Chapter 3 - Affect and Life in Spinoza, Nietzsche, and Bergson

Summary

This essay examines affect in Spinoza, Nietzsche, and Bergson. Each of them has a characteristic method: for Spinoza, the geometrical method; for Nietzsche, genealogy; and for Bergson, intuition. Each method takes them beyond the human condition of concern with useful manipulation of material objects to the point of an affect-soaked contact with reality. All three seek conditions for joy, rare though those capable of fully feeling it might be: for Spinoza, joy is felt when adequate ideas lead to increased power to be the cause of actions and thoughts, including even the joy of understanding the way our singular body makeup constitutes reasons for our sadness; for Nietzsche, joy is possible from the practice of ‘gay science’ leading to an affirmation of life; and for Bergson, joy is felt in immersion in life’s creativity.