Nietzsche’s aspiration to “have and not have one’s emotions” seems an impossible one. However,Nietzsche believes that it is possible because of his special understanding of the nature of the emotionsand their relationship to the self. He views emotions as central to how individuals understand and situatethemselves in the world. He assigns a vital role to emotions in his account of the formation of the selfthrough the interpretation of bodily sensations, a view that sees emotions as both a tool and effect (...) ofsocial forces. As a consequence, he neither advocates a suppression of emotions nor a blind following ofthem. Rather he suggests that they should be acknowledged, investigated and ordered in a process thatdevelops a focused emotional engagement while cultivating a capacity to experience a broad range ofemotions. This understanding of emotions enables us to recognise their cognitive, affective and socialdimensions, contributing to our ability to critically engage with emotional experience. (shrink)