Twilight of the Idols Twilight of the Idols (1889)(1889)

Or, How One Or, How One Philosophizes with a Philosophizes with a HammerHammer

Historical Context & Historical Context & StyleStyle

Main Attacks:Main Attacks: Socrates, Philosophy, Socrates, Philosophy,

Reason, Morality, “The Reason, Morality, “The True World,” Religion, True World,” Religion, Education, The Education, The German State… German State…

Nietzsche’s Attack on Nietzsche’s Attack on PhilosophyPhilosophy

What is “The Problem of Socrates”?What is “The Problem of Socrates”? Decadent, i.e., anti-life, ugly, declining, Decadent, i.e., anti-life, ugly, declining,

criminal, pseudo-Greek, anti-Greekcriminal, pseudo-Greek, anti-Greek ““The Socratic equation of reason, virtue, The Socratic equation of reason, virtue,

and happiness is opposed to all instincts of and happiness is opposed to all instincts of the earlier Greeks.” (p. 475)the earlier Greeks.” (p. 475)

Dialectics replaces noble customsDialectics replaces noble customs Reason becomes a tyrant and rationality Reason becomes a tyrant and rationality

the saviorthe savior

The moralism of Greek philosophers The moralism of Greek philosophers is pathologically conditionedis pathologically conditioned

The whole improvement-morality The whole improvement-morality was a misunderstanding in was a misunderstanding in opposition to the instincts (pp. 478-opposition to the instincts (pp. 478-79)79)

When life is ascending, happiness When life is ascending, happiness equals instinctequals instinct

Philosophy is a preparation for deathPhilosophy is a preparation for death

The Next Attack: “Reason” The Next Attack: “Reason” in in ФФ

Philosophers lack historical sense and Philosophers lack historical sense and hate becominghate becoming

E.g., the Eleatics, such as Parmenides E.g., the Eleatics, such as Parmenides (515 BC) and Zeno (490 BC)(515 BC) and Zeno (490 BC)

They maintained a doctrine that reality They maintained a doctrine that reality consisted of indivisible, unchanging consisted of indivisible, unchanging being; all is one; thus they denied being; all is one; thus they denied motion, time, and changemotion, time, and change

Heraclitus (d. 480 BC) is Heraclitus (d. 480 BC) is exceptedexcepted

He taught becoming He taught becoming rather than being and rather than being and is famous for saying is famous for saying “You cannot step in “You cannot step in the same river twice.”the same river twice.”

This world, the only This world, the only real world we have real world we have any sense of, is a any sense of, is a world of becoming.world of becoming.

To say there is a “true To say there is a “true world” of being is an world” of being is an illusion.illusion.

Any distinction between a “true” and Any distinction between a “true” and “apparent” world is a sign of “apparent” world is a sign of decadence, the decline of life. decadence, the decline of life.

The Dionysian approach: affirm this The Dionysian approach: affirm this life and this world and abolish any life and this world and abolish any slanderous talk of the “true world.” slanderous talk of the “true world.” (p. 484)(p. 484)

Morality as Anti-NatureMorality as Anti-Nature §1: Moralities have sought to destroy the §1: Moralities have sought to destroy the

passions.passions. Any attack on the passions is an attack on life.Any attack on the passions is an attack on life. Such is the hostile practice of the church, Such is the hostile practice of the church,

which has never thought to ask “How can one which has never thought to ask “How can one spiritualize, beautify, deify a craving?”spiritualize, beautify, deify a craving?”

§2: Moralists who seek to exterminate the §2: Moralists who seek to exterminate the passions are too weak to control them.passions are too weak to control them.

§3: Towards a spiritualization of sensuality §3: Towards a spiritualization of sensuality (love) and hostility (love of enemies).(love) and hostility (love of enemies).

A renunciation of “peace of soul”? (pp. 488-A renunciation of “peace of soul”? (pp. 488-489)489)

§4: “Every naturalism in morality—that is, §4: “Every naturalism in morality—that is, every healthy morality—is dominated by an every healthy morality—is dominated by an instinct of life.”instinct of life.”

§6: How naïve and stupid to suggest that §6: How naïve and stupid to suggest that one one ought ought to be a certain way. “Reality to be a certain way. “Reality shows us an enchanting wealth of types.”shows us an enchanting wealth of types.”

We immoralists approve and affirm. (p. 491)We immoralists approve and affirm. (p. 491) §5: All value judgments reflect a certain §5: All value judgments reflect a certain

kind of life. What kind of life do your values kind of life. What kind of life do your values reflect?reflect?

The Four Great ErrorsThe Four Great Errors

1. 1. The error of confusing cause and The error of confusing cause and effect.effect.

=religion, morality=religion, morality Revaluation of Values examples: Revaluation of Values examples: (a) meagre diet and a long life (Cornaro)(a) meagre diet and a long life (Cornaro) (b) Virtue and happiness(b) Virtue and happiness (c) Vice and degeneration(c) Vice and degeneration (d) illness and weakness(d) illness and weakness

2. 2. The error of a false causality.The error of a false causality. False picture: inner states-motives-willFalse picture: inner states-motives-will These are merely surface phenomena of These are merely surface phenomena of

consciousness; we know nothing about true consciousness; we know nothing about true mental causes.mental causes.

4. 4. The error of free will. The error of free will. A psychological explanation: an excuse for A psychological explanation: an excuse for

making one dependent on the theologian in making one dependent on the theologian in order to be judged guilty and punished.order to be judged guilty and punished.

””Christianity is a metaphysics of the Christianity is a metaphysics of the hangman.” hangman.”

What can our teaching be? What can our teaching be? – No one is responsible for humanity.No one is responsible for humanity.– There is no end or purpose for humanity.There is no end or purpose for humanity.– ““One is necessary, one is a piece of fatefulness, One is necessary, one is a piece of fatefulness,

one belongs to the whole, one is in the whole; one belongs to the whole, one is in the whole; there is nothing which could judge, measure, there is nothing which could judge, measure, compare, or sentence our being, for that would compare, or sentence our being, for that would mean judging, measuring, comparing, or mean judging, measuring, comparing, or sentencing the whole.”sentencing the whole.”

Amor fati Amor fati (love of fate)(love of fate) The Eternal Recurrence of the SameThe Eternal Recurrence of the Same

What the Germans LackWhat the Germans Lack

Or, “On Spirit”Or, “On Spirit” What has led to cultural decline?What has led to cultural decline?

– PoliticsPolitics– ChristianityChristianity– Beer (Oh, no!) (p. 507)Beer (Oh, no!) (p. 507)– Education: What does Nietzsche have to Education: What does Nietzsche have to

say about higher education? Is this say about higher education? Is this relevant to you?relevant to you?

On Higher EducationOn Higher Education

The goal of education (The goal of education (BildungBildung) is ) is cultivation, the formation of a human cultivation, the formation of a human being into a mature, refined, and being into a mature, refined, and cultural whole.cultural whole.

Educators needed, not scholars or Educators needed, not scholars or secondary school teacherssecondary school teachers

Towards an Affirmative Towards an Affirmative PerspectivePerspective

The Three Tasks for EducatorsThe Three Tasks for Educators– Learn to seeLearn to see

Be open, suspend judgmentBe open, suspend judgment First step towards spiritualityFirst step towards spirituality

Learn to thinkLearn to think– The craft of logicThe craft of logic

Learn to speak and write Learn to speak and write – Too enigmaticToo enigmatic– See See ZarathustraZarathustra, pp. 152-153, pp. 152-153

Skirmishes of an Untimely Skirmishes of an Untimely ManMan

Which did you find Which did you find the most the most significant?significant?

On Art and Artists On Art and Artists Towards a Towards a

psychology of the psychology of the artistartist (sec. 8-10) (sec. 8-10)

L’art pour l’artL’art pour l’art (sec. (sec. 24)24)

GoetheGoethe (sec. 49-51) (sec. 49-51)

What I Owe the AncientsWhat I Owe the Ancients

To the Romans: StyleTo the Romans: Style To the Greeks: Dionysus (This is the To the Greeks: Dionysus (This is the

central metaphor for Nietzsche’s central metaphor for Nietzsche’s affirmative philosophy.)affirmative philosophy.)

The Birth of Tragedy Out of The Birth of Tragedy Out of the Spirit of Music the Spirit of Music (1872)(1872)

Apollo: god of light and dreamsApollo: god of light and dreams Apollonian: well-ordered, rational and Apollonian: well-ordered, rational and

sereneserene

Dionysus: god fertility and wineDionysus: god fertility and wine Dionysian: wild, frenzied and sensuousDionysian: wild, frenzied and sensuous

Through art life is affirmed as livable.Through art life is affirmed as livable.

““Art is the truly metaphysical activity of man” Art is the truly metaphysical activity of man” and “the existence of the world is and “the existence of the world is justifiedjustified only as an aesthetic phenomenon.” only as an aesthetic phenomenon.”

““The continuous development of art is bound The continuous development of art is bound up with the up with the ApollonianApollonian and and DionysianDionysian duality duality—just as procreation depends on the duality —just as procreation depends on the duality of the sexes, involving perpetual strife with of the sexes, involving perpetual strife with only periodically intervening reconciliations.”only periodically intervening reconciliations.”

On Dionysus (pp. 560-563)On Dionysus (pp. 560-563)