POST 9: NIETZSCHE PASSAGES

Date: Sun, 18 Jul 2004 05:57:49
 
will to power: #3
nietzsche makes a harsh yet true remark on the nature of human. he claims in this passage that behind every innocent faces, there is the desire to tower above others. even for people who might seem to have no ambition to compete whatsoever, there is an innate desire in him for superiority. in fact, nietzsche claims that everyone has this desire. not only that, but nietzsche also maintains that human nature is even worse than that; people don't just have the desire to succeed, but also to see others suffer from our success.

truth: #32
on this section about truth, nietzsche defines a lie. to nietzsche, lie is a wanting. if one is performing something but wanting not to, then it is a lie. in other word, for nietzsche a lie is making up excuses for something that one sees as not making sense. he takes for example the will of god and the law. nietzsche's theory is centered around the concept that human beings desire power, and the will of god and the law is simply excuses used by priests to gain power. thus nietzsche claims that these are lies.

god: #40
nietzsche claims that god is dead, that human beings have killed him. now, since nietzsche admires jesus so much ---for his way of living, not his doctrines--- i think nietzsche was talking about jesus and how we have crucified him. nietzsche also claims that since god is dead, human beings should then strive to replace god. this refers back to the superman being he was talking about. basically anyone who can master nature and "surpass" the state of man will be superman and qualified to replace god. nietzsche claims that churches are basically the tombs of god and proofs that god is dead.

immoralist: #72
in this passage nietzsche makes the claim that christianity reverses the doctrines of nature. he does not specifically mention what are being reversed, but he claims christianity to be "anti-nature" and therefore is wrong. nietzsche is astonished that lies such as the christianity doctrine can end up being highly regarded as morality. the main reason that nietzsche claims christianity as wrong is the fact that christianity inserts the concept of "spirit" to life, which nietzsche claims to be a lying concept that destroys the meaning of the body.

christianity: #108
nietzsche openly admits in this passage of his admiration toward the figure of jesus. he claims that the reason jesus lived was not to redeem human beings from their sins, but to show us the way to live. nietzsche admires the way jesus lives and maintains that everyone should live on the basis of love like jesus. now, just something i've been wondering since i first start reading about nietzsche: i thought nietzsche claims that christianity doctrine that says "love thy enemies" is anti-nature. but this is the way jesus lives. if nietzsche condemns that one particular teaching so much, why would he promote jesus' way of living as the way we all ought to live?

christianity: #115
paul is the one that nietzsche seems to hate with passion, and nietzsche seems to openly admit that in this passage. although both jesus and paul are spreading the doctrine of christianity, nietzsche thinks paul is using christianity to gain power, to have influence on people, which is exactly nietzsche's "will to power." paul only talks about faith, believing in a higher being and mentions nothing about the way jesus lives. nietzsche cannot accept the fact that paul finds things to teach the society about in jesus' DEATH and not in jesus' EXISTENCE.

the free spirit: #136
nietzsche claims in this passage that the greatest news is that of the death of god. he argues that only in accepting that god is dead can one continue on with one's life and be what nietzsche claims as "the free spirit." the death of god means that one no longer has to fear divine punishment or retribution, nor has to anticipate divine intervention; there is no more divine being, so human beings are free. for nietzsche, accepting that god is death means acknowledging this, and only after acknowledging this can human beings live up to their potential to strive for power to be "superman," for now they believe that they are free to do whatever they want.

higher humanity: #149
here nietzsche makes his claim that all human beings are destined to reach a higher form of humanity, a god-like form of humanity. this passage indicates nietzsche's belief in evolution. nietzsche claims that human beings do not stop evolving after reaching the human stage. the evolution from ape to human beings was an evolution directed toward a higher humanity, and so will the evolution from man to superman. nietzsche argues that superman is a being that dominates nature, for he wrote that superman "is the meaning of the earth."]

joyful wisdom: #184
now this passage i don't quite get, but if i understand correctly, nietzsche is trying to tell us to be happy with the life we have right now, since what is there to expect beyond this life? apparently nietzsche's understanding of the concept of eternal life that the christianity promotes is that to life this life over and over again without number, and nietzsche argues that this is not something to look forward to since even every pain would return over and over. nietzsche maintains that human beings should have "no greater desire" toward the life after this life and instead, should be satisfied and try to make the fullest of this life that one is living.