From Ascetic Ideals to Honest Illusions: A Nietzschean Interpretation of Inception
This article illuminates the open ending of Christopher Nolan's film Inception (2010) in light of Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy. Drawing particularly on Nietzsche's notions of ascetic ideals and honest illusions, the article contends that Cobb's refusal to look at the spinning...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Edinburgh University Press
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Film-Philosophy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/10.3366/film.2025.0300 |
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| author | Yonghwa Lee Kyoung-Min Han |
| author_facet | Yonghwa Lee Kyoung-Min Han |
| author_sort | Yonghwa Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article illuminates the open ending of Christopher Nolan's film Inception (2010) in light of Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy. Drawing particularly on Nietzsche's notions of ascetic ideals and honest illusions, the article contends that Cobb's refusal to look at the spinning top can be seen not necessarily as his renunciation of autonomy but as his new attempt to affirm his existence and create meanings. Mal's tragic death has turned Cobb into an ascetic idealist who paradoxically resorts to self-torture to alleviate his pain and suffering. Only when he sees the destructive power of his sense of guilt about Mal does he come to realize that what he really needs is not exactly the ability to distinguish the dream world from reality per se but the ability to make things seem and feel real – that is, in Nietzsche's words, honest illusions. Faced with the challenge to regain the capability to see and appreciate illusions as illusions without deceiving himself into believing that they are real, Cobb takes “a leap of faith” with Saito into the world to which he wishes to belong and finally embraces the moment of seeing his children's faces, which, fortunately for him, seem real – that is, “good” – enough. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3b4d5285eebb4ba0a52ce95a760bc363 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1466-4615 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Edinburgh University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Film-Philosophy |
| spelling | doaj-art-3b4d5285eebb4ba0a52ce95a760bc3632025-01-20T11:45:25ZengEdinburgh University PressFilm-Philosophy1466-46152025-02-0129124426310.3366/film.2025.0300From Ascetic Ideals to Honest Illusions: A Nietzschean Interpretation of InceptionYonghwa Lee0Kyoung-Min Han1Incheon National University, KoreaIncheon National University, KoreaThis article illuminates the open ending of Christopher Nolan's film Inception (2010) in light of Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy. Drawing particularly on Nietzsche's notions of ascetic ideals and honest illusions, the article contends that Cobb's refusal to look at the spinning top can be seen not necessarily as his renunciation of autonomy but as his new attempt to affirm his existence and create meanings. Mal's tragic death has turned Cobb into an ascetic idealist who paradoxically resorts to self-torture to alleviate his pain and suffering. Only when he sees the destructive power of his sense of guilt about Mal does he come to realize that what he really needs is not exactly the ability to distinguish the dream world from reality per se but the ability to make things seem and feel real – that is, in Nietzsche's words, honest illusions. Faced with the challenge to regain the capability to see and appreciate illusions as illusions without deceiving himself into believing that they are real, Cobb takes “a leap of faith” with Saito into the world to which he wishes to belong and finally embraces the moment of seeing his children's faces, which, fortunately for him, seem real – that is, “good” – enough.https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/10.3366/film.2025.0300The endingself-deceptionacetic idealshonest illusionsa leap of faith |
| spellingShingle | Yonghwa Lee Kyoung-Min Han From Ascetic Ideals to Honest Illusions: A Nietzschean Interpretation of Inception Film-Philosophy The ending self-deception acetic ideals honest illusions a leap of faith |
| title | From Ascetic Ideals to Honest Illusions: A Nietzschean Interpretation of Inception |
| title_full | From Ascetic Ideals to Honest Illusions: A Nietzschean Interpretation of Inception |
| title_fullStr | From Ascetic Ideals to Honest Illusions: A Nietzschean Interpretation of Inception |
| title_full_unstemmed | From Ascetic Ideals to Honest Illusions: A Nietzschean Interpretation of Inception |
| title_short | From Ascetic Ideals to Honest Illusions: A Nietzschean Interpretation of Inception |
| title_sort | from ascetic ideals to honest illusions a nietzschean interpretation of inception |
| topic | The ending self-deception acetic ideals honest illusions a leap of faith |
| url | https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/10.3366/film.2025.0300 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yonghwalee fromasceticidealstohonestillusionsanietzscheaninterpretationofinception AT kyoungminhan fromasceticidealstohonestillusionsanietzscheaninterpretationofinception |