Nietzsche's Deeper Truth

speed · February 24th, 2008, 08:52 AM

I read this article online this week, and thought it a very fair presentation of many of Nietzsche's core ideas: http://www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=6103

I am also harboring the idea that Nietzsche was the Socrates of the modern era. His written philosophy I think asks questions, not solves them. And since modern man's problem is existential, his interior written philosophy and extortations I think mirror Socrates' verbal exterior philosophy and exhortations.

Ive noticed that my adolescent love of Nietzsche, which somewhat disappeared, has somehow returned the older I get. I believe it is because of the truth Nietzsche sought--and his unwavering thirst for the truth, never once finding solace in any idea or cause,etc that would make this quest easier.

Norsemaiden · February 25th, 2008, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speed

I read this article online this week, and thought it a very fair presentation of many of Nietzsche's core ideas: http://www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=6103

I am also harboring the idea that Nietzsche was the Socrates of the modern era. His written philosophy I think asks questions, not solves them. And since modern man's problem is existential, his interior written philosophy and extortations I think mirror Socrates' verbal exterior philosophy and exhortations.

Ive noticed that my adolescent love of Nietzsche, which somewhat disappeared, has somehow returned the older I get. I believe it is because of the truth Nietzsche sought--and his unwavering thirst for the truth, never once finding solace in any idea or cause,etc that would make this quest easier.

Nile577 said

Quote:

I think he means totally the opposite; truth should not get in the way of convictions. Nietzsche abhorred the pursuit of "truth" and the view of philosophy as the pursuit of knowledge. If the truth of life is that it would be better for man to never be, the impelling force of "Life" is more important than "truth." This impelling force is the will to power, which allows man to overcome man and become the superman.

In the Intransigence of Religion thread.

This was in response to my view that when Nietzsche said (and this time I will quote it accurately) "Truth has never yet clung to the arm of an inflexible man", it was meant that it is important not to have convictions but to have a reasonably open mind that is always ready to change when better evidence comes along.

I would agree that Nietzsche dismissed the idea of any absolute objective and ultimate Truth, as do I, but did acknowledge subjective shared truth as existing in a useful sense.

Socrates, as represented by Plato, is a rationalist to a large extent, and Nietzsche said this was naive, and preferred empiricist idealism instead .

Blowtus · February 26th, 2008, 07:28 AM

Cheers for posting that Speed... a lot in there I've never picked up on. (though have only read a couple of his works so far)

Found this paragraph particularly striking, much as I can't quite grasp how 'truth' is self denying...

"It is a frenzied perfectionism of the intellect that “forbids itself the lie involved in belief in God.” Saying no to dogma in obedience to pure reason still involves saying yes to the logic of self-denying service to the truth."

speed · February 26th, 2008, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norsemaiden

Nile577 said
In the Intransigence of Religion thread.

This was in response to my view that when Nietzsche said (and this time I will quote it accurately) "Truth has never yet clung to the arm of an inflexible man", it was meant that it is important not to have convictions but to have a reasonably open mind that is always ready to change when better evidence comes along.

I would agree that Nietzsche dismissed the idea of any absolute objective and ultimate Truth, as do I, but did acknowledge subjective shared truth as existing in a useful sense.

Socrates, as represented by Plato, is a rationalist to a large extent, and Nietzsche said this was naive, and preferred empiricist idealism instead .

To me, the truth of Nietzsche, is that of the void: the individual adrift in essentially in valueless, meaningless, nothingness and trying somehow to make something out of it--some meaning, etc.

SO I implicitly think of Nietzsche's truth to be that of the void, sorry.

panzerfaust666 · February 27th, 2008, 01:52 AM

Nietszche is a existentialist, simple

WeAreTheLastMen · February 28th, 2008, 08:52 AM

I think the most useful thing Nietzsche contributed was the concept of the Last Man. I've only read The Anti-Christ and Zarathustra, but that was the part I found most interesting. The Overman sounded utterly ridiculous to me... most of it, anyway.

Dimebaggage · February 29th, 2008, 03:00 PM

Very interesting read indeed. Thanks for that.

So do you guys believe that Nietzsche was a genius child or not?

I very much believe so.

speed · March 3rd, 2008, 07:03 PM

An interesting question I read today regarding Nietszche's thought from a Polish philosopher: in outlining Nietzsche's doctrine of "the will to power," he remarks, "Nietzsche tells us to exercise the will to power and create the meaning of life for ourselves, regardless of traditional moral laws and inherited ideas of good and evil," and he then asks, "How, on this view, does a great artist differ in his greatness from a great criminal? Are we to admire both equally, since both created the meaning they wanted in their lives?"

WeAreTheLastMen · March 4th, 2008, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speed

An interesting question I read today regarding Nietszche's thought from a Polish philosopher: in outlining Nietzsche's doctrine of "the will to power," he remarks, "Nietzsche tells us to exercise the will to power and create the meaning of life for ourselves, regardless of traditional moral laws and inherited ideas of good and evil," and he then asks, "How, on this view, does a great artist differ in his greatness from a great criminal? Are we to admire both equally, since both created the meaning they wanted in their lives?"

That's about when you begin to realize that Nietzsche is a foo' (most of the time).

Astrum · March 27th, 2008, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panzerfaust666

Nietszche is a existentialist, simple

Hey, congrats on typing Nietszche into wikipedia or something.

Quote:

Originally Posted by speed

An interesting question I read today regarding Nietszche's thought from a Polish philosopher: in outlining Nietzsche's doctrine of "the will to power," he remarks, "Nietzsche tells us to exercise the will to power and create the meaning of life for ourselves, regardless of traditional moral laws and inherited ideas of good and evil," and he then asks, "How, on this view, does a great artist differ in his greatness from a great criminal? Are we to admire both equally, since both created the meaning they wanted in their lives?"

If the accomplishments (for lack of a better word, but you know what i mean) of the two are equal, then the greatness of the two does not differ. Greatness and it's opposite aren't on the same spectrum as good or bad. One being a criminal and one being an artist has no bearing on the measure of their greatness.

To answer the end question, technichally; if we are following some base principles of Nietszche, we are to admire neither, or both. Just because you admire the criminal as much as the artist because of how they succsessfully lived out their lives the way they wanted does not mean you promote criminal behavior (or being an artist, for that matter). If you were to "admire" them at all, it would be for the fact that they succeeded in fufilling their life's potential.