Critical Appraisal of Nietzsche’s Philosophy
Critical Appraisal of Nietzsche’s Thought
Nietzsche’s philosophy represents a radical break with the Christian humanism of the Western tradition and the philosophy of consciousness advocated from Descartes to Kant. Given this, there are some elements that deserve special mention in this critical appraisal.
Nietzsche on Finitude and Interpretation
Nietzsche, in my opinion, better than anyone recognizes the finitude and contingency of the subject: the man is here and now; there is no beyond to which we should sacrifice our lives. And from that finitude and contingency, Nietzsche emphasizes the interpretive, subjective, understanding of all reality. Reality is not univocal but depends on the perspective we adopt. There is *no* “TRUTH”, but partial truths equally valid and defensible.
This attitude has, in my view, a double meaning:
- On the one hand, it is a perfect antidote to any fundamentalism, whether religious, political, or otherwise. It accepts different ways of designing and evaluating reality.
- But at the same time, it can lead to absolute relativism, where any view, any fact can be justified and considered valid.
Hence the importance of measuring fair value in its Nietzschean proposal.
Passion vs. Reason in Nietzsche’s Philosophy
Another essential aspect of Nietzsche’s thought, from my perspective, is the appreciation of the dimension of passion, affection, and the body of life, compared to the primacy of reason advocated across the philosophical and cultural tradition. Man is passion, instinct, life force, in short, *will to power*. He seeks to discover that reason is not sovereign, to show the other side of reason, and remove the illustrated fallacy that includes the man-dimensional form as the rational soul. However, this proposal suffers from the same error as the illustrated proposal: Nietzsche is exceeded in its assessment of that other dimension of being human. His rejection of rationality is, in my opinion, a mistake, and many are the examples of irrationality that have marked the history of the West: fascist dictatorships, communist dictatorships, terrorism, etc.
Nietzsche’s Critique of Christianity
Finally, the last question is Nietzsche’s critique of the Christian religion. A criticism that seeks to face life as it is without appeal to a transmundane beyond this life that involves sacrifice. Nietzsche proposes to adopt an optimistic attitude towards life, coping with strength and vitality. And this is against the teachings of the tradition that has sought resentment, weakness, cowardice, and resignation.
Nietzsche’s Continuing Relevance
Nietzsche’s approaches, therefore, have a high degree of topicality and challenges that still question Christian traditions and theologies. His denunciation of moralism and his accusations against a painful and supernatural Christianity remain valid as a criticism of life forms proposed in the Christian churches. From this perspective, Nietzsche is, in my view, a challenge for the Christian traditions, and his criticism is more central and nuclear to the Western religious tradition than the contributions of Kant, Marx, and Feuerbach.