Throughout Honors Philosophical Explorations, many of the readings and class discussions have transformed the way in which I think of philosophy as a subject, but more importantly how I apply it to my own life. At the onset of this course, I recognized that one’s life philosophy is in a constant state of tension. There are two factors that seem to be at odds with one another that play integral roles in shaping one’s life philosophy. These two factors are commitment to a stance and openness to new ideas. This commitment, by nature, is wholehearted and all-encompassing. If one is committed to a philosophy then it naturally is the lens that shades how we perceive the world around us. However our view of the world must not be so concrete that there …show more content…
One aspect of our inability to be perfect is that there is no comprehensive, truly accurate, accepted idea of perfection. Because each individual is situated in a distinctly different way, the perspective in which we view the world is incredibly diverse. Individual biases distinctly color how we perceive everything in this world. To inch our way closer to what is true and what is just, we have to start by questioning that in which we take for granted. In Thought Memo 5, I criticized Friedrich Nietzsche for his inflammatory dismissal of Socrates. While at first I was not receptive to Nietzsche, I later recognized that Nietzsche was demonstrating a trait in which is of great use if we are to transform ourselves with the hope of transforming the world. I grasped onto the idea of questioning what we assume to be so concrete that we fail to give a second thought. The immediate topic of contention was the legitimacy of Socrates as a great Philosopher. Nietzsche claimed in Twilight of the Idols Or, How to Philosophize with the Hammer, that “we have to be cunning, sharp, clear at all costs: every acquiescence to the instincts, to the unconscious, leads downward…” (Nietzsche 16). Through this, Nietzsche is condemning beliefs that are brought upon without intense examination. To not falter “downward” we must not only …show more content…
In The Ethics of Ambiguity, Simone de Beauvoir calls for action against social injustices. De Beauvoir asserts that once the marginalized have the ability to break the confines in which limit them, they must do so in order to take control of their situation. De Beauvoir states, “once there appears a possibility of liberation, it is resignation of freedom not to exploit the possibility, a resignation which implies dishonesty and which is a positive fault” (Beauvoir). We are born into a world that is not our choosing but we have a responsibility to leave a world that we helped to create and improve. In thought Memo 14, I assert that in order not to lose freedom one must push back against the strains of their situation at every point possible. Now at the end of my current journey through Philosophy, I must apply to this to the blatantly obtrusive constraints in which so many are suffering within. I must be distinct in choosing what to stand for and what I allow to go on unquestioned in our society. By choosing to look the other way, and by choosing not to place pressure on societal injustices that have become normalized, then it signifies that our condoning of the practice. The gravity of the choice of inaction is just as immense as the gravity of the choice to take action. The immense gravity of choosing inaction is more than
This piece of work will try to find the answer to the question ‘In Nietzsche’s first essay in the Genealogy of Morals, does he give a clear idea of what good and bad truly are and what his opinion of those ideas is’. It will give a brief overview of his first essay, it will also go into greater detail of what he claims good and bad truly are, and finally look at what he is trying to prove with this argument. It will look at his background in order to see if and how that has influenced his work and opinions.
In philosophy “Nihilism” is a position of radical skepticism. It is the belief that all values are baseless and nothing is known. The word “Nihilism” itself conveys a sense of abolishing or destroying (IEP). Nietzsche’s work and writings are mostly associated with nihilism in general, and moral nihilism especially. Moral nihilism questions the reality and the foundation of moral values. Nietzsche supported his view on morality by many arguments and discussions on the true nature of our inner self. Through my paper on Moral Nihilism, I will explain 5 major arguments and then try to construct a deductive argument for each, relying on Nietzsche’s book II “Daybreak”.
Friedrich Nietzsche, a Russian philosopher who lived in the nineteenth century, was known for his extreme pessimistic attitude. He and other philosophers saw the world in a such a negative light that many claimed that it may be better to die than continue living. However, unlike other philosophers of his time, he argued that art makes life possible to live. More specifically, Nietzsche argued that art disguises the ugly reality of human existence and rather illustrates an ideal version of life, spreading hope for a better future.
Nietzsche: Philosophizing Without Categorizing. How are we to philosophize without "Ism?" For, although defining a person in terms of an Ism is dangerous--both because it encourages identification of the individual with the doctrine and because it denies her the possibility of becoming that, as a human, she is heir to--grouping people according to a doctrine to which they subscribe is a convenient mental shortcut. Although grouping people into verbal boxes entails the danger of eventually seeing all of the boxes as equal, or similar enough to make no difference, the necessity of seeing the totality of a single human being is impossible. And although the qualities of my existence, or anyone else's existence (an individual's isness), are constantly undergoing a process, both conscious and unconscious, of revaluation and change, the change is usually not great enough over short lengths of time to qualify as noticeable.
Enter here The ear splitting crackle from a whip is heard as a master shouts orders to a slave. This to most people would make them comfortable. The idea of slavery is one that is unsettling to most people. This is because most people feel it is unmoral or morally wrong to own another human being. However Nietzsche would not necessarily believe this because he did believe in a morality that fits all. Ethics and morality are completely objective and cannot be one set of rules for everyone. Ethics and morality that are more strictly defined are for the weak, the strong do not need a set of rules because they can take care of themselves.
When one considers the extensive degree to which modern philosophy has invested in scrutinizing the subject of morality, the default reaction would perhaps be one of amenable acceptance. After all, the significance of morality is obvious, and questions such as what constitutes as moral and how exactly does one become moral have been matters of contention for maybe longer than philosophy has even existed. It can be said therefore, that philosophy is steadfast in its fascination with everything morality. It is also precisely this almost fanatic obsession with morality that Nietzsche is so critical of. This is not to say the he would reject the importance or even the necessity of morality altogether. He is concerned however, that
Friedrich Nietzsche’s The Gay Science offered us only a glimpse of what Nietzsche has to offer. By bringing his teachings into high school classrooms and becoming a standard high school curriculum can truly benefit and further enrich a young student’s education.
Jean-Paul Sartre wrote, “Man is condemned to be free.” Beauvoir takes this statement and expands on it to explain her ideas of freedom and how one attains or attempts to dismiss it. The philosopher Dostoievsky stated, “If God does not exist everything is permitted,” (15) however Beauvoir disagrees. If God does not exist man has a greater responsibility to do what is deemed right and moral “He bears the responsibility
“…having a philosophy of life, whether it be stoicism or some other philosophy, can dramatically simplify everyday living”(Irvine 203).
Nietzsche was a man who questioned the morality of his time. He dug deep in to what good really meant, and if there was a difference between bad and evil. He sought to look at the world by stepping back and looking at it with out the predisposition of what morality was/is. He looked at what he called slave and noble morality. He looked passed what was on the surface, and gave us many things to digest and discuss. In this paper I will discuss how Nietzsche’s writing can be seen as favoritism towards the noble morality by touching on how he believes the noble morality and slave morality came about, then I will talk about his “birds of prey and lambs” example which shows his fondness of the bird of prey, and I will end with my interpretation
All of Friedrich Nietzsche quotes were made before the age of 44. For the last 11 years of his life, he had no use of his mental capabilities. While many of Friedrich Nietzsche quotes were focused on religion, or the fallacy of it, it would be interesting to see what he would have written about later in his life and if his opinion would have changed. Although, the statement 'God is dead' did come from him, so there would likely have been no change in how he viewed religion. Many of his quotes are focused on human behavior and existence, and following are some that moved me.
We often think that our main goals are linked to perfection, however, we are unaware of the devastating effect this unattainable concept has on our outlook on life when we cannot achieve it. Though the textbook definition of perfection is, “the quality or condition of being perfect and without flaws”, it is a vice that harbors many doubts and insecurities and holds us back from things we want to do for fear of not being good. Perfection is a concept that cannot be achieved as it does not exist.
There has been a lot of philosophical parameters that I have been able to experience through my workplace, school and social life. I have learned principles that ha...
The term “philosophy” means the love of wisdom, and those that study philosophy attempt to gain knowledge through rationality and reason. 1 Socrates, the father of ancient philosophy, once stated “the unexamined life is not worth living”. This is the most important part of life and it is need to find purpose and value in life. If a person chooses to live their life without examination, their life would lack value and they would be unhappy. They would also be ignorant to the effects of their choices on themselves and the people around them.
One simple consideration that can change the course of how people think about their approach to life is, the examination of the influences that they have on other people’s lives. An individual could also look outwards and analyze the impact that other people have on that individual’s life. One should also self-reflect and search for how their thoughts and actions craft a pathway towards their own destiny. The statement by Socrates, “the unexamined life is not worth living,” is an interesting statement that requires a considerable amount of analysis.