The man is obviously very popular around here, and I wonder why. Of course he declared God dead and that straightforwardness can be attractive, but I'm sure there must be more. I also know that his Zarathustra is a masterpiece of poetry, but that wouldn't explain the popularity, cause there are many great poets. I read he is against many things, he is the philosopher with the hammer. But what always bothers me is that he doesn't do anything constructive. He waits for the ubermensh and that's it. So I would like people to expand on what Nietzsche is all about, and on what he means to you. Thanks!
Cause I don't see what's so interesting about him, yet he is very popular. (wasn't that answer implied in the first post?)
Oh come now Xev, for someone as intense a 'philosopher' as you I'd think you could come up with something a little more intelligent than what my cousin says. Why Nietzsche? The biggest reason would be that he truly is the father of post-modern thinking. As far as philosophers go he is one of the greatest writers. The Will to Power was one of the most original ideas philosophy has seen in the last few centuries. There's tons of reasons.
Oh shut up and get a sense of humour, Tyler. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Okay, the real reason is because he was a utter and complete babe: http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/j/Friedrich Nietzsche.jpg http://gabrieleweis.de/2-bldungsbits/philo-bits/bilder/nietzsche2.jpg Mmmmm, Friedrich.....Friedrich.....
Irrelevencies out of the way, I'd be happy to discuss any other philosopher. You want to discuss Aquinas' synthesis of faith and reason? Kewl. Start a thread. You want to discuss Camus' criticism of capital punishment? Kewl. Start a thread. You want to discuss Mill's synthesis of the principle of utility and individual's rights? Kewl. Start a thread. You want to discuss Arendt's theories on totalitiarian governments? Kewl. Start a thread. You want to discuss Kuhn's theories about the scientific method? Kewl. Start a thread. You want to discuss Dennet's ideas about consciousness? Kewl. Start a thread. You want to discuss Bruno's synthesis of science and mysticism? Kewl. Start a thread. You want to discuss Armstrong's idea of the conflict between mythos and logos? Kewl. Start a thread. You want to discuss Bakunin's anarchism? Kewl. Start a thread. You want to discuss Pascal's agony at the dichotomy between reason and passion? Kewl. Start a thread. Shem-Tov's Hasidicism and doctrine that one serves God in even the most trivial actions? Kewl. Start a thread. de Jouvenal's critique of the growth of governmental power? Kewl. Start a thread. You want to discuss Gersonide's contention that the Jews can be proven to be God's chosen people? Kewl. Start a thread. Foucault's history of sexuality? Kewl. Start a thread. And if you want to discuss Lucretius' materialism, or Epicuran ethics, or Hobbes' contention that even the worst government is better than the best anarchy you can....... Start a thread. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Editing is for wusses, I'm going to post again. I don't mean to sound bitchy. But if you wish to discuss another philosopher, I'd be happy to do that. However, there aren't any discussions around here about somebody other than Nietzsche. It gets a bit boring (I STILL LOVE YOU FRIEDRICH -okay, okay) I admit.
Ok, I'll throw something out there if noone else will... Some reasons Nietzsche is popular here at sciforums: 1. His works are good reading. Compare his writings with Kant or Plato. You will see what I mean. 2. He questioned the unquestionable. No standard, no matter how deeply engrained in society, was beyond his critique. 3. He shattered the myth of the 'absolute'. He was the first to question all absolutes. This has had tremendous influence as societies and civilization is becoming 'global'. There are probably plenty more reasons but those are the main ones off the top of my head...
3000th post. Friedrich is discussed partially because he was so influential. He was a forrunner of existentialism, of Freudian psychology, of deconstructionism, and of modern skepticism.
Sounds a lot like me... waiting for humans to sort themselves out, full of opinion, cant be fuggered doing anything about it. To be honest, I find reading most philosophers rather boring. I cant sit still and read some person spouting stuff i already know about on either a conscious or subconscious level. Some people quoting the interesting bits of them can be interesting, but to sit and read an entire book? yeesh... i got some fishing to do.
Then from now on you bother me too. It's not always fancy philosphers we need to bother us Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I didn't know that. I thought personal attractiveness was not done before. Feel free to hijack the thread, start with Hannah Arendt! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Aren't the blind forces that govern reality a new form of this absolute? Yeah, we need more discussions about philosophers, so every member of sciforums will know all there is to know about all the great minds! Lets start with Nietzsche Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Kidding, kidding! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
A4Ever: Kewl. I don't really know where to begin - I'll likely find time during work to scribble down a few musings. But until then, here's a bit of a intro: http://www.nakayama.org/polylogos/philosophers/arendt/index-e-arendt.html http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/a/arendt.htm Bloody ubermensch, always late.
I'll read what's under the links, thanks. Well, I know a little about her book 'The human condition', but anything's fine. Exactly my point! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
As far as im conscerned, neitzsche was a sad usless prick who projected his phisical pain onto his philosophy.
Nobody cares. Wow! You must have an IQ of 160! All Nietzschean philosophy debunked! Watch out Friedrich, some idiot on i-net has ripped the concept of ubermensch into shreds with one poorly spelled and grammatically improper statement! The Will to Power is no more. The death of God is dead. Gee whillikers, nightmare, what philosopher will you debunk next? Please tell, I am all aquiver. Friedrich's brilliance as a philosopher was well established before the syphilis began to really set in. Friedrich seems to have willingly forced himself to experience pain for - reasons that you haven't the intellect to grasp. I could explain them to you, but I do not have the patience to type "power through asceticism for dummies" now. I mean, hell, it'd probably go something like: "The higher man forces himself to experience physical torment as a means of reifying his power over himself" but then, it would just be too cruel to make you look up big words like "asceticism", "reify", "experience" - hell, you already have trouble with the word "physical". I don't know, do they have such complex words in your "Scholastic First Dictionary" ? I don't think they do.
Which brings us to a character insight IOW, Nietzsche was a sadomasochist. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! j/k Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
overdoze: *Xev giggles* 'Spose so. "Thou goest to women? Do not forget thy whip!" --Old and Young Women, Also Sprach Zarathrusra, trans. Thomas Common Hmmm, or contend with The Wrath of Grumpy Xev™. Hmmmkay, I was a twee bit over-bitchy†. Sorry Nightmare, but please stop being an idiot. †: "Overbitchy"? Oh shit. I do read too much Nietzsche.
