Root Revival: Hammer Time Philosophy!
Aphorisms from Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil #1
My first introduction to philosophy was reading René Descartes. I do not talk much about him, but I also read a lot of Friedrich Nietzsche in high school and after. He was recommended to me by my philosophy professor. I was fascinated by Nietzsche’s will to deconstruct received philosophical notions.
I would like to write about some interesting thoughts of this surprising philosopher. To do so, I propose to comment on aphorisms from Beyond Good and Evil (1886). I will begin with the first chapter of his book: “Prejudices of Philosophers.”
The Will to Truth, which is to tempt us to many a hazardous enterprise, the famous Truthfulness of which all philosophers have hitherto spoken with respect, what questions has this Will to Truth not laid before us! What strange, perplexing, questionable questions! It is already a long story; yet it seems as if it were hardly commenced. Is it any wonder if we at last grow distrustful, lose patience, and turn impatiently away? That this Sphinx teaches us at last to ask questions ourselves? WHO is it really that puts questions to us here? WHAT really is this “Will to Truth” in us? In fact we made a long halt at the question as to the origin of this Will—until at last we came to an absolute standstill before a yet more fundamental question. We inquired about the VALUE of this Will. Granted that we want the truth: WHY NOT RATHER untruth? And uncertainty? Even ignorance? The problem of the value of truth presented itself before us—or was it we who presented ourselves before the problem? Which of us is the Oedipus here? Which the Sphinx? It would seem to be a rendezvous of questions and notes of interrogation. And could it be believed that it at last seems to us as if the problem had never been propounded before, as if we were the first to discern it, get a sight of it, and RISK RAISING it? For there is risk in raising it, perhaps there is no greater risk. (Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, trans. Helen Zimmern, The Project Gutenberg, 2003)
I hope you enjoyed reading this aphorism as much as I did.
Philosophical inquiry has long been a search for truth. Nietzsche notes here the historical emphasis that philosophers, but of course not only philosophers, have placed on such a search.
What interests Nietzsche here is not just the search for truth (Wahrheit) itself, but its value, the value of the will to truth (Wille zur Wahrheit). Why do we seek truth?
This is certainly a profound question, but why does Nietzsche pose it to his reader, to us? Because behind this need for truth there may be something more fundamental to human beings. Is it an existential need? Is it another question? Something that concerns the relationship of truth to some components of the human psyche, such as desire?
Moreover, Nietzsche also questions what comes first. Is it the “problem of the value of truth” or “we” — the questioners — who comes first?
This last question may be fundamental to approaching the previous one, but at this point questions remain.
For Nietzsche, however, it is not only that such questions remain open, but that “perhaps” no one has ever asked them before. Why is this so? Because it might be a risk (Wagnis). Perhaps the greatest ever?
To be continued…
Truth, whatever that word may mean, has an inherent wholeness to it. There is a completeness.
A lie on the other hand, only holds power, the nearer it is to the Truth, the more truth in its theses, the more likely it is to hold sway.
For those who want to feel a part of the whole, as it is, Truth is a guiding pole star, for most others it is an inconvenience, at best approached only when necessary. As a good friend of mine once said, “Honesty is the best policy, just most people do not want to pay the premiums.”.
Truth is superior to a lie in that even when it is painful, it is still more respectful of your rights, dignity, desires, and self, and enables one to get reliable, trustworthy results in whatever is pursued.
Lies mislead, obfuscate, denigrate, and insult those whom they are directed at (including self), and are a projected narcissist trait, which historically are proven to lead to a lot of pain, anguish, and death.
Lies are the maintenance of delusions, truth is the inquisition, and maintenance of reality.
I have hated lies since I was a child, even my own, because I observed the consequences, and realised that there is far more 'profit' in truth, than lies can ever acheive.