Nietzsche (1)

I. Background/Contemporary Age (see notes)
II. Nietzsche
- stress on becoming (flow of time) rather than on being (a system of reality)
- of critique rather than on a position
- critiques make us think/rethink our position
- 7 themes:
§ birth of tragedy
§ critique of morality
§ critique of metaphysics
§ critique of religion
§ critique of language
§ will to power
§ aesthetic phenomenon

Birth of Tragedy
§ Nietzche’s Background:
o philology = study of Greek/Latin literature only a bit of Philosophy
o study of Greek Drama (Aeschylus, Hippocles)
§ one of his first writings, wasn’t that good, a mix of many things (philo, literature, etc..)

* What makes a good drama effective?
a. Elements of drama:
§ Apollo - (god of sun, agriculture, etc..) – reason, intellect, order
§ Dionysius - (god of wine, orgies etc..) – passion, drive, desire
b. There must be balance of the two
c. Similarly in life: balance between discipline and passion
§ man is neither only about his consciousness nor his desires.
§ Antedates Freud’s idea of id, consciousness

? Why birth of tragedy?

Critique of Morality
§ made him famous
§ continuation of the birth of tragedy

1. Traditional Morality
a. Set of rules which suppresses the individuals drive rather than allow him to move and mature. Suppresses individuality, originality, uniqueness. Don’t do these. Don’t do that.
b. Do we simply confirm to a set of rules or a group of people? Are we mere followers of words?
c. We should have the courage to be what we are. Everybody is called to be the best he is. The calling to a good which realizes us.

2. Resentiment – crab mentality: anybody who tries to be true to himself is pulled down.

3. Transvaluation of Values
a. Sometimes morality has hidden motives (e.g. Aha that is porn! My mind is green. This is my gift. I get something in return!)
b. sfads
c. We have to reverse the process

4. Ubermench
a. true morality – being true to one’s self, being prepared to be pulled down, morality of the strong and courageous
b. not afraid of suffering for standing out of one’s principles

5. Effect in Contemporary Thoughts

Critique of Metaphysics (platonic)
1. Pre-socratics: down to earth wisdom
2. Plato: other worldy (eternal, world of ideas…); a form of escape; running away instead of addressing the problems
3. Effect: distance from metaphysical philosophy; an open ear to phenomenological

Critique of Religion (medieval thinking)
1. What does our faith really consists of?
a. Hierarchy? Dogmas? Organization of churches? Councils?
b. What is essential in our faith? What gives meaning to our lives?

2. tendency to emphasize the eschatological (end)
a. devaluation of the world: this world is a valley of tears
b. purpose of life: to gain points for heaven; nevermind saving other people, we’re gonna die anyway. Let’s just prepare for heaven.

3. emphasis on majesty of God in contrast with man as nothing
a. before God, one is worse than a worm.
b. Jean Paul Sarte: I’d rather choose humanity.”
c. dismissal of individual dignity
d. Church stand: St. Iraneus: “the man alive is the glory of God.”

4. Death of God
a. Nihilism
· Europeans lived their life as though God was dead
· God doesn’t matter because he doesn’t make a difference in their lives.




b. UBERMENCH: the core value of man’s life, the answer to emptiness in man (nihilism); a difference is made when one concentrates on his own life.

5. Stress on Suffering
a. Symbol of Xtianity: cross
b. Is suffering of itself a value, good? Is salvation to suffer?

6. dfa
7. sdf


critique of language
will to power
aesthetic phenomenon