Nietzsche and the political animal

a critique of political logos and the multispecies power

Abstract

This article proposes a reinterpretation of Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy through the lens of animality and its relationship with the political, challenging the Aristotelian tradition of the zōon politikon and its hierarchy based on logos. It argues that Nietzsche not only critiques the exclusion of animality from the political sphere but also recognizes within it a creative and insurgent force capable of reconfiguring notions of community and the political body. Through concepts such as the "will to power," "the innocence of becoming," and "great health," Nietzsche subverts the human/animal dichotomy and anticipates contemporary biopolitical critiques, suggesting a "multispecies" politics grounded in corporeality and instinct, as opposed to sovereign rationality. The article engages with theorists such as Giorgio Agamben, Donna Haraway, and Frans de Waal to explore Nietzschean implications for a post-anthropocentric reinvention of the political.