Nietzsche on Nihilism
Aphorisms from Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil #8
I would like to continue commenting on aphorisms from Beyond Good and Evil (1886). We continue reading the first chapter of this book: “Prejudices of Philosophers.”
As a reminder, you can find the previous posts on the following page: Nietzsche.
The eagerness and subtlety, I should even say craftiness, with which the problem of “the real and the apparent world” is dealt with at present throughout Europe, furnishes food for thought and attention; and he who hears only a “Will to Truth” in the background, and nothing else, cannot certainly boast of the sharpest ears. In rare and isolated cases, it may really have happened that such a Will to Truth — a certain extravagant and adventurous pluck, a metaphysician’s ambition of the forlorn hope — has participated therein: that which in the end always prefers a handful of “certainty” to a whole cartload of beautiful possibilities; there may even be puritanical fanatics of conscience, who prefer to put their last trust in a sure nothing, rather than in an uncertain something. But that is Nihilism, and the sign of a despairing, mortally wearied soul, notwithstanding the courageous bearing such a virtue may display. It seems, however, to be otherwise with stronger and livelier thinkers who are still eager for life. In that they side AGAINST appearance, and speak superciliously of “perspective,” in that they rank the credibility of their own bodies about as low as the credibility of the ocular evidence that “the earth stands still,” and thus, apparently, allowing with complacency their securest possession to escape (for what does one at present believe in more firmly than in one’s body?), — who knows if they are not really trying to win back something which was formerly an even securer possession, something of the old domain of the faith of former times, perhaps the “immortal soul,” perhaps “the old God,” in short, ideas by which they could live better, that is to say, more vigorously and more joyously, than by “modern ideas”? There is DISTRUST of these modern ideas in this mode of looking at things, a disbelief in all that has been constructed yesterday and today; there is perhaps some slight admixture of satiety and scorn, which can no longer endure the BRIC-A-BRAC of ideas of the most varied origin, such as so-called Positivism at present throws on the market; a disgust of the more refined taste at the village-fair motleyness and patchiness of all these reality-philosophasters, in whom there is nothing either new or true, except this motleyness. Therein it seems to me that we should agree with those skeptical anti-realists and knowledge-microscopists of the present day; their instinct, which repels them from MODERN reality, is unrefuted… what do their retrograde by-paths concern us! The main thing about them is NOT that they wish to go “back,” but that they wish to get AWAY therefrom. A little MORE strength, swing, courage, and artistic power, and they would be OFF — and not back! (Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, trans. Helen Zimmern, The Project Gutenberg, 2003)
We leave the planet of the Mandalorians; oh no, that was Nietzsche’s (unfair) criticism of Stoicism for another territory: Nihilism.
Nihilism, what a beautiful word, probably the most used philosophical term online. But do you really know what it means?
Nihilism comes from the Latin nihil, which means nothing. The Latin word nihil is derived from ne, meaning “not,” and hīlum, which is related to something small or insignificant, often used to mean “not a whit” (then in a negative sense).
What is more interesting is the ways in which this word is understood by philosophers. Yes, ways in the plural, because the word “nihilism” refers to a constellation of ideas that authors seem to pick up as they like.
In the variety of definitions that have been given to nihilism, two main characteristics are usually cited: the rejection of higher values, whether from the Judeo-Christian tradition or not, and the affirmation of the meaninglessness of life, or even the rejection of life itself.
Most people think of Nietzsche as a nihilist. Here’s a scoop: he was not a nihilist. His philosophy has two sides, the questioning of previous philosophy and of the human world in general, AND as a horizon to be realized, but which Nietzsche himself didn’t really realize, the overcoming of this questioning. In other words, he more or less understands nihilism as his contemporary situation and his mission as overcoming it.
He begins his critique by referring to a long-standing philosophical debate in Europe about “the real and the apparent world” (der wirklichen und der scheinbaren Welt), a distinction that often underlies various metaphysical discussions. He believes that such debates are not really based on a search for truth, on a “Will to Truth” (Willen zur Wahrheit).
On the contrary, he suggests that this quest may be rooted in nihilistic tendencies, a preference for “a sure nothing” (ein sicheres Nichts) over “an uncertain something” (ein ungewisses Etwas).
Such nihilism does not show intellectual courage, but rather betrays a profound hopelessness and exhaustion with life disguised as a dedication to the search for truth. For Nietzsche, this attitude lacks the energy and spirit necessary for a philosophy that truly embraces life.
Nietzsche also discusses modern philosophical ideas, especially those associated with positivism and realism. He describes these systems as superficial and disconnected, likening them to a marketplace of disparate and empty concepts.
Furthermore, Nietzsche agrees with “those skeptical anti-realists and knowledge-microscopists” (diesen skeptischen Anti-Wirklichen und Erkenntniss-Mikroskopikern) whose distrust of modern ideas coincides with his critique. However, he finds that they lack what it takes to open up new philosophical paths; their retreat into retrograde ideas unfortunately prevents them from moving forward with “strength, verve, courage, and artistic power” (Kraft, Flug, Muth, Künstlerschaft mehr).
To be continued…
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Perhaps nihilism is for those who give not a wit. If one of their ideals is that life is meaningless, why do they strive to live then? What is there in life to keep them here? Staying alive would seem to imply that at least for some, life has meaning or at least a reason to carry on.
For me an uncertain something is far more interesting than a certainty that may be stuck with. It has been my experience, that when all else fails, in trying to find an answer, a way forward, and other such quests, the only way to resolve it is to go towards the unknown. The known has already proved itself incapable of satisfying one or giving an answer that can lead anywhere new.
Life, the unknown, both have no preset and limited possibilities. The question remains for most people, are they willing to travel where others have not.
such a beautiful passage of Nietzsche -- the best apology for going back short of endorsing it. and that is where the question lies, dear poster, not in dissecting the meaning of nihilism for people who aren't astute enough to get it from the horse's mouth, where chewing food for baby.birds is not going to strengthen their wings. It is going back a little compulsively just to bounce back and forth and avoid the necessary progress -- either by way of the wheel (going all the way back to go forward) or keep at the jet polluting hyper-macho forward thrust that represents manhood untamed by women as they have all become men to get close enough to them. In either case, Nietzsche is basically saying stop droning, do something!