Nietzsche’s Critique of Platonic Metaphysics
Nietzsche’s Critique of Traditional Metaphysics challenges Platonic concepts of being, absolute truth, and good. He argues that these concepts, used to build a ‘real world,’ are empty and abstract. The idea of two worlds (intelligible and sensitive) is a fiction. Nietzsche proposes that appearance is part of being, and sensory experience is proof of truth. He identifies three negative repercussions of the Platonic idea of good: 1) the invention of a world based solely on reason; 2) the Christian Platonist idea of God as the pinnacle of the divine, rejecting the physical world; and 3) the invention of a fictitious moral man seeking kindness and holiness. Nietzsche advocates a return to life, the earthly, and the instinctive, opposing the Platonic morality that leads to a weak, slave-like man. He champions the autonomous, free, and strong individual. María Zambrano argues that Plato, in Book VII of The Republic, violently broke with reality, prioritizing a supersensible world of absolute clarity and truth over sensitivity and emotion. She believes that one can be moved by both reason and the ‘metaphysics of the heart,’ and that we must overcome the split between reason and poetry.
News: Plato’s Enduring Influence Emilio Lledó, a contemporary Spanish philosopher, sees his work as a dialogue with Plato, confirming Plato’s foundational role in philosophy. Plato’s central themes—being, knowing, man, politics, and values—remain relevant today. In times of economic crisis, we need to train citizens with knowledge and rational capacity. It is important to review Plato’s criticisms of the ‘Sophists’ (political consultants) and manipulative politicians. Plato’s emphasis on active education, which develops the student’s potential, is also pertinent. Philosophy, as rational and rigorous knowledge, is the instrument for a new moral, social, and political order. Plato can be seen as a forerunner of the ethics of discourse and dialogue. The discussion on the difference between reality and appearance is still relevant. Do appearances show or hide reality? The emergence of a virtual world raises questions about the truth of information from TV or the Internet. The phenomenon of internet addiction can be compared to the prisoners in Plato’s cave. Plato’s view that not all knowledge is ‘science’ is also relevant today, as modern science often prioritizes mathematics over Platonic ‘episteme’.