Single Idea 24154

[catalogued under 23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 8. Eternal Recurrence]

Full Idea

Whoever wants to have a single experience again must want all of them again.

Gist of Idea

If you want one experience repeated, you must want all of them

Source

Friedrich Nietzsche (Unpublished Notebooks 1884-85 [1884], 29[054])

Book Reference

Nietzsche,Friedrich: 'Fragments from 1884-85 (v 15)', ed/tr. Loeb,P.S./Tinsley,D.F. [Stanford 2022], p.322


A Reaction

Nehemas says this is the main factual commitment of eternal recurrence (and certainly not that global recurrence actually occurs). It might be expressed in terms of possible worlds. We yearn for recurrence, then dread it?