What exactly is it that makes Nietzsche so appealing to some?

Question

I've yet to actually read his literature (TSZ is on the way from Amazon.com), however from any introductory book or article that I read, I gather his philosophy to be horrible. He seems to be a backbone for totalitarian rule and vicious sadism. Am I right, or have I misread something?

Answer 1

Well you probably counldn't pick a more mis-understood "philosopher" to read - note that Nietzsche, in his education, was a philologist - a lover of language, so a lot of what he goes over, goes back to the root meaning of words and language.

He is appealing, because his writings are often very enlightening yet controversial - fittingly, he wrote that the job of a philospher was to be "the bad conscience of our time".

I would not align him with either things you have mentioned above, for a careful reading of each of his books will give you a much different sense of his inclinations. Above all, I found him to be an "affirmer" of the power of life, dancing, laughter, and all the "higher" attributes of mankind.

You can easily see how he is and was misinterpreted when he wrote things like "The three most wrongly cursed attributes of man are sex, selfishness, and the lust to rule..." (I'm paraphrasing) but he goes goes on to explaining this viewpoint with astonishing persuasion.

Another prime example is when his chapter heading is "How to philosophize with a hammer" ... Does he mean to smash all established constructs and civilized values? No, rather he means to tap into each construct and value of society to see if it rings true - as you would take a hammer to a bell.

As mentioned above, There is even much to Nietzsche that appears contradictory, as if he is lost somewhere on the jounrney that was to become his "philosophy". There are few philosophers in the history of philosophy that could be considered "in his league" - for what was written and what has been analyzed from his writings, it is also said that he had the highest IQ of all philosophers - though I don't know how you would assess the validity of this claim.

For a beginning read I would also recommend "Daybreak" - an interesting collection of musings and notes he carried around with him regarding his greater works. His reason for this collection was that he could not capture his best thoughts - like small birds they would alight, then fly away...

Answer 2

I see where you're coming from. Totalitarians (like the Nazis) like to quote his stuff as justification for what they're doing. Nietzsche hated that.

Think of it this way: A lot of his philosophy is about empowerment. You don't just swallow someone's defintion of how you should live, but carve out your own place in the universe. A totalitarian DOES want to do that... but he also wants everyone else NOT to do it.

That is actually the point. Nietzsche wasn't encouraging one person to be self-actualized, but everyone. And if EVERYONE refuses to take garbage from other people, it is quite possible that a lot of garbage will simply fail to be able to occur.

It is also quite possible that the result will be complete and total anarchy in a society comprised entirely of leaders and not of followers. Which is why even people who really understand Nietzsche sometimes think he was more than a little potty.

Frankly, I think Nietzsche would find sycophants who mindlessly agreed with anything he said to be just as revolting as the totalitarians. And for pretty much some of the same reasons. Heh.

Answer 3

You missing the point. He is a radical naturalist in the purist form. I guess what is appealing to me anyay about him is that he accepts our human nature as an aggressive, dominating species. Rising to power and what makes us truly great and a cut above the rest while maintaining our human animal if you will. Unfortunatly so many have a way of twisting it all to hell. Like the Nazi's for example. even though it was written well before hitlers time. I mean you even find his influence even today. Remeber the movie "fight club" sure did send a powerful message on what is wrong with the male gender of today. A lot of that basic concepts for that movie was founded by a "nietzsche-esk" mentality. I think the real message that Sesm to appeal is rootign ourselves in our natural being without justification for our modern civilization, and all the bad things that had erroded and destroyed our species. Thre are a lot of people that hate nietszche. I think its becasue of what some not so smart people had a way of again twisting it. Yes he's extreme. But its the extreme that changes things even if you don't go all the way. my two cents.

Answer 4

You are misreading a lot. Of course you might have a bad translation. I highly recommend Kaufmann. A lot of translations of Nietzsche's work bear the marks of his anti-Semitic sister's influence.
Nietzsche's writings were non-political. He did not care for any sort of mass movement. Had Nietzsche been alive when Hitler came to power, he would have written scathing things about that dictator.
Nietzsche was not sadistic. But he wanted to basically reevaluate all the world's values, our most sacred of sacred cows. You can't exactly do that by mincing words. But his overall concept of the overman, or someone who is good by their own power (not by contrast of something else being bad) is someone who is hardest on themselves, kind to people who have not yet overcome themselves and giving, but from their own sense of abundance rather than a feeling of pity or remorse for someone else's lacking.

Answer 5

I have found that some perceive his subversive prose to be appealing-- as if reading him is some kind of catharsis for some folk's perceptions about life and their place in the world. Nietzsche also fits into the genre of "philosopher as celebrity." It seems avante garde to be reading and studying him. There was a lot of attempts in the 1990's to try to rehabilitate Neitzsche's philosophy from its association with fascism. What's his real legacy to philosophy and culture has been my question for some time-- it seems the perception of the dynamics of power in terms of inter-personal, political, and cultural relationships.

Answer 6

each and each guy or woman thinks that distinctive females and men human beings ought to truly share the comparable morals as they do. i'm an atheist and that i think that too: i think each and each guy or woman will ought to truly have the comparable morals as I do, that are truly take exhilaration in for all times, liberty and the happiness of others. in case you probably did no longer think distinctive persons ought to have a minimum of fairly the equivalent morals as you do, which will recommend you will have not got any catch 22 situation with females and men human beings questioning that's okay to homicide. Edit: i do no longer see how perfection is by any means severe or variations the dilemma. the main suitable is the enemy of the solid. anybody in spite of the undeniable fact that thinks each and every physique else will ought to truly believe them on ethical themes. Edit 2: properly think ofyou've have been given an extremely unbelievable element in that clean-decrease strains of solid/risky are of course improper. Morality isn't a binary factor, it truly is a extensive spectrum from superb to risky.

Answer 7

The thought of being an Ubermensch is appealing to some.

Nietzsche wasn't really into totalitarianism or sadism. he thought in term of individuals or small freely-associating groups "liberating" themselves from "illusions" rather than proposing any change in society.

Answer 8

I personally love Nietzsche because of one line...

His take on Pindars Hyperboreans... Was rather poetic and beautiful for a philosopher.

the rest I can take or leave depending on my mood... But I respect him for being the most insane intellectual mind in the history of philosophy.

His depth of conviction in all his contradictions were fan freaking tastic!


"Very well, then! of that sort only are my readers, my true readers, my readers foreordained: of what account are the rest?--The rest are merely humanity.--One must make one's self superior to humanity, in power, in loftiness of soul,--in contempt."

FRIEDRICH W. NIETZSCHE

Answer 9

Plato also advocated totalitarian rule. I'm not sure where the sadist assessment comes from.

Answer 10

huh? are we talking Plato? I think it's about torture