Friedrich Nietzsche: Philosophy, Life, and Nihilism
Friedrich Nietzsche: A Philosophical Overview
Friedrich Nietzsche, born in 1844, stands as a pivotal figure in German philosophy. While Hegel believed in a positive trajectory for Western culture, Nietzsche offered a stark counterpoint, a ruthless denial of such optimism. With Nietzsche, European thought arrived at a crossroads. Hegel sought a conceptual understanding of history, but Nietzsche saw in it a path of error for humanity, subjecting the entire cultural past to a devastating critique. His philosophy carries a dark prophecy, a message of European “nihilism.”
Life as the Central Issue
At the heart of Nietzsche’s philosophy lies the concept of “life”—a force beyond rational understanding, distorted by values that prioritize science and history. He called for the destruction of these values, aiming to replace them with a new foundation.
Nietzsche’s Style and Biography
Nietzsche’s philosophical style is characterized by the use of “metaphor” rather than “concept.” His works are collections of aphorisms, reflecting his own life marked by pain and loneliness. His intermittent illness likely contributed to his unique perspective, offering a fresh lens on everyday experiences.
Three Stages in Nietzsche’s Work
1. The Romantic Stage (The Birth of Tragedy)
This stage represents the initial formulation of Nietzsche’s philosophy, where he outlines his perspective on life. The central problem is defining the essence of tragedy.
Nietzsche viewed tragedy as an expression of being. Reality, for him, is an antagonism of fundamental opposites. Life is an eternal source that produces individuals, tearing itself apart in the process. It is characterized by pain and suffering, but also by a tendency to return and reintegrate through death.
In Greek tragedy, Nietzsche found the contrast between the Apollonian (order, reason) and the Dionysian (chaos, instinct). He criticized Socrates for introducing the idea that thinking could penetrate the deepest abyss of being.
2. The Enlightened Stage
This stage marks a shift towards psychology and anthropology. Nietzsche “unmasked” the illusions of human superiority found in religion and metaphysics, revealing them as human constructs.
He defined metaphysics as “the science which deals with fundamental human errors, but treats them as if they were truths.” He saw a desire for comfort behind metaphysics and religion, offering psychological explanations for these phenomena. Morality, too, was nothing but “subliminal cruelty.”
Nietzsche conceived of man as an animal driven by ideas. The figure of the “free spirit” emerged, representing the birth of human freedom. In works like Aurora and The Gay Science, he proclaimed the transformation of the saint, artist, and sage into the “free spirit,” foreshadowing his central ideas.
3. The Philosophy of the Morning (Thus Spoke Zarathustra)
This phase opens with Thus Spoke Zarathustra, marking a new development in Nietzsche’s thought.
The Death of God: This theme dominates the first part of Zarathustra. It signifies the collapse of belief in a standard of truth, goodness, etc. Metaphysics, with its distinction between a “true” world and a sensory world, is rendered meaningless. The death of God creates a vacuum, risking a profound impoverishment of humanity—the fate of Western culture.
The Superman: This doctrine emerges as the ultimate human possibility. The Superman transcends humanity, abandoning otherworldly dreams and embracing the “earth.” The eagle and the snake symbolize this figure.
Zarathustra’s first speech outlines the path to creative freedom. The camel represents the individual burdened by external powers (or God). The lion (driven by the impulse “I want”) sheds these burdens. Finally, the child symbolizes the Superman’s essence of play and freedom.
The Will to Power: This concept is central to the second part of Zarathustra. The transformed human is a creator. This creative power would be limited if God existed. God contradicts human freedom, which can only be fully realized on Earth. Nietzsche views the earth as a creative force, its productive movement called “life”—the will to power, the cosmic principle of all things.
Eternal Return: This concept emphasizes the importance of taking time seriously. Creation is tied to the reality of time. The metaphysical idea of God establishes a timeless realm, devaluing both time and the human will. The death of God, therefore, is also an affirmation of time for Nietzsche. Every moment becomes a decision that would be repeated eternally, demanding that we take our existence seriously.
Nietzsche’s Critique of Western Culture and Morality
Nietzsche criticizes major figures in Western culture, particularly Socrates and Plato, seeing them as betrayers of life’s true essence. Only Heraclitus finds favor in his eyes.
Nietzsche’s critique of science, religion, and philosophy extends to morality, offering new perspectives. His moral philosophy is an attack on modernity, exposing the underlying structures of culture. Alongside Marx and Freud, he stands as a master of suspicion, challenging the foundations of Western thought.