Truthful Dying

Illuminating the Higher Types’ Attitude Toward Literal and Symbolic Death

Abstract

Nietzsche’s philosophy draws a sharp distinction between higher types and weaker individuals, the former defined by traits such as self-respect, resilience, and an affirmation of life—particularly through the acceptance of the Eternal Return. However, what it means for higher types to affirm life in all its tragic dimensions remains unclear. This paper argues that understanding their attitude toward death—what I term AD—is crucial for illuminating their life-affirming disposition. I challenge prevailing third-person, static interpretations (e.g., Leiter’s), proposing instead a dynamic, first-person approach informed by Foucault’s notion of technologies of the self and rapport à soi. I show that higher types affirm life precisely by confronting and integrating death—both literal and symbolic—into their self-conception. Through close readings of Twilight of the Idols and Thus Spoke Zarathustra, I argue that higher types practice a “consummating death,” grounded in truthful self-reflection about their life’s goal and their diminishing capacity to pursue it. This technology of self—a practiced relationship to dying—reveals not only the psychological structure of Nietzschean strength but offers transposable strategies for those of us who are not higher types. Ultimately, affirming life may begin with learning how to die—truthfully, purposefully, and at the right time.