art and science use metaphors and concepts differently, and this can create either a reality through metaphors or a different definition of reality through concepts.