ABSTRACT
The argument of this chapter takes its point of departure from the state of contemporary political discourse, which is increasingly characterized by a rhetoric of resentment and vilification. Political and cultural civility has given way to strident accusations, outlandish bombast and unalloyed contempt from all points of the political spectrum. In this chapter, we argue that Nietzsche can speak to this growing spirit of ressentiment in two distinct and educationally relevant ways. First, Nietzsche explains how ressentiment does not just damage a culture, it actually harms the individual who feels it. Contrary to our intuitions, resentment is not an empowering psychological phenomenon that helps us to challenge injustice but an enervating one that leads to internal and political strife. Thus, educators have an obligation to support their students in the overcoming of ressentiment. Second, Nietzsche outlines the tremendous psychological and social benefits that can come from the cultivation of gratitude, the opposite of the resentful posture. Individual students can achieve a great sense of agency and self-confidence if they cultivate gratitude in their lives. Thus, the final sections of this chapter attempt to offer several suggestions as to how teachers might help their students to overcome ressentiment and increase gratitude in their lives.
