The Metamorphosis of Fanon: A Nietzschean analysis of Fanon on the Emancipation of the Colonial Subject

In "Black Skin, White Masks," Frantz Fanon conceptualises emancipation as a journey towards reclaiming a universal human identity, which is fundamentally rooted in embracing and enhancing one's particular identity as a crucial step in the emancipation process. In my thesis, I will argue that, according to Fanon, emancipation is achievable for all colonised individuals, regardless of race, as Fanon’s emancipation should be interpreted through the lens of Nietzsche's notion of the metamorphosis of the spirit. The first chapter will compare the phases of Nietzsche’s metamorphosis with parallels found in Fanon's work. The second chapter draws a connection between Nietzsche’s camel, a symbol of imposed situatedness, and Fanon's colonial subject alongside his Adlerian interpretation of the ego. The third chapter examines the response to this imposed situatedness, exploring Nietzsche’s lion and concept of ressentiment in relation to Fanon's colonial subject and their Adlerian ego. Finally,...Show moreIn "Black Skin, White Masks," Frantz Fanon conceptualises emancipation as a journey towards reclaiming a universal human identity, which is fundamentally rooted in embracing and enhancing one's particular identity as a crucial step in the emancipation process. In my thesis, I will argue that, according to Fanon, emancipation is achievable for all colonised individuals, regardless of race, as Fanon’s emancipation should be interpreted through the lens of Nietzsche's notion of the metamorphosis of the spirit. The first chapter will compare the phases of Nietzsche’s metamorphosis with parallels found in Fanon's work. The second chapter draws a connection between Nietzsche’s camel, a symbol of imposed situatedness, and Fanon's colonial subject alongside his Adlerian interpretation of the ego. The third chapter examines the response to this imposed situatedness, exploring Nietzsche’s lion and concept of ressentiment in relation to Fanon's colonial subject and their Adlerian ego. Finally, the fourth chapter links Nietzsche’s notion of the child, who possesses the ability to create new values, to Fanon’s emancipated individuals, who, with a Hegelian understanding of the ego, can transcend their imposed identities and constructed realities.Show less

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The Metamorphosis of Fanon: A Nietzschean analysis of Fanon on the Emancipation of the Colonial Subject