This paper is a study of Dionysian _lysis_, “liberation”_._ We begin with the suggestion that in the description of the _mania telestike _in Plato’s _Phaedrus_ 244d-245a, the best candidate among Dionysian ritual practices abstracted by Socrates’ rhetoric is maenadic trance. The maenadic references also accompany the testimonies on Dionysos _Lysios_ in Corinth, Sicyon and Thebes, but here the evidence invites us to widen the scope of Dionysian cult practices and look at the god’s Mystery cults, notably at (...) the evidence provided by the golden leaves founded in initiated sepultures. We propose then an exclusively Dionysian reading of the Pelinna leave. This reading leans on: an analysis of the leaf’s text; a critique of the interpretations associating _lysis_ with the expiation of the Titans’ crime; an examination of Persephone’s role; the meaning of _lysis_ in OF 350 Bernabé; and the linking up of the famous passages of Plato’s _Republic_ dealing with initiations with the dynamics of postponed punishment in ancient Greek representations of divine justice. Finally, the article suggests that Dionysian _lysis_ is concerned with liberation not only after death, but also during the life of the initiated. In conclusion, it goes back to Plato’s _Phaedrus_ 245a, in order to contrast Dionysian maenadic and mystic trance. (shrink)

Recent publications on Alfred Schutz suggest the importance of his musical thought for understanding his general viewpoint on intersubjectivity. Developing this proposition further, my article focuses on one aspect of Schutz’s writings on music: his attempts to amalgamate the aesthetic oppositions of the Dionysian/Apollonian by Friedrich Nietzsche and inner duration/spatialized time by Henri Bergson. Despite the seeming distortion of the initial meaning of the Dionysian impulse, I suggest that Schutz’s employment remains faithful to the aesthetic and cognitive theory (...) of early Nietzsche. To substantiate this, I draw a link between Nietzsche’s early theory of aesthetic cognition and the neurophysiology of the mid-nineteenth century. Furthermore, the way Schutz applied the Dionysian/Apollonian opposition to the problem of musical communication made his musical thought prefigure some neuro-scientifically inspired discussions of the present-day, like the one on joint attention. Schutz tackled the key paradox: why the experience of music can be shared but not directly communicated. (shrink)

In The Birth of Tragedy, Nietzsche contrasts the rationalism and optimism of Socrates with the tragic outlook of the “Dionysian Greeks.” Most scholars read him as taking the side of the Dionysian Greeks against Socrates. I argue that Nietzsche presents the Dionysian as an essentially religious perspective, characterized by a proto-Christian need for redemption or “metaphysical solace” he implicitly disavows. Nietzsche himself occupies a perspective which incorporates elements of the Dionysian and the Socratic and gestures towards (...) a higher synthesis, which like Socratic philosophy is reflective and contemplative, delighting in the pursuit and enjoyment of knowledge, but like Dionysian wisdom acknowledges the limits of rationalism. This new philosophy is neither tragic nor optimistic but playful and comic or, perhaps, tragicomic. (shrink)

Before the world knew of the thinker who "philosophizes with a hammer," there was a young, passionate thinker who was captivated by the two forces found within Greek art: Dionysus and Apollo. In this essay, which was the forerunner to his groundbreaking book The Birth of Tragedy, The Dionysian Vision of the World provides an unparalleled look into the philosophical mind of one of Europe's greatest and provocative intellects at the beginning of his philosophical interrogation on the subject of (...) art. "While dreaming is the game man plays with reality as an individual, the visual artist (in the larger sense) plays a game with dreaming." This is the Dionysian vision of the world. (shrink)

There are two sorts of scientists: Dionysians, who rely on intuition, and Apollonians, who are more systematic. Self-experimentation is a Dionysian approach that is likely to open new lines of research. Unfortunately, the Dionysian approach does not allow one to predict the results of experiments. That is one reason why self-experimentation is not popular among granting agencies.

_Nietzsche and the Dionysian_ argues that the Dionysian affect in Nietzsche’s early work can be linked to an originary interruption of self-consciousness articulated by the philosophical companion, who compels us to respond to the plurality of life they express by being ‘true to the earth’ and ‘becoming who we are’. Such an ethics, compelled by the Dionysian affect, grounds any future for humanity in the affirmation of the earth and life.

Under the symbol of Dionysus, god of annihilation, metamorphosis, tragedy, Nietzsche succeeded in fusing elements of the mythological with a new philosophical world view culminating in an anti-ethic «beyond good and evil». «Dionysian Aesthetics» delves into the three periods of Nietzsche's productivity, systematically analyzing the relationships between major works and adhering closely to Nietzsche's «Werdegang». The focus for an understanding of the aesthetic is shifted from «Die Geburt der Tragödie» to the late works of the philo- sophical-Dionysus period.

Walter Kaufmann's monumental study of Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy, Nietzsche:Philosopher,Psychologist,Antichrist (1950) dramatically transformed Nietzsche interpretations in the postwar United States and rendered Kaufmann himself a dominant figure in transatlantic Nietzsche studies from 1950 until his death in 1980. While the longevity of Kaufmann's hegemony over postwar American Nietzsche interpretations in particular is remarkable, even more so is the fact that he revitalized the career of such a radical thinker in the conservative intellectual climate of the 1950s. Philosophers and historians typically credit (...) Kaufmann with rescuing Nietzsche from the Nazis, but argue that he did so by denaturing Nietzsche's philosophy of power and narrowly transforming him into an existentialist. By contrast, this essay argues that Kaufmann took a much more dramatic step by extending the scope of Nietzsche's philosophy, demonstrating how his ideas resonated with but also transcended the dominant philosophies of the day. Kaufmann presented Nietzsche as a philosopher uniquely poised to bridge the increasing mid-century rift between continental and analytic philosophies, as well as between the increasingly distinct moral worlds of academic philosophers and general readers. At a time when philosophical discourses within the university and beyond were pulling apart, Kaufmann put Nietzsche to work to bring them back together. By emphasizing Nietzsche's harmony with the range of scholarly and popular philosophical concerns of mid-century, he also established, for the first time in the United States, Nietzsche's role as a canonical thinker in the Western tradition. (shrink)

Nietzsche distinguished between two forces in art: Apollonian, which represents order and reason, and Dionysian, which represents chaos and energy. Economists, Ward argues, have operated for too long under the assumption that their work reflects the scientific, Apollonian principals that inform physics when they simply do not apply to economics: 'constants' in economics stand in for variables, and the core scientific principles of prediction and replication are all but ignored by economists. Ward encourages economists to reintegrate the standard rigor (...) of the scientific method into their work while embracing the fact of the shape-shifting changeability of human beings. Economists can still aspire to scientific standards, as is demonstrated by the success of biology, in which there is considerable Dionysian variability. Economists must avoid the temptation to wish away dynamic complexity and diversity and must recognize, among other things, that the desire to take risks is fundamentally human. The second half of the book takes some first steps toward creating this new Dionysian Economics. (shrink)

This dissertation examines Nietzsche's enigmatic concept of the Ubermensch. Many endeavors have been made to elucidate this term and all have confronted certain problematic areas concerning the Ubermensch. First, there are very few direct references to the term, and this applies not only to the published works but also Nietzsche's notes. Secondly, and more importantly, whenever Nietzsche does comment on the Ubermensch he does so with a vagueness that always leaves one puzzled concerning the concept. What results is a questioning (...) of the reasons for this lack of clarity: does it derive from the concept itself or from an inability on Nietzsche's part to expound on the Ubermensch? ;In attempting to answer this question, Nietzsche's relation to Dionysus is examined since he suggests that his entire philosophy is a result of a Dionysian Experience of man and existence, and not a Socratic experience. What is contrasted are two perspectives on existence: the Socratic which is grounded in the Greek term , and the Dionysian which is based on . Both of these perspectives offer a corresponding telos in correlation to their experiences of man and existence. The Socratic, which Nietzsche presents as the major influence on Western philosophy, seeks a telos which corresponds to its desire for , a telos of an Eternal nature. The Dionysian perspective, on the other hand, recognizing the Primordial Unity of existence and the aesthetic nature of man seeks a telos which complements a non-metaphysical existence; a telos termed by Nietzsche the Ubermensch. ;From these proceeding I conclude that the Ubermensch is necessarily vague as it is a non-descript term based on aesthetic projection rather than Socratic . The Ubermensch is a Dionysian telos that represents an ability to project a future derived out of the process of Uberwindung rather than a definitive, descriptive telos that would be universal for all men. Hence, the Ubermensch must remain amorphous for to clarify it once and for all would be to Socratically project in Error. (shrink)

Scholar of religion Karl Kerényi’s last book, Dionysos, is a grand attempt at reinterpreting ζωη ( zoe ), the Greek concept of indestructible life, which he distinguishes from βίος (bios), finite life. In Kerényi’s view, the meaning and sensual experience of zoe was expressed in its richest form in the Cretan beginnings of the cult of Dionysos. The major characteristics of this cult, as Kerényi describes, were beyond the cultural, political, and sexual limits of the Christian interpretations of life and (...) nature. Searching for modern analogies to zoe , Kerényi explains the idea in relation to molecular biology’s minimum definition of life. Despite the fact that Kerényi’s book contains only minor references to contemporary philosophy, the philosophical consequences of his interpretations of Dionysos are not only radical but outline a notion of biopolitics far in advance of the mid- to late 20 th -century development of it. By the affirmation of indestructible life and animality , Kerényi proposes a new humanism that moves beyond the limits of Kantian anthropology and also takes a radically different perspective to that of Heidegger’s philosophy of being, or Agamben’s notion of biopolitics. According to Kerényi’s investigations, since this alternative humanism, which is based on the radical recognition of the individuality and diversity of life forms, was once possible in an earlier stage of human culture, it is possible to reanimate it in order to shape anew how zoe is understood and therefore lived. Our relation to nature can thereby undergo a Dionysian transvaluation and assign us new responsibilities as well as open up a new trajectory for the 21 st -century human. (shrink)

Although much has been written about Nietzsche’s views on education over the years, and much has also been written about Dionysus, the god of wine and ecstasy, very little attention has been given to the meaning of, and need for, a Dionysian education. This two-part article is an attempt to begin that project. In Part One, drawing Nietzsche’s articulation of the Dionysian, Apollonian, and anti-Dionysian into the orbit of broader scholarship on Dionysus, the author invited readers to (...) think about what a Dionysian education might look like in a modern-day school setting, why such an education would be valuable, as well as some of the barriers to implementing such an education and the enjoyment of its fruits. Here in Part Two, the author considers some of the ideas current among philosophy of music scholars concerning “the Dionysian” in rock music. By analyzing and clarifying these views with reference to research conducted in Part One, the author proceeds in Part Two to investigate what combined role rock music and philosophy might play in the high school classroom where a Dionysian education is fostered. (shrink)

Although much has been written about Friedrich Nietzsche's views on education over the years, and much has also been written about Dionysus, god of wine and ecstasy, very little attention has been given to the meaning of, and need for, Dionysian education. In this article, Sean Steel attempts to begin that project. Drawing Nietzsche's articulation of the Dionysian, Apollonian, and anti-Dionysian into the orbit of broader scholarship on Dionysus, Steel invites readers to think about what a (...) class='Hi'>Dionysian education might look like in a modern-day school setting, as well as to consider what challenges exist for the implementation of such a vision of education. (shrink)

ὥστε καθάπερ τοὺς ὑποκρινομένους,οὕτως ὑποληπτέον λέγειν καὶ τοὺς ἀκρατευομένους.Arist. Eth. Nic. 7.3.1147a22-4In Attic Nights 20.4, Aulus Gellius reports how his Athenian teacher, the Platonist L. Calvenus Taurus, advised one of his pupils to temper his devotion to stage actors and to turn his attention to the study of philosophy. Wishing to divert his student from associating with theatre people, Taurus assigned the daily reading of a specific chapter from Aristotle's Προβλήματα Ἐγκύκλια. He sent his student an extract from the book, (...) which Gellius quotes : ‘Why are Dionysian artists mostly worthless people?’—the problem is still extant in the Aristotelian collection of Problemata physica that came down to us. The explanation Aristotle suggested is that ‘these men are least familiar with reason and philosophy, since they devote most of their life to the necessary arts, and because they are in an intemperate state most of the time, sometimes even in difficulties, both of which conditions cause meanness ’. (shrink)

Although much has been written about Nietzsche’s views on education over the years and much has also been written about Dionysus the god of wine and ecstasy, very little attention has been given to the meaning of, and need for, a Dionysian education. This article is an attempt to begin that project. Drawing Nietzsche’s articulation of the Dionysian, Apollonian, and anti-Dionysian into the orbit of broader scholarship on Dionysus, the author invites readers to think about what a (...) Dionysian education might look like in a modern-day school setting, why such an education would be valuable, as well as some of the barriers to implementing such an education and the enjoyment of its fruits. Part One of this larger inquiry is followed by Part Two in a later issue, where we consider what role rock music and philosophy might play in the high school classroom where a Dionysian education is fostered. (shrink)

Like Aristophanes’ Frogs, Plato’s Symposium stages a contest between literary genres. The quarrel between Socrates and Aristophanes constitutes the primary axis of this contest, and the speech of Alcibiades echoes and extends that of Aristophanes. Alcibiades’ comparison of Socrates with a satyr, however, contains the key to understanding Socrates’ implication, at the very end of the dialogue, that philosophy alone understands the inner connectedness, and hence the proper nature, of both tragedy and comedy. I argue that Plato reflects in the (...) character of Socrates the primordial wisdom embodied in satyric drama. I conclude with a brief consideration of Nietzsche’s challenge to Plato’s Dionysian wisdom. (shrink)

Bruce Ellis Benson puts forward the surprising idea that Nietzsche was never a godless nihilist, but was instead deeply religious. But how does Nietzsche affirm life and faith in the midst of decadence and decay? Benson looks carefully at Nietzsche's life history and views of three decadents, Socrates, Wagner, and Paul, to come to grips with his pietistic turn. Key to this understanding is Benson's interpretation of the powerful effect that Nietzsche thinks music has on the human spirit. Benson claims (...) that Nietzsche's improvisations at the piano were emblematic of the Dionysian or frenzied, ecstatic state he sought, but was ultimately unable to achieve, before he descended into madness. For its insights into questions of faith, decadence, and transcendence, this book is an important contribution to Nietzsche studies, philosophy, and religion. (shrink)

Friedrich Nietzsche has emerged as one of the most important and influential modern philosophers. For several decades, the book series Monographien und Texte zur Nietzsche-Forschung (MTNF) has set the agenda in a rapidly growing and changing field of Nietzsche scholarship. The scope of the series is interdisciplinary and international in orientation reflects the entire spectrum of research on Nietzsche, from philosophy to literary studies and political theory. The series publishes monographs and edited volumes that undergo a strict peer-review process. The (...) book series is led by an international team of editors, whose work represents the full range of current Nietzsche scholarship. (shrink)

한국 무속의 성격에 대한 계통학적 분석은 기존 종교학적 성격의 분석 이외에 새로운 연구 범위를 제시하고 이에 따른 새로운 시각으로 접근해 들어갈 필요성이 제기된다. 특히 원시종교가 가지고 있던 원초적인 주술성은 고대종교로 사회가 분화 확대됨에 따라 점차 제의로 양식화되는 과정을 거친다. 더욱이 한국의 자연종교적인 무속에서 이루어지는 굿이라는 제의적인 양식과 더불어 무당에 의해 거행되는 춤과 극적인 양식은 오랜 시간 동안 특정한 입무과정과 교육을 통해 계승되는 특징을 가진다. 이것은 곧 한국 무속의 성격 분석이 문화와 예술의 영역에 이르는 보다 광범위한 분야에서 진행되어져야 한다는 것을 의미한다. (...) 이에 본 논문에서는 서양 문화의 두 기원적 경향성을 분석한 니체의 『비극의 탄생』을 중심으로 한국 무속의 기원과 성격의 의미를 비교문화 사상적 관점에서 분석하여 보고자 한다. 특히 강신무와 세습무를 이분법적으로 구분하기보다 강신무적 요소와 세습무적 요소의 기원적 이중성을 니체가 제시하고 있는 디오니소스적인 것과 아폴론적인 것의 이중적 특성에 비교하여 연구 분석하고자 한다. 그리고 더 나아가 한국의 무속에 두 가지 계통적 성격이 어떠한 문화 예술적 의미로 통합되어 가는가에 대하여 주목하고자 한다. (shrink)

Although many aspects of Bonaventure’s little classic De Reductione Artium ad Theologiam have been addressed in recent literature,1 the translation of the title remains problematic, not only from Latin into English but also from a Greek precedent into Latin. Calling it “On the Reduction of the Arts to Theology” always requires an explanation of the word “reduction.”2 How all the arts, indeed all of human learning, relate to theology and thus to God can hardly be considered a reduction in the (...) usual sense. “Leading back” is better, because it suggests the overall theological structure, but is still an incomplete translation, as revealed by the Greek background. The Latin word family reducere in this case reflects a .. (shrink)

본 논문은 독일의 철학자 프리드리히 니체와 프랑스의 사회학자 미셸 마페졸리의 사유에 공통적으로 내재된 “디오니소스적인 것”을 중심으로 공동체적 삶의 가능성을 해석한다. 두 사람은 근대성에 대한 대안으로 비도덕적인 삶의 방식에 주목하였는데, 니체가 고대 그리스의 디오니소스축제와 비극 공연에서 디오니소스적인 요소를 발견했다면, 마페졸리는 “지금 여기”에서 전개되는 일상의 삶에서 디오니소스적인 것을 찾고자 하였다. 니체가 비극 무대 위에서 살아 움직이는 디오니소스를 보았다면, 마페졸리는 무대 위에서 시선을 돌려 ‘목전의’ 삶에서 디오니소스를 발견하고자 했던 것이다. 본 논문의 2장에서는 니체와 마페졸리의 사유에 내재된 “디오니소스적인 것”의 특성에 대해 살펴볼 것이다. 3장에서는 (...) 디오니소스적인 문화의 성격을 중심주제로 삼는다. 니체가 강조한 비극과 축제, 놀이 등의 요소가 공동체적 삶과 갖는 관련성에 대해서도 살펴볼 것이다. 본론의 마지막인 4장에서는 현대적 삶에서 발견되는 디오니소스적 삶의 가능성에 대해 다룬다. 여기서는 마페졸리의 ‘부족’과 ‘일상’의 개념이 니체와의 연관 하에서 논의될 것이다. 니체와 마페졸리 두 사상가의 비교연구는 21세기의 공동체적인 삶의 가능성과 지평을 넓히는데 도움이 될 것이다. (shrink)

This article explores the interrelation between the Dionysian artistic impulse, human nature, and Greek culture in the early works of Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900). With a focus on the significance of the human-nature connection, it highlights the anthropological conception of ancient tragic thought and the recognition of the role of instincts in the production of tragic art. The Dionysian artistic impulse, linked by Nietzsche to the vital drive of creation and destruction, presents, in its celebration of the reconciliation between (...) humans and nature, existential aspects fundamental to humanity that have been neglected by Western tradition. In its artistic dimension, the Dionysian is also expressed as an instinct, fostering a bodily and spiritual connection through which the tragic artist becomes a work of art. In its vital dimension, the Dionysian promotes the dissolution of individual subjectivity, returning one to their primordial nature and reconnection with animality. The denial of these artistic elements by the Socratic spirit led to the forgetting of human nature itself, resulting in the distortion of artistic creation and consequently, the decline of tragedy. In this context, Socrates' proposition of renouncing instinctual nature in favor of intellectual life is contrasted by Nietzsche, who, through the tragic perspective, argues that humans do not transcend their animal nature but remain subject to it, connected to animality. Thus, Nietzsche positions himself in the anthropological debate in opposition to the philosophical tradition initiated by Socrates. (shrink)

A book chapter in the volume Punk Rock and Philosophy: Research and Destroy on how punk rock can be interpreted through the lens of Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy.

This article explores how a nonreductionist account of Nietzsche's influence on Michel Foucault can enrich our understanding of key concepts in singular works of both philosophers. I assess this exegetical strategy by looking at the two dichotomies Apollinian/Dionysian and ars erotica/scientia sexualis in The Birth of Tragedy and volume 1 of The History of Sexuality, respectively. After exploring the relation between these two dichotomies, I link the science of sexuality to the Apollinian art instinct via the existence of Socratic (...) culture and argue against the "pleasure of analysis" as a sublated form of (Dionysian) ars erotica. These considerations lead to the notions of history in Nietzsche's and Foucault's philosophies that result in situating the polyvalent Ursprung of Greek tragedy and the descent of ars erotica and scientia sexualis in an antimetaphysical and nonteleological picture of historical development.. (shrink)

It is often asserted that Nietzsche's proposal that "there is no truth" is indebted to his views on aesthetics. That is, it is argued both that Nietzsche perceived art as exclusive of truth, and that he viewed the whole of existence as artistic in this sense. In this paper I attempt to supplement this argument by excavating the sense of truth that is available in Nietzsche's thought concerning art. "Dionysian truth" is not a property of objects which represent the (...) world. Rather, it arises in acts of artistic creation. I hope, here, to present a view of truth which is compatible with Nietzsche's attempt to understand the world as a process of conflicting forces rather than a collection of subjects and objects. ;The first chapter is concerned with Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy, in which music is offered as an example of Dionysian truth. Music, in this work, enables us to overcome our sense of ourselves as isolated self-consciousnesses, an experience which engenders artistic creativity. The notion of Dionysian truth, however, is not fully disassociated, in The Birth of Tragedy, from the view that music pictures or represents the "world will." ;In the second chapter I argue that Nietzsche's commitment to the Dionysian is apparent in his unique understanding of physiology. The authority of the ego is undermined by exhibiting it as an epiphenomenon of the more fundamental physiological drives. I argue that such an understanding subverts the claim that Nietzsche values art as a means of sublimating the passions, as well as the claim that Nietzsche ultimately identifies truth with that which serves our own self-preservation. ;The third chapter demonstrates how a specific artistic practice,Expressionist Painting, understands itself in Dionysian terms, and suggests reasons why a Dionysian view of art may not offer itself as a means for the evaluation of artworks. Finally, I attempt to show how the understanding of power which is structured by a Dionysian perspective may help us to overcome some of Nietzsche's negative and reactionary suggestions that the powerful are, or should be, cruel and manipulative towards others. (shrink)

In this paper I trace and explain the changes in Nietzsche’s conception of the Dionysian ideal. I identify five attributes of the Dionysian ideal, and claim that they are constitutive of it. I also claim that Nietzsche’s early conception of the Dionysian ideal owes less to his speculations concerning the origin of Greek tragedy than to his encounter with the mature music of Richard Wagner. It was through his encounter with Wagner’s music that Nietzsche believed he first (...) discovered the key to Dionysian experience, which key concerned one of the five attributes of the Dionysian ideal: ecstasy. On route to his later conception, Nietzsche excised one of these constitutive attributes and altered the meaning of Dionysian ecstasy. I argue that the later conception of the Dionysian surrenders the psychological complexity of the earlier conception, and diminishes considerably the viability ofthe Dionysian ideal as a cultural ideal.Dans le présent article, j’esquisse et j’explique les changements de conception chez Nietzsehe de I’ideal dionysiaque, dont j’identifie cinq attributs constitutifs. J’y affirme que la première conception nietzschéenne de I’ideal dionysiaque découle moins de ses spéculations relatives a l’origine de la tragédie grecque qu’à son experience de la musique achevée de Richard Wagner. À travers la musique wagnérienne, Nietzsehe crut découvrir pour la première fois la clé de I’experience dionysiaque, à savoir I’extase, soit I’un des cinq attributs constitutifs de I’idéal dionysiaque. Cependant, Nietzsche supprima par la suite I’un de ces attributs constitutifs et modifia le sens de I’extase dionysiaque. Je soutiens que cette conception plus tardive du dionysiaque se dépouille de la complexité psychologique de lapremière conception et diminue consiéerablement la viabilite de I’ideal dionysiaque en tant qu’ideal culturel. (shrink)

This book offers an analysis of Nietzsche as a political philosopher in the context of the political movements of his era. Don Dombowsky examines Nietzsche’s political thought, known as aristocratic radicalism, in light of the ideology associated with Napoleon I and Napoleon III known as Bonapartism. Dombowsky argues that Nietzsche’s aristocratic radicalism is indistinguishable from Bonapartism and that Nietzsche is a delegate of the Napoleonic cult of personality.

The Dionysian corpus makes virtually no statement about the authority of kings or the structure of nations, but it has nevertheless repeatedly been the subjectof political analysis. Several scholars have recently sketched out a Dionysian politics by drawing analogies between the Dionysian church and the city, and between the Dionysian bishop and the emperor. These analogies are of limited usefulness. They show that Dionysius does employ Platonic political language to describe the ecclesiastical hierarchy, but they risk (...) overlooking or downplaying the hierarchy’s non-temporal, and therefore non-political, activity. A more fruitful ground for developing a Dionysian politics may be found in his brief discussion of the legal hierarchy, which provides practical instruction for action in the temporal realm without direct reference to the contemplative activity of the church. (shrink)