Nietzsche’s Critique: Language, Truth, and Science
Nietzsche’s Critique: Language, Truth, and the Extramoral
Nietzsche argues that language arose from an initial agreement that gave rise to human civilization. Inspired by Hobbes, Nietzsche posits that before society, humans operated solely on the instinct of survival, leading to a “struggle of all against all.” Reason led humans to make a pact: refraining from theft and harm in exchange for the same. This agreement is the origin of society.
Nietzsche asserts that this initial agreement invented language. A shared language became necessary to live in society, agreeing on basics: good, bad, friend, foe. This language, used to describe the world, is conventional and doesn’t express the truth of reality, only an agreement. Concepts of good and bad are defined by societal agreement, differing from pre-societal values.
Science and truth are built upon these empty words (conventional syntheses) that don’t express the essence of anything. We construct our image of the world with this language, but the word “image” feels too conventional. Nietzsche argues that objective reality is impossible because every image is a perspective, and there is no absolute perspective. Reality is filtered through intermediaries: light transforming into nerve impulses, neural decoding, brain images, and conceptual representations. These changes make it impossible to be sure our concepts accurately represent reality.
Critique of Positive Sciences
Nietzsche critiques the empirical nature of positive sciences. Positivism values what can be demonstrated experimentally, dismissing other speculations. Nietzsche argues that science tries to convert reality into mathematical terms, but reality cannot be reduced to numbers and theorems. Science neglects the non-quantifiable: passion, glory, sadness. How can science quantify these? Behaviorism suggests emotions can be explained by biochemical reactions, but knowing these reactions doesn’t explain the subjective experience.
Science cannot provide moral order for mankind. It discovers phenomena but doesn’t dictate how to act on them. Science doesn’t explain man; man explains science. Nietzsche argues that science serves the State and vested interests. Scientific progress accelerates during wartime, with military interests driving research. “The coup led by science to religion (Renaissance) has been used for the state and not the people” (Enlightenment, Industrial Revolution).
Nietzsche contrasts the scientific man with the intuitive man, who uses metaphors instead of empty concepts. The apparent willingness of scientific truth originates in the will to deceive, to seduce, to falsify. Rationality is used to explain the inexplicable. There is a fear of lacking truth and meaning, leading us to create logical systems. Building a system gives the impression that everything has meaning because you view it through your system and concepts. Reason dislikes seeing the man. To achieve this is to use intuition.