The idea of the eternal return— the prospect of having to live one’s life over and over, every detail repeated, every pain alongside every joy —becomes all the more potent when one thinks about having to relive that life, to its terrible end.
What is eternal return in ethics?
Eternal return (German: Ewige Wiederkunft; also known as eternal recurrence) is a concept that the universe and all existence and energy has been recurring , and will continue to recur, in a self-similar form an infinite number of times across infinite time or space.
What were Nietzsche’s beliefs?
Some interpreters of Nietzsche believe he embraced nihilism , rejected philosophical reasoning, and promoted a literary exploration of the human condition, while not being concerned with gaining truth and knowledge in the traditional sense of those terms.
Will to power and eternal recurrence?
Will to power and eternal recurrence
Taken literally as a theory for how things are, Nietzsche appears to imagine a physical universe of perpetual struggle and force that repeatedly completes its cycle and returns to the beginning.
What is freedom according to Nietzsche?
he maintains that freedom is: “That one has the will to self- responsibility .”’ 5 For Nietzsche a person is responsible and punishable. for his or her deeds because these deeds are the self and proceed from a. person’s concrete make-up of habits, desires, and purposes.
Why might the eternal return be considered a reasonable response to cultural relativism?
One advantage of the eternal return is that it adds gravity to life . Forcing you to accept every decision you make as one you’ll repeat forever is compelling you to take those decisions seriously, to think them through. Another connected advantage of the eternal return is that it forces you to make your own decisions.
What was Nietzsche known for?
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is known for his writings on good and evil , the end of religion in modern society and the concept of a “super-man.”
Does Nietzsche believe in truth?
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) was a German-Swiss philosopher whose work did not become influential until the 20th century. He argued that truth is impossible —there can only be perspective and interpretation, driven by a person’s interests or ‘will to power’.
How does Nietzsche understand morality?
Nietzsche defined master morality as the morality of the strong-willed . He criticizes the view (which he identifies with contemporary British ideology) that good is everything that is helpful, and bad is everything that is harmful.
Does Nietzsche believe in God?
Nietzsche was an atheist for his adult life and didn’t mean that there was a God who had actually died, rather that our idea of one had. ... Europe no longer needed God as the source for all morality, value, or order in the universe; philosophy and science were capable of doing that for us.
Why does Nietzsche believe in free will?
If randomness affects a man (unsubjugated, reaching even the surface of his consciousness) , then “unfree will” occurs. Thus, whenever we call something free, we feel something free, in short: wherever we feel our power, it is deterministic, it is a necessity.
Will Nietzsche Power simplified?
The “will to power” is a central concept in the philosophy of 19th-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. It is best understood as an irrational force , found in all individuals, that can be channeled toward different ends.
Why Is God dead according to Nietzsche?
Nietzsche used the phrase to express his idea that the Enlightenment had eliminated the possibility of the existence of God . However, proponents of the strongest form of the Death of God theology have used the phrase in a literal sense, meaning that the Christian God, who had existed at one point, has ceased to exist.
Did Nietzsche believe in determinism?
Nietzsche does not question determinism as such, but only a nomological construal of it appealing to universal causal laws.
Which of the following would be a disadvantage of the concept of the eternal return of the same?
What is a drawback of the eternal return of the same? It does little to help individuals live in a community .
How does cultural relativism challenge cultural beliefs?
Cultural Relativism challenges our belief in the objectivity and universality of moral truth . ... There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one society’s code as better than another’s. There are no moral truths that hold for all people at all times.
Why is cultural relativism a challenge in ethics essay?
Cultural Relativism, as it has been called, challenges our ordinary belief in the objectivity and universality of moral truth . It says, in effect, that there is not such thing as universal truth in ethics; there are only the various cultural codes, and nothing more. ... Different societies have different moral codes.
What does Nietzsche recommend as a better approach to finding truth and knowledge?
towards truth, Nietzsche thinks we primarily ought to aim towards life-affirmation (BGE 1, §4: 3). According to Leiter, this is a reason why Nietzsche held the Greeks, especially the Presocratics, in such high regard: they knew the value of life was higher than the value of truth (Leiter 2002, 267-268).
How does Nietzsche influence the philosophical world?
Nietzsche often thought of his writings as struggles with nihilism , and apart from his critiques of religion, philosophy, and morality he developed original theses that have commanded attention, especially perspectivism, the will to power, eternal recurrence, and the superman.
What did Nietzsche say about reality?
Reality/Nietzsche/Danto: Nothing else is ‘given’ as real but our world of desires and passions . We cannot go down or up to any other ‘reality’ than the reality of our instincts.
What did Nietzsche mean by there are no facts only interpretations?
“ There are no facts, only interpretations” — Friedrich Nietzsche. The essence of it is everyone has their own opinions and interpretations of the same thing, and no one understands it exactly like anyone else . For example, when we read a book, we’re reading the author’s interpretation of something.
Was Nietzsche a moral realist?
He’s an anti-realist about values: that is, for Nietzsche there are no moral facts , and there is nothing in nature that has value in itself. ... First and foremost, like Spinoza before him, Nietzsche is a naturalist and a determinist.
What is Kant main philosophy?
His moral philosophy is a philosophy of freedom . ... Kant believes that if a person could not act otherwise, then his or her act can have no moral worth. Further, he believes that every human being is endowed with a conscience that makes him or her aware that the moral law has authority over them.
What does Nietzsche wants us to realize?
As an esoteric moralist, Nietzsche aims at freeing higher human beings from their false consciousness about morality (their false belief that this morality is good for them), not at a transformation of society at large.
Which philosopher said there is no God?
Diagoras of Melos (5th century BC): Ancient Greek poet and sophist known as the Atheist of Milos, who declared that there were no Gods. Denis Diderot (1713–1784): editor-in-chief of the Encyclopédie.
How did Nietzsche influence existentialism?
Nietzsche’s contribution to existentialism was the idea that men must accept that they are part of a material world, regardless of what else might exist . As part of this world, men must live as if there is nothing else beyond life. A failure to live, to take risks, is a failure to realize human potential.
What does Nietzsche think about power quizlet?
Nietzsche emphasises the concept of compassion in relation to power . He views compassion as a weakness especially in the attempt to gain power. His overall view is that thinking and feeling in accordance with mortality is harmful to us.
What does Kant say about free will?
Kpv V33 and MS V1214). Equivalently, a free will is an autonomous will. Now, in GMS II, Kant had argued that for a will to act autonomously is for it to act in accordance with the categorical imperative, the moral law. Thus, Kant famously remarks: “ a free will and a will under moral laws is one and the same” (ibd.)
Was Nietzsche a nihilist?
Summary. 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.
