Questions tagged [nietzsche]
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) was a German philosopher and poet. Nietzsche is consistently one of the most widely-read philosophers, even among laymen; yet his work is often elliptical, even cryptic, and demands an unusual discipline with respect to reading and thinking. This contradiction may give some sense of the complexity and profundity of Nietzsche's powerful writing and explosive style. Much of his work can be understood as critique of nihilism.
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What did Nietzsche mean by monsters and the abyss?
What do you think Nietzsche meant by "Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look long into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you." (...
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Trying to Understand Quote by Nietzsche
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a
monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also
into you." - Nietzsche (Beyond Good and Evil: ...
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What does Nietzsche mean when he says "God is dead"?
What does German Philosopher Nietzsche mean when he says : "God is dead"? In one of the books of an Indian Mystic Osho, I read this reply from Osho: "Nietzsche is wrong because God has never been born"...
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Is mathematics an art?
I'm thinking of art in the traditional sense as visual, musical or literary.
Mathematics certainly requires technique, and hence one can say craftmanship. But whereas the production of an art (at ...
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Similarities between philosophies of Zhuangzi (daoism) and Friedrich Nietzsche?
I've come across these quotes by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900) and about Chinese daoist philosopher Zhuangzi (4th century BC).
from Nietzsche's The Birth of Tragedy from the ...
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What is the justification for Deleuze's 3rd synthesis of time?
In Difference and Repitition by Deleuze, he comes up with 3 syntheses of time. The first being habitus, which is the conditioning of actual experience through pre-existing material patterns for the ...
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Nietzsche on balancing service to the creation of (or becoming) the Overman and living a life of ones own choosing?
So, I have been looking into Nietzsche.
To be honest, I have thought a lot about Nietzsche for the past 2 years, and I am unsure of what to make of the nature of this need to become the Overman. My ...
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Did Nietzsche read Kierkegaard?
Kierkegaard and Nietzsche are often treated together as early existentialists. This is rather odd, as Kierkegaard was self-consciously seeking to be an orthodox Christian, and Nietzsche was self-...
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Arguments against eternal return
I have encountered the concept of eternal return e.g. in reading about Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900) and Pythagoras (c. 570 – c. 495 BC). This is one formulation from Nietzsche's The Will To Power:...
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Why is Nietzsche an important philosopher?
Can someone explain to me why Nietzsche is an important philosopher? To be honest, I am interested in analytic philosophy and I want to to how much valuable the Nietzsche's ideas are from analytical ...
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What are some theories attacking postmodernism preserving objective truth and morality without assuming a God?
From my simplified understanding postmodernism claims ?:
there is no objective truth, only interpretation
there is no objective morality, morality usually represent the interest of the powers that be
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Please explain perspectivism to me
I was wondering if someone could please explain Nietzsche's perspectivism to me. I used to think that it was similar to Descartes' method of thinking. That everything was subjective because everything ...
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Why is Nietzsche so against Socrates?
Nietzsche recalls the story that Socrates says that 'he has been a long time sick', meaning that life itself is a sickness; Nietszche accuses him of being a sick man, a man against the instincts of ...
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Existentialism and the absensce of free will
One of the most famous doctrines of existentialism formulated by Jean Paul Sartre is that we are absolutely free.
Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible ...
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Are there specifically Buddhist arguments against the eternal return of the same?
Are there specifically Buddhist arguments against the eternal return of the same?
There seems like there should be. However, I'm highly confused by what a "final nirvana", complete extinction, could ...
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Why, according to Nietzsche, is becoming a monster by fighting to overthrow monsters a bad thing? [duplicate]
Nietzsche states:
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.
Source: ...
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What is Nietzsche saying about pain? [closed]
I am not thinking of any passage of Nietzsche's in particular. However, it's well known he valued pain for what it brings about in some people. But then I'm told he didn't valorise it, which I suppose ...
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what are the key points of Ubuntu (Humanity) particulary as it relates to poverty?
How can the Ubuntu philosophical approach address the issue of poverty and how can the elements of Ubuntu be integrated into practices in everyday life in the contemporary?.
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Passages validating Goethe as Nietzsche's Übermensch?
It is believed by some that the closest Nietzsche comes to naming the Übermensch is Goethe. However, in my own readings (which is not comprehensive) I've not found any solid evidence. What is ...
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How valid is Nietzsche's critique of Buddhism?
According to a paper titled Nietzsche's Reception of Buddhist Psychology With Constant Reference to Christianity by McDonald (2012), given at a conference in Copenhagen, Nietzsche's work contains 158 ...
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What does "You go to women? Do not forget the whip!" mean?
As an Iranian citizen I have read most Nietzsche's books which have been translated in Persian/Farsi language as my mother tongue.
There are still debates between translators,philosophers and ...
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What is "the Nietzschean criterion" in Camus' "The Myth of Sisyphus"?
Quote:
It seems there are but two philosophical solutions [regarding killing oneself], either yes or no. This would be too easy. But allowance must be made for those who, without concluding, ...
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Which of Nietzsche writing would be a good introduction to his work?
Similar to Which of Kant's writings would be a good introduction to his work? I've been planning to read some of Nietzsche's work for a while, but have no idea where to start. Which of his ...
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Is Plato's Callicles an example of Nietzsche's Übermensch? Is the Epicurean hedonist?
Is the hard-headed Callicles from Plato's dialogue Gorgias the type of person who exemplifies Nietzsche's Übermensch (overman)? What about the hedonistic sage of Epicureans? Is he a Übermensch?
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Nietzsche's Death of God: Why Zarathustra?
Has there been any literature dealing with the question why Nietzsche chose to make Zarathustra the "prophet" of his "Death of God"? In The Gay Science, the madman remains unnamed, ...
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In what works does Nietzsche give a critique of Christianity?
I realize that it's in nearly all of his works that he does this, but does anyone happen to know in what sections of what books? I understand there's a great critique of Christianity in Human, All Too ...
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Why is Nietzsche here tying Physics to the categorical imperative?
In aphorism 335 in the Gay Science, that book or montage of aphorisms, written both carefully and carelessly; Nietzsche writes:
Long live Physics!...what? You admire the categorical imperative ...
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Does Nietsche discuss the greek notion of hubris in any of his works?
How does he relate hubris to his notion of the superman. For example in the greek play Oedipus Rex, hubris directly leads to destruction. It's seen as a vice, a flaw in character. But it seems that a ...
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Various Philosopher's Perspective on the Meaning or Purpose of Life
I'm teaching a high-school philosophy club at the school I work at, but the problem is that I haven't had any real formal education in philosophy and have only a novice knowledge of the subject, which ...
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Was Nietzsche speaking of psychologists when he commented that even those with the best intentions can do immeasurable harm?
Nietzsche said this (as found here):
"It seems to me that a human being with the very best of intentions can do immeasurable harm, if he is immodest enough to wish to profit those whose spirit and ...
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What is the "old religious formula" Nietzsche refers to?
to employ once more an old religious formula with a new and deeper meaning--it is some fundamental certainty which a noble soul has about itself, something which is not to be sought, is not to be ...
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Christian Ethics (more specifically, Aquinas on altruism)
I would like to point out that I am not knowledgeable in the Christian religion (or any religion for that matter), so excuse me if I say anything that reveals my ignorance.
Of course, Nietzsche was ...
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I am struggling to believe there is anything good in humanity: can you help?
I feel neither like a sinner nor sinned against, but I am struggling to see any good in anyone or myself. I am reminded for the 100,000th time of "mankind is a bridge", and that's what we ...
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Would Nietzsche approve of the concept of dictatorship?
My understanding of Nietzsche is still quite rudimentary but something I keep thinking about while reading his texts, is whether he would approve of the concept of dictatorships.
N is fine with ...
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Is it fair to characterise Nietszche as a reformer of Christianity, rather than a destroyer?
I've just finished reading Twilight of the Idols/The Anti-Christ, and I was struck by his sincere admiration for Christ. He calls him 'the only Christian'.
Is it fair then to describe him as a ...
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Was Nietzsche more compassionate than the Buddha's teaching?
I was chatting to a devout Buddhist about how difficult I am finding it to want to transfer merit to people that do evil acts. They replied that merit is just not something you can even do evil with, ...
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"Saving" Nietzsche?
Nietzsche claims we must say "yes" to life, and be healthy and strong that way.
But he also makes scathing remarks both in Zarathustra and in his late notebooks, about the Biblical maxim "thou shalt ...
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Hegelian dialectic to transcend Stoic vs Nietzsche?
I would like to apply Hegel's dialectic to the following thesis/antithesis and that you help me find sublimating synthesis ideas. Here is the thesis:
"to live a happy life, you must accept your ...
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"There is always a kind of contempt in the act of speaking" - What does this quote mean?
I saw this quote from Nietzsche in the preface of one of Harold Bloom's Shakespearean Analysis books.
It says:
"That for which we find words is something that is already dead in our
hearts. ...
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Interpretation of Nietzsche's aphorisms in Beyond Good An Evil
I have long been fascinated with the maxims in Beyond Good And Evil (Chapter 4). I have found great depth in many of them, but I suspect there may be other layers that I've missed. Also several of ...
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Where is Nietzsche's Antichrist last part (Law against Christianity)?
I was looking for a sentence in the last part of Nietzsche's The Antichrist (a part called "Law against Christianity"), which comes after the chapter 62. To my surprise, the vast majority of "full-...
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What are the better arguments against Nietzsche's sovereign individual being a real ideal?
What are the better arguments against Nietzsche's sovereign individual being a real ideal?
Apparently there is a "burgeoning" school of thought, falling under the term "revisionism", which says that ...
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Nihilist paradox
As Nietzsche is an obvious example, I am focusing on him.
I think that there are no nihilist philosophers, because if someone is a nihilist, why would the nihilist even bother telling us? As a ...
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Discredited readings of Nietzsche
“skeptical” view need not read Nietzsche as a global anti-realist —
i.e., as claiming that there are no truths or facts about anything,
let alone truths about value — a reading which has now been ...
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Why is Nietzsche associated with postmodernism?
This is not the first commentary in which I have seen Nietzsche associated with postmodernism. I see daylight between him and the core ideas of postmodernism, as represented by the likes of Derrida, ...
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How does fight club counter Nietzsche? [closed]
So it seems obvious to me the fight club critiques nietzsches school of thought. However, since it is a work of art I worry I may have missed all the points it makes. Can someone enlist them?
The ...
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Did Nietzsche cite anywhere in his writings Plato's Gorgias regarding Callicles?
Nietzsche's theory has many similarities with Callicles thought in Plato's Gorgias (Nietzsche and Callicles on Happiness, Pleasure, and Power). However, he did not explicitely mention Callicles in his ...
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Does Western-Europe still espouse Slave Morality?
Nietschze criticised Christianity for espousing slave morality. How true is this? Given that Christianity became the religion of the ruling classes, isn't it more correct to say that slave morality is ...
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Nietzsche, Christ & Christianity
In the Twilight of the Idols, Nietzsche buries Christianity but praises Christ - calling him the only Christian.
Is he calling him a Christian in the tautological sense in being the founding figure ...
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Nietzsche - Fictions effectiveness
According to my philosophy teacher, Nietzsche says there is no one true, objective reality but plenty of fictions and those that are more effective are the ones that persist.
My teacher argues that ...
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