nietzsche: a critical mind

8/10/2019 Nietzsche: A Critical Mind

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Friedrich Nietzsche: A

Critical Mind

Friedrich Nietzsche: A Critical Mind

I am by far the most terrible human being there has ever been; this does not mean I shall

not be the most beneficentI am the first immoralist: I am there!ith the destroyer "ar

e#cellence$ %Nietzsche &'( )o said Friedrich *ilhelm Nietzsche+ one of the most "rominent and

influential "hiloso"hers of the nineteenth century ,e has been called both the savior of humanity

by his many admirers and the antichrist by his many o""onents In either event+ his "hiloso"hy

!as far ahead of its time+ and the "oesy of his many a"horistic+ often bizarre !ritings alone has

!on them "raise as some of the greatest literary !or-s of his century Although his ideas !ere

re.ected for the entirety of his sane life+ as most ideas that are ahead of their time are+ Nietzsche


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"rofoundly influenced many ma.or figures of the t!entieth century in a sur"rising number of

fields/from "hiloso"hers to "ainters and from musicians to "sychologists

Nietzsche !as not a normal child/nor !as he a normal man 0erha"s his uni1ueness as

an adult can be attributed to the fact that Nietzsche+ li-e all great thin-ers+ !as born !ith the

mind of fully mature adult ,e !as born in 23c-en+ 0russia on 4ctober 56 th+ 5788/the forty9

ninth birthday of the reigning ing of 0russia+ Frederic- *illiam I Coincidentally+ Nietzsche


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death of his younger brother and father+ Nietzsche !as left !ithout any masculine influence+ and

he disli-ed other boys his age ?oung Nietzsche loved to seclude himself and read the @ible+ and

!as often moc-ed by his "eers !ith names such as the little minister$ In his autobiogra"hy+

Ecce Homo+ he reflects on this as a forty9four year9old man+ >o suffer from solitude is li-e!ise

an ob.ection/I have al!ays suffered only from Emultitude


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@et!een his e"isodes of illness at 0forta+ Nietzsche e#celled+ often scoring first in his

class ,e too- "articular interest in classical learning+ studying Hree- and 2oman !ritings ,e

also "ursued his musical interests by "artici"ating in the school choir and trying to com"ose

music+ and he led a music and literature club called Hermania$ It is through the club


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single nighthis has been suggested es"ecially since in

57&+ after Nietzsche


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suffering+ !hich )cho"enhauer concluded !as the "ur"ose of life$ %Friedrich %*ilhelm(

Nietzsche$ G( >he boo- ins"ired him to ado"t a rigorous lifestyle of minimal rest+ increased

study and intense e#amination of his thoughts and feelings

Nietzsche did+ ho!ever+ meet !ee-ly !ith 0rofessor 2itschlheognisheognishis also a""ealed

Nietzsche+ and although his enthusiasm and as"irations for "hilology !ere honest+ Nietzsche

strongly disagreed !ith 2itschl


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Nietzsche


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/a te#t of the oroastrian religion+ !hich embraced arathustra as a "ro"het Nietzsche !ould

later use a fictional arathustra as the central figure of one of his greatest "hiloso"hical !or-s

*agner !as much older than Nietzsche/coincidentally+ the age that NietzscheOs father !ould

have been/and both Nietzsche and *agner shared an enthusiasm for )cho"enhauer Nietzsche

felt that *agnerribschen+ )!itzerland ,e hailed *agner as his

su"erior on all matters+ something out of character for Nietzsche Nonetheless+ the friendshi"

gave Nietzsche an o""ortunity to discuss music and "hiloso"hy !ith a real artist+ and *agner

became a central figure in Nietzscheribschen days+ those days of mutual confidences+ of


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cheerfulness+ of sublime incidents/of "rofound momentsover our s-y no cloud ever "assed$

%Nietzsche J&(

@ac- at @asel+ Nietzsche remained devoted to )cho"enhauer+ Hree- tragedy and

*agnerhis idea

!ould become the focus of his first ma.or "hiloso"hical !or- Nietzsche !as invited by *agner

to s"end Christmas at his home in >ribschen in 57&+ and there+ ins"ired by *agner+ Nietzsche

began to !rite his first boo- ,e !ent u" to the Al"s to !rite in "eace+ ho!ever+ his !riting

!ould need to !ait/his life !as once again interru"ted by a call to military service in 57'

!hen Hermany and France !ent to !ar

uring his tri" to the front at Fran-fort+ Nietzsche sa! a troo" of cavalry "assing !ith

magnificent clatter and dis"lay through the to!n >his+ Nietzsche claims+ s"ar-ed the vision out

of !hich his entire "hiloso"hy gre! EI felt for the first time that the strongest and highest *ill

to =ife does not find e#"ression in a miserable struggle for e#istence+ but in a *ill to *ar+ a *ill

to 0o!er+ a *ill to 4ver"o!erP$ %urant G6( Nietzsche served in 0russia


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holidays !ith *agner and *agner


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Nietzsche


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consists almost com"letely of !orthless individuals+ but rather to create genius/to develo"

su"erior individuals InEcce Homo+ Nietzsche e#"lains in his o!n !ords The )se and +&use of

History+ >he second untimely essay brings to light !hat is dangerous+ !hat gna!s at and

"oisons life+ in our !ay of carrying on science/: life sic- !ith this inhuman cloc-!or- and

mechanismIn this essay the Ehistorical sense< of !hich this century is so "roud is recognized

for the first time as a sic-ness+ as a ty"ical sign of decay$ %68(

,e e#"erienced severe vision "roblems !hile !riting this essay+ ho!ever+ and needed to

dictate his !or-s @ecause of his illness+ Nietzsche sto""ed vacationing !ith *agner in 57'G+

and *agner !as offended uring this time+ Nietzsche gre! increasingly critical of *agner+ and

!hen he visited *agner in 57'8+ Nietzsche further irritated *agner by "raising a rival

com"oser


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Nietzschehis o""osition is rooted in the fact that inParsifal' the !orld is redeemed by the fool

in Christ$ Nietzsche+ !ho !as o""osed to Christianity+ !as a""alled that *agner sa! a moral

value in Christianity that out!eighed its theological fla!s ,e refused to "raise *agner+ and

*agner left >hat !ould be their last meeting Nietzsche addresses the reason for his brea- !ith


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*agner/anti9)emitism/briefly inEcce Homo+ *hat I have never forgiven *agner >hat he

condescended to the Hermans/that he became reichsdeutschAs far as Hermany e#tends it

ruins culture$ %G(

Nietzsche then s"ent a summer traveling across Duro"e+ but once again suffered from the

bouts of headaches+ myo"ia and stomach distress that he -ne! so !ell >his "eriod of illness+

ho!ever+ according to Nietzsche in hisEcce Homo+ !as beneficial/even necessary+ he says+ to

his "ersonal im"rovement *hen I !as almost done for+ because I !as almost done for+ I began

to reflect on this fundamental irrationality of my life/Eidealism


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shoc-ing assessments of beloved figures such as )ocrates and Christ+ !ho he both characterized

as suicidal martyrs Nietzsche also condemned romanticism as indication of cultural !ea-ness

and re.ected Herman "hiloso"hy as ho"eless and insignificant idealism and moralism ,o!ever+

he sometimes too- u" a moralistic tone+ undermining his authority+ and could not yet free himself

from meta"hysical s"eculation >hese three !ritings !ere very im"ortant+ ho!ever+ in

Nietzschehis !ould be the last communication bet!een Nietzsche and

*agner *agner denouncedHuman' +ll Too Humanin the @ayreuth "ress and claimed that

Nietzsche had been contaminated by his association !ith the Be!s+ s"ecifically 0aul 2ee

Nietzsche had rela"sed into illness by this time and !as ravaged by vomit attac-s and severe

headaches that "revented him even from reading his o!n boo-s ,o!ever+ he still felt that

suffering strengthened him InEcceHomo'he !ould later say something to the follo!ing effect+

>hat !hich does not -ill me ma-es me stronger$ %Friedrich %*ilhelm( Nietzsche$ '( ,e

formally ended his association !ith the Kniversity of @asel because of ill health and !ent to live

!ith his sister in Naumberg )oon+ ho!ever+ Nietzsche returned to @asel ,e !as nearly blind

and suffered from e#treme anguish 4nce again+ inEcce Homo'Nietzsche comments on

sic-ness+ !hich !as such a large "art of his life+ for one !ho is ty"ically healthy being sic-

can even be an energetic stimulant to life+ to more life >hus in fact does that long "eriod of

sic-ness seem to me no!: I discovered life as it !ere ane!+ myself included+ I tasted all good

and even "etty things in a !ay that others could not easily taste them/I made out my !ill to


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health+ to life+ my "hiloso"hy$ %5( After Christmas of 57'&+ Nietzschehere+ !hile living on a "ension the Kniversity of @asel had given him+ he

!rote The #a-n of #ay %5775(+ an a"horistic volume in !hich Nietzsche "assionately

denounced the Christian doctrine ,e said that Christianity !as fundamentally morality >he

selflessness that it encouraged+ Nietzsche !rote+ !as a re"ressive tool for establishing social

conformity ,e encouraged humanity to overcome conventional morality and advocated

selfishness In doing so+ Nietzsche said he !as committing a truly selfless act

Nietzsche then !rote The 0ay cience%or The Joyful Wisdom( %577J(+ still living on his

"ension from @asel In this !or-+ Nietzsche "roclaimed for the first time that the Christian Hod

is dead Nietzsche "redicted that this "roclamation !ould cause madness to brea- out among the

masses+ but that the masses+ having been freed from Christianity+ could as"ire for a fulfillment

that is greater than !hat !as allo!ed by Christianity It is im"ortant to note that Nietzschehe Christian resolve to find

the !orld ugly and bad has made the !orld ugly and bad$ %Friedrich %*ilhelm( Nietzsche$ 7(

0erha"s more im"ortantly than his atheistic assessments+ it is in The 0ay cience that Nietzsche


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conceived of the idea of eternal recurrence+ !hich he ran-ed above even the !ill to "o!er as the

"rinci"al idea of his "hiloso"hy It is not out of "lace in The 0ay cience+ as it still serves to

further dra! attention a!ay from !orlds other than the "resent one Dternal recurrence is derived

from scientific formulations about the conservation of energy Nietzsche defined it+ in brief

terms+ as the recycling of everything in eternal re"etition throughout time In later !ritings+

Nietzsche sha"ed the eternal recurrence into a "art of the !ill to "o!er+ but in The 0ay cience+

the !ill to "o!er is revealed by a devil !ho is hailed as a god because of his revelation In one of

his boo-s+ *ill urant e#"lains the eternal recurrence+ All things !ill return+ in "recise detail+

and an infinite number of times; even Nietzsche !ill return+ and this Hermany of blood and iron

and sac-9cloth and ashes+ and all the travail of the human mind from ignorance to1arathustra

>he "ossible combinations of reality are limited+ and time is endless; some day+ inevitably+ life

and matter !ill fall into .ust such a form as they once had+ and out of that fatal re"etition all

history must re!ind its devious course again$ %G58(

In )"ring of 577J+ Nietzsche vacationed !ith 0aul 2ee in Italy !here he met =ou

)alome+ a young+ inde"endent !oman !ho !as already familiar to 2ee 2ee had been im"ressed

by her "hiloso"hical discussion at Meysenbug


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thoughts on long hi-es and rene!ed intentions of living together *hen Nietzsche "rofessed to

)alome his sensual desires for her+ )alome fled !ith 2ee+ and Nietzsche corres"onded little !ith

)alome after!ards >his brea-+ many scholars believe+ e#"lains the hatred of !omen that a""ears

in Nietzsche


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overman Dternal recurrence+ Nietzsche claims+ is the e"itome of that overcoming/it "roves that

the "ur"ose of the overman is to be an infinity !ithin the greater infinity of s"ace and time Most

scholars consider eternal recurrence a !ea-ness in Nietzsche


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>he "eriod surrounding the !riting of(eyond 0ood and E$il!as full of "ersonal anguish

for Nietzsche 0oor health characterized much of his time+ and his conflict !ith his "ublisher

further aggravated him In this midst of all this+ *agner died Also+ Nietzsche


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about their o!n destruction through an act of self9overcomingIn this !ay Christianity as a

dogma !as destroyed by its o!n morality; in the same !ay Christianity as morality must no!

"erish too; !e stand on the threshold of this event


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obsession !ith obedience and its as"irations to revive the 2eich+ !hich+ according to Nietzsche+

!ould caused conformity ,e said that Hermany had deliberately stu"efied itself

Nietzsche !as already "oor as a result of having no steady income+ but his financial

"roblems !ere !orsened !hen he "aid for the "ublication of his recent !or-s ,e "ost"oned

"lans to begin his self9antici"ated The Will to Po-er, +ttempt at a Re$aluation of +ll 3aluesand

instead !rote The +ntichrist+ an analytical account on Christianityestament+ and he res"onded to the increasing number of Duro"ean Christian

anti9)emites by outlining Christianityurin


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Nietzsche celebrated his forty9fourth birthday on 4ctober 56th+ 5777 by commencing !ith

the !riting ofEcce Homo+ a colorful account of Nietzschehis is an allusion to )t Bohnhe boo- is divided

into cha"ters such as+ *hy I Am )o *ise+$ *hy I Am )o Clever+$ *hy I *rite )uch Hood

@oo-s+$ and *hy I Am a estiny$ In them+ Nietzsche touches on a !ide range of to"ics such

as !ar+ nutrition+ urban life and *agner !hile "ainting a biogra"hical "icture of his life+ !ith

"articular em"hasis on his !ritings In *hy I Am a estiny+$ Nietzsche "redicts that someday

his name !ill be associated !ith the fall of Christianity and the rise of the overman Ecce Homo

too- .ust !ee-s to com"lete

Immediately after finishingEcce Homo+ Nietzsche 1uic-ly assembled "assages against

*agner from his "revious !or-s into%iet2sche contra Wa!ner Its "ur"ose !as to "rove that

Nietzsche !as o""osed to *agner and that The Case of Wa!ner+ an earlier !or- in !hich

Nietzsche attac-ed *agner+ !as not sim"ly a rec-less and untruthful attac- on his former idol

ins"ired by anger and feelings of betrayal )ome scholars claim that Nietzsche


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*agner Nietzsche claimed in the !or- that even the greatest usually become corru"t *agner+

Nietzsche claimed+ !as corru"ted by Christianity ,o!ever+ Nietzsche also admitted that he

admired *agneraine sent a !ord of

"raise in res"onse to Nietzsche


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insanity !as undeniable K"on returning to his attic room of a home+ Nietzsche dashed off mad

letters ,e !rote to Cosima *agner+ 2ichard *agnerhe Crucified


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do you cry Are !e not ha""y


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!hy I bring out this boo- beforehand; it is intended to "revent "eo"le from ma-ing mischief !ith

meI do not !ant to be a saint+ rather even a buffoon$ %&(

Dlisabeth continued to very actively advocate and "romote Nietzsche


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Dlisabeth died in 5&G6+ but a team of Herman scholars a""ointed by ,itler continued her

!or-$ by further attem"ting to ada"t Nietzscheo

name a fe!+ Albert Camus+ Michel Foucault+ Carl Bung+ Martin ,eidegger+ Bean90aul )artre+

Heorge @ernard )ha!+ *illiam @utler ?eats and Mar- 2oth-o Nietzsche


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to determine Nietzsche


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nietzsche: a critical mind

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