I have been reading the vision of Nietzsche?

Question

I find his writings sad and negative. I read beyond good and evil in college he went mad at the end of his life...He was a great writer they say like Plato what do you think of this Statement he makes:

Nietzche " believed that the human intellect and its spiritual products -culture-morality-religion and ultimately are ultimately governed by biological imperatives.Religious beliefs, far from forming a true picture of some higher world are self deceptions that feed the Visceral fears and cravings. God, truth, free will, the very foundations of our self assessment as higher creatures are fictions. We are clever animals but our cleverness is meaningless, for there is no overreaching purpose to life, no larger story in which we play a role. Humanity stands alone, projecting its futile metaphysical dreams upon a dark indfferent infinity of space.

Answer 1

If you are reading Nietzsche, we suggest you read Epectetus--or at the very least Socrates first. The real question is hidden in this parody. And it is, "Did man descend from early species (Australopithecus), or did God create man from dust and take his rib to form woman. The truth is probably somewhere in between. It is logically a fallacy to argue that there is "one" "true" god. The proposition presupposes an assumption, which has and is not substantiated by evidence. "Faith", as we know it is also untenable. Since it
too is based on several confabulated fallacies. The same is accurate with respect to agnosticism and atheism. It's not the case to say, that we do not know one way or another, but it is also not the case that we do not know that we do not know. The
Ambiguity leaves us in a state of evidence, or the absence thereof, because we cannot explain the implacability of the universe, which leads us to Existentialism Kierkegaard, Freddy Nietzsche (AKA, hermit "…friend of the wicked" from Thus Spoke Zarasthustra, whore monger and syphilitic near-do well), Sartre, Camus and other agnostics, who wanted to rationalize their hatred for the Stoics in way form or fashion they could. Thus, they ruminated around and hatched one of the most dangerous philosophies on earth: the idea that man is essentially nothing pitted against the implacability of the universe. If this is so, then it also nothing to kill somebody, which as we all know is nonsense. Rather than admit, that their philosophy breaks down, they would rather proselytize verisimilitudes of its vagary upon the world as being the end all and be all of belief systems. The evidence of the reality check on it is quite another matter. Religion: if it's organized, then pick your poison.

East of Escape, West of a Guess, North of No Such, South of a Search

Answer 2

The quote has some truth to it, but considers the extreme
negative scenario.

"human intellect and its spiritual products -culture-morality-
religion...are ultimately governed by biological imperatives".
I would state that biological imperatives have a heavy
influence, but are not the absolute governing factor. The
human capacity for long term planning and short term
sacrifice detach the human species from non-humans,
animals are almost purely driven by biological imperatives.

"Religious beliefs, far from forming a true picture of some
higher world are self deceptions that feed the Visceral fears
and cravings."
Again extreme, but some truth. I believe Nietzsche is
referring to the human incapacity to imagine perfection/
heaven. However, just because humans might lack the
capacity to imagine utopia doesn't necessarily infer
that hoping for the human cognitive image of heaven
including a quantity of bliss is so negative as to be
labelled as self deceptive.

"God, truth, free will, the very foundations of our self
assessment as higher creatures are fictions."
I would challenge this statement for proof. Otherwise,
it is meaningless. Furthermore, without truth I wonder
how anyone could hope to prove anything. The statement
can be regarded as nothing less than greedy.

"We are clever animals but our cleverness is meaningless,
for there is no overreaching purpose to life, no larger story
in which we play a role."
Even if there is no heaven, or God, as the quote puts forth
then the purpose could be a more convenient life; to
improve the quality of life.

"Humanity stands alone, projecting its futile metaphysical
dreams upon a dark indfferent infinity of space."
Non-transference. Space can't be negative and indifferent
at the same time. If space, and the world, is indifferent
then it might as well be whatever each individual chooses
to view it as. Subjectively, I suppose that Nietzsche could
choose to view the indifference in the negative sense,
but I think the quote is not suitable for generalization
to an interpretation which fits all humanity.

Answer 3

Nietzsche's insanity at the end of his life, and the common consensus, were from complications of syphilis. Beyond Good and Evil was written well before the onset of insanity which came about January of 1889. The only writings that have come under speculation from his madness have been: The Aniti-Christ, and Ecce Homo, but predominately the latter has been questioned.

One statement from an introduction that is particularly true mentions that Nietzsche is probably the most widely quoted philosopher, but unfortunately the least understood and misunderstood.

The quote you included represents the critical aspect of his philosophy. It should be remembered that with most philosophies there is typically a critical aspect, which is then followed with a constructive aspect. One should not dwell, or focus, predominately on one or the other. The following books have a bit less negative tone:

The Birth of Tragedy
Human All Too Human
Daybreak
The Gay Science
Thus Spoke Zarathustra

These are only suggestions. IM me if you disagree.

Answer 4

Nietzsche's physical suffering is well documented. The spiritual suffering reached a zenith when he lost his "eagle", Lou Salome. And before that, the break with Wagner. His acumen with language is of the highest order, and this is where most students stumble when reading him, for this acumen can only be explained by his rare sensitivity. Most students have no hope of experiencing the heights and depths Nietzsche experienced. They blink*, and avoid a real confrontation with this philosopher, and Philosophy, finding "his writings sad and negative" (a similar stunted reaction to Plato, I recall, that he was "too idealistic").

*My allusion directed to all who must have a healthy, well-adjusted, expert-approved HIC ET NUNC.

Answer 5

After reading Nietzsche I was convinced that the man was suffering from acute constipation and he blamed god for that but in fact he could have taken some Castor oil and saved himself from so much agony. Poor Nietzsche.

Answer 6

The statement expresses the materialist reductions of modernity, from which Nietzsche, and many others believed, that there was no recourse or alternative.

Answer 7

Nietzche is an example of what we can accomplish with thought. Insanity is an option for anyone who does know how their mind works. The insane gets his wish in being totally alone inside his head.

Answer 8

Well, yeah.

Nietzsche was alot smarter than I am.