Friedrich Nietzsche can be a difficult reason for several reasons. First of all, his thinking changes and evolves in substantial ways over the course of his life. This can be especially difficult because he sometimes uses the same phrases and images in ways that are actually quite dissimilar.
Likewise, Is Nietzsche a nihilist?
Nietzsche is a self-professed nihilist, although, if we are to believe him, it took him until 1887 to admit it (he makes the admission in a Nachlass note from that year). No philosopher’s nihilism is more radical than Nietzsche’s and only Kierkegaard’s and Sartre’s are as radical.
Also, Who is the hardest philosopher to understand?
Originally Answered: Who is the hardest philosopher to understand? Heidegger, Hegel, and Nietzsche are some of the smartest, and hardest philosophers I know of. I mostly mean their best works such as Birth of Tragedy, The Beitrage, Being and Time, Work of Art, The Gay Science, and Phenomenology of Spirit.
Secondly, What should I read before Nietzsche?
To fully grasp Nietzsche you will need at least a basic understanding of Plato and of the Bible. Especially the New Testamente, although he has lots to say about about both « parts ». And as others have already done I would suggest starting with Genealogy of Morals.
Furthermore What should I read before Beyond Good and Evil? The best book to start with is Daybreak: Thoughts on the Prejudices of Morality. Nietzsche himself, in Ecce Homo, says that this book represents the beginning of his “campaign against morality.” In it he first expresses some of the essential criticisms of morality that are central to all of his subsequent work.
Why nihilism is dangerous?
The passive nihilist values morality as a means to an end, not as an end in itself. … The danger of active nihilism comes from its anarchic willingness to destroy society for the sake of freedom. The danger of passive nihilism comes from its conformist willingness to destroy freedom for the sake of society.
Why is nihilism bad?
You are right to reject it: nihilism is harmful and mistaken. … Nihilism matters because meaning matters, and the best-known alternative ways of relating to meaning are also wrong. Fear of nihilism is a main reason people commit to other stances, such as eternalism and existentialism, that are also harmful and mistaken.
Can nihilists love?
Anyone who denies this is denying the existence of a natural and powerful human condition. It’s like asking “can nihilists smell flowers”. Again, of course they can. Nihilists can love and do love.
Who is considered the greatest philosophers of all time?
Here are 10 Greatest Philosophers who ever lived
- Aristotle. The list of the greatest philosophers is incomplete without Aristotle. …
- Immanuel Kant. After Aristotle, Immanuel Kant comes at number #2 in the list of the greatest philosopher who ever lived. …
- John Locke. …
- Epicurus. …
- Zeno of Citium. …
- Plato. …
- Confucius. …
- David Hume.
What is the most difficult philosophy?
Anyway, in case you have ADHD and couldn’t read all that, here’s the list:
- Anything by the medieval Scholastics.
- Kant, Critique of Pure Reason.
- Hegel, Phenomenology of Spirit.
- Nietzsche, Thus Spake Zarathustra.
- Heidegger, Being and Time, Building Dwelling Thinking.
- Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation.
What is the most difficult book to read?
The 25 Most Challenging Books You Will Ever Read
- Finnegans Wake by James Joyce (1939) …
- The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner (1929) …
- The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (14th Century) …
- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (1967) …
- Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon (1973)
Is Nietzsche a good read?
Nietzsche is one of the most original thinkers in the history of philosophy. He is critical of some things, including both Christianity and Buddhism, but he is well worth reading and knowing about. One of the important things about Nietzsche is that he is very life-affirming.
Did Nietzsche read lots?
The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche owned an extensive private library, which has been preserved after his death. … Among modern philosophers, his reading included Kant, Mill and Schopenhauer, who became major targets of criticism in his philosophy. He also mentions reading Hegel at the age of twenty.
What does Gangasrotogati mean?
It is difficult to be understood, especially when one thinks and lives very fast [gangasrotogati: “presto,” like the river Ganges] among so many people who think and live differently, namely, moderately slow [kurmagati: “adagio,” at the speed of a tortoise], or at best in the manner of a frog [mandeikagati: “staccato,” …
What is Nietzsche saying in Beyond Good and Evil?
Nietzsche (1844-1900): Beyond Good And Evil (1886)
In a nutshell, in Beyond Good And Evil Nietzsche argues that: a) Concepts of good and evil (« morality ») are culturally constructed rather than inherently « true »; different cultures develop different moral laws in order maintain social order.
Should I read Zarathustra or beyond good and evil first?
NO. It’s not a good idea. Zarathustra should neither be a first or last book, that is, if you’re reading Nietzsche or philosophy in general. It’s very poetic, and quite full of parables and aphorisms.
Did Nietzsche reject nihilism?
He diagnosed cultural nihilism, and this made him out of step with his society. From the point of his contemporaries, Nietzsche rightly called himself an “immoralist.” He thought that “morality” suppressed life, so he rejected it.
What is financial nihilism?
When bankers say that it’s not about the money, it may even be true. The bankers made so much money that they did not notice the theft of large amounts for many years. …
What is a nihilistic criminal?
In Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov adopts the philosophy of nihilism, which is a disdain for the things that traditionally drive morality, such as family, religion, and societal norms. … Raskolnikov has neither desire nor drive to follow man-made rules, as he considers himself superior to other men.
Who is the father of nihilism?
Nihilism has existed in one form or another for hundreds of years, but is usually associated with Friedrich Nietzsche, the 19th century German philosopher (and pessimist of choice for high school kids with undercuts) who proposed that existence is meaningless, moral codes worthless, and God is dead.
Are Nihilists happy?
The nihhilist can only achieve a very base form of happiness…. the way chocolate might make a person happy…. Because of that materialistic point of view, the nihilist will never be satisfied with what they may have or achieved.
Is nihilism a truth?
Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a radical skepticism that condemns existence. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy.
Can nihilists have morals?
Nihilists assert that there are no moral values, principles, truths. A nihilist is not the same thing as a skeptic, because although a nihilist will agree with the skeptic — that humans cannot have knowledge about moral realities, not all skeptics will agree with nihilists.
Who is the 1st philosopher?
The first philosopher is usually said to have been Thales.
Who is the best philosopher in the world today?
Ten Most Influential Philosophers Today
- Sally Haslanger.
- Daniel Dennett.
- Linda Martin Alcoff.
- Martha Nussbaum.
- David Chalmers.
- Jennifer Saul.
- Noam Chomsky.
- Jürgen Habermas.
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