Subject: Re: Nietzsche and the Philosophes
From: Joshua Stott (jstott@bigplanet.net)
Date: Thu Jun 29 2000 - 13:55:25 GMT
I wouldn't go so far as to call them two sides of a coin...
I know that Nietzsche spends quite a bit of time denouncing the old
Greeks, but it's hard to get away from them when Socrates especially
contributes much to existential thought. In a sad way, Nietsche
attacking Socrates is like a tree digging up and discarding its own
roots -- leaving itself to die. Even Kierkegaard considers Socrates one
of his two heroes (his father being the other) -- though he does
disagree with him on some, even fundamental, levels. Nietsche, of
course, though he may never admit it (like most others... you get a
little head nod from Heideggar and an almost underhanded salute from
Levinas), owes much of his insight to Kierkegaard and through
Kierkegaard, Hegel, and consequently to Socrates.
So, the point is, is there anything interesting, any idea particularly
stiking, that would be good for discussion? I think that any
existential insight is very much on topic thanks to Seymour... and
little hints in RHTRBC and F&Z.
So, get us going here Gene.
Josh
A waxing-philosophical-semi-newcomer
Gene wrote:
>
> I wouldn't consider myself an athiest(though I don't
> claim to be a model christian either), but I have to
> admit I am just fascinated by this man. Just to set
> the record straight, Nietzsche was NOT
> anti-semitic(Hitler was influenced by Nietzsche, and
> the intro to "The Portable Nietzsche" argues, to
> paraphrase, that Nietzsche has attracted his share of
> crack-pots and villains, but if books are to judged on
> the good and bad uses they are put to, what book has
> been more misused than The Bible? Similarily, don't
> you think it's strange that "Catcher" is big on the
> list of reading material for serial killers and
> assasins? And in "The Portable Nietzsche" a letter to
> his sister is included where he condemns her for
> having associated with anti-semitic people; her
> husband for one. From what I've read(various sectins
> of the portable reader and "Beyond Good and Evil"),
> Nietzsche was very anti-political. Not that he was an
> anarchist, but he didn't believe in being tied down to
> any political organizations(kind of like claiming
> "independent" on voting ballots, I think), and he was
> especially resentful of various anti-semitic
> organizations that tried to gain his public support.
> He was also very pro-feminist, and poked fun at the
> philosophers for not understanding women and
> oppressing them with religious doctrines.
>
> The Plato book I have(which I equally love just as
> much) has "The Republic", "The Symposium",
> "Parmenides", "Euthyphro", "Apology: Socrates at His
> Trial", "Crito: Socrates in Prison", and "Phaedo: The
> Death of Socrates"(he was sentenced to death, but on
> the day of his death, he committed suicide by drinking
> poison). So far, I've read the first couple pages of
> "The Republic", and the entire trial, prison, and
> suicide books. I just think it makes a very
> fascinating picture to compare the two completely
> different ideologies of Nietzsche and the Philosophes,
> almost like two sides of a coin.
>
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