Fatum and Fragility: Mario Perniola’s Philosophy of Death
In: Death, Dying, Culture: An Interdisciplinary InterrogationSearch for other papers by Stein A. Hevrøy in
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This chapter investigates the philosophy of death that Italian philosopher Mario Perniola proposes while connecting his approach with insights from Hagakure – The Book of Samurai. Unlike Heidegger, who understands death as the end of life which the authentic is prepared for, Perniola suggests that death is inherent in the good life. While drawing on Nietzsche’s conception of amor fati, Perniola puts forward an attitude in which ‘one makes every situation one’s own’ through indifference: one must live as if one is already dead. Furthermore, he claims that the fruitfulness of this lies in the ability to ‘play whatever game,’ a constant readiness which also characterizes the samurai of Hagakure who thinks of himself as already dead. The effect of simulating death is that one’s rootedness in the world disappears. This means that one is a stranger everywhere, but also that one is everywhere at home. Hence the effectiveness and readiness connected with the simulation of death. Since Perniola is inspired by Nietzsche, it is surprising that he does not think of life as vital, strong and forceful. Instead, he sees it as ‘soft breath’ being so fragile that it can only manifest ‘if it finds some shell to give it life.’ Rituals are thus not blockages of life, but shells that life needs in order to protect itself. The enigmatic insights Perniola offers may be understood as an ethical attitude (a way of living well) in which loss of identity, i.e. death, is necessary in order ‘to make every situation one’s own.’