The renaissance of comedy. Reflections on positive individuation and absurd wit as anti-device

Abstract

The therapeutic culture promoted by self-help literature is based on a principle of individuation that idealizes self-regulation through moderation and self-knowledge. The origin of this principle can be found in the mythical figure of the Greek god Apollo, whose function is, according to Friedrich Nietzsche and Giorgio Colli, to provide limits to the subject and promote the acceptance of various orders through sublime art. The idea that we explore in this document is that the figure of the Greek god Hermes, described by William G. Doty, can be interpreted as the representation of wit and the acceptance of the absurd, and that through comedy it could dismantle the principle of individuation as a device of positive thinking.