Nietzsche’s Hammer: Critiquing Western Philosophy
Nietzsche’s Critique of Western Thought
Nietzsche’s thought represents the most stringent and radical critique of the entire Western philosophical and cultural tradition. His ‘philosophizing with a hammer’ leaves none of the fundamental elements of that tradition intact: ontological, epistemological, religious, moral, and so on.
Platonism: Source of Decadent Culture
Nietzsche denounces Platonism as the source of all decadent, impoverished, and servile Western culture. This ‘germ,’ he argues, was adopted by Judeo-Christianity, which Nietzsche described as merely “Platonism for the people.” Plato, according to Nietzsche, expresses the weakness, impotence, and decay of those unable to accept reality as it is: fragmented, finite, and ephemeral. As a result of this powerlessness, Plato invents another world—an ideal and perfect realm (the World of Ideas)—which supposedly expresses the true essence of things.
Moral Implications of Socratic-Platonic Dualism
This epistemological-ontological dualism also has serious consequences in the moral sphere. Distinguishing between a false, apparent world and a real world morally entails the renunciation and sacrifice of this life for the benefit of an afterlife. Socratic-Platonic morality, according to Nietzsche, is an unnatural morality—one that opposes life by suppressing humanity’s passionate and instinctive dimensions to emphasize the rational. In response, Nietzsche advocates a new morality based on the affirmation of life as the sole reality and the imperative to live fully and intensely (embodying concepts like the Will to Power and Eternal Return), without being sacrificed or chained to a false celestial world. This emphasizes a profound vitality.
Judeo-Christianity: Platonism for the Masses
The Platonic proposal, Nietzsche asserts, finds its counterpart in Judeo-Christianity. Christianity adapts Plato’s claims to biblical scriptures. The Christian alternative does not significantly differ from the Platonic one. Faced with the fleeting and ephemeral nature of this life, God offers eternal life and true happiness as a reward. However, this reward comes at a price: the dedication and sacrifice of this earthly life. Ultimately, Nietzsche criticizes the Christian-Platonic tradition’s inability to embrace joy and its inherent sorrow. He critiques its conception of life as ‘a vale of tears’ or ‘like a bad night in a bad inn.’
Kant and Enlightenment Rationalism Under Scrutiny
Kant is another significant author to whom Nietzsche devotes extensive reflection, particularly concerning Enlightenment rationalism. Nietzsche critiques Kantian reason for being ‘hypnotized’ against the senses, arguing that reason falsifies sensory contributions. Reason, he claims, reduces the plurality and nuances of reality, thereby negating its very essence: becoming and change. Reality is not singular; that is, it possesses no single, definitive meaning or significance. Reality is as we understand it and thus depends on the perspective we adopt (Perspectivism). Absolute truth does not exist; rather, there are multiple truths that illuminate different aspects of reality. As Nietzsche famously stated, ‘There are no facts, only interpretations.’ And these interpretations can be positive or negative, active or reactive, strong or weak.
Nietzsche’s Legacy: Influence on Foucault
In conclusion, contemporary philosophy has revived some of Nietzsche’s key ideas, particularly evident in the work of Michel Foucault. Foucault’s genealogical method draws upon Nietzschean concepts such as the Will to Power, relativism, and the perspectivism of truth.