A New Way of “Thinking” Consciousness: Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, and Neo-Materialism by Aloisia Mose

summary by @nietzscheswritings

Aloisia Moser’s article re-examines the concept of consciousness by drawing on the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and contemporary neo-materialist thinkers to argue that traditional philosophy and theology have significantly overrated the importance of human self-awareness. Rather than viewing consciousness as a sovereign master of representation, Moser proposes a holistic view of interconnectedness where human existence is defined by shared practices and symbiotic relationships with both sentient and non-sentient beings. She introduces this shift through a metaphor of a moth infestation, noting that her eventual resolution to coexist with the insects reflects a transition from "biological warfare" to recognizing a shared "form of life". This perspective is echoed in the delirium of Aby Warburg, who treated moths as "little soul animals" (Seelentierchen), illustrating a relationship based on imagination and picturing rather than intelligible concepts or mastery.

Nietzsche’s Perspectivism and the Body.

Nietzsche’s philosophy serves as a primary tool for dethroning the traditional "subject," which he views as a fictitious insertion into the world of experience. He conceptualizes the human body not as a unified entity, but as a complex social structure composed of many "souls" or drives engaged in a constant struggle of commanding and obeying. For Nietzsche, perspectivism is the fundamental condition of all life, meaning there is no "view from nowhere" or absolute truth independent of specific, bodily viewpoints. He argues that the growth of consciousness is actually a "disease" or a corruption that reduces the richness of experience to shallow "herd signals" and superficial generalizations. Ultimately, Nietzsche’s ontology suggests that truth and knowledge are not derived from logical thought but from the senses and the interactions of various life forces.

Wittgenstein and the "Form of Life"
Moser connects Nietzsche’s perspectivism to Wittgenstein’s later philosophy, specifically the concept of the "form of life". While Wittgenstein's earlier work in the Tractatus presented a world of static logical forms, his later Philosophical Investigations emphasizes that language-games are embedded in communal practices. Meaning arises not through private intentions but through human agreement in the "form of life" and the shared application of concepts. Much like the limits of Nietzsche’s perspectives, Wittgenstein’s "form of life" represents a background that we cannot step "outside" of to survey objectively. In this framework, thinking becomes a bodily and performative process ... an aesthetic endeavor of "mapping" or assembling connections within the patterns we already inhabit.

Neo-Materialism and Symbiotic Theology

The final movement of the article integrates these ideas into neo-materialism, which views matter as active, vital, and self-creating rather than passive. Jane Bennett’s "vital materialism" is used to break down the ontological divide between persons and things, suggesting that human power is itself a form of "thing-power" composed of lively minerals and materials. Similarly, Melissa Orlie’s reading of Nietzsche posits an "impersonal materialism" where creative subjectivity arises from acknowledging the impersonal forces and "under-wills" that compose us. Moser concludes that theology must move past the "anthropological turn" and its dangerous dualism of body and soul. By viewing consciousness as a web of symbiotic relationships, we can foster a more compassionate engagement with the diverse life forms in our shared environment.