Nietzsche’s Critique of Traditional Philosophy in “Twilight of the Idols”
Summary 1: Senses and the Body
Nietzsche challenges traditional philosophy’s denigration of the sensible world in favor of a supposed supersensible realm. He argues that this devaluation stems from a misunderstanding of change and a flawed belief in immutable concepts. Nietzsche questions the adequacy of reason as the sole means of understanding the world and suggests that the supersensible world is a human construct, a reaction against the perceived imperfections of the sensible world.
Summary 2: Concepts and the Supreme Concept of God
Nietzsche criticizes traditional philosophers for placing ultimate concepts like “being” and “good” at the beginning, rather than recognizing them as products of human history and interpretation. He argues that these philosophers mistakenly believe that these supreme concepts are self-caused and unchanging, failing to acknowledge their human origins and the role of historical context in shaping them.
Summary 3: Tragic Art and the Dionysian
Nietzsche contrasts the “apparent” world of the artist with the “real” world of traditional philosophy. He argues that the artist’s world, though seemingly based on appearances, is more authentic because it embraces change and life, while the philosopher’s “real” world is a product of denying these aspects. Nietzsche connects the artist’s perspective with the Dionysian spirit, which affirms life in its totality, including both pleasure and pain, joy and horror.
Contextualization
This text is part of Nietzsche’s “Twilight of the Idols,” a work from his critical period where he attacks Western culture, philosophy, morality, and religion. Nietzsche’s philosophy can be divided into three periods: the Romantic, the Positivist, and the Critical. “Twilight of the Idols” belongs to the Critical period, characterized by a critique of Western culture and values. Nietzsche’s life was marked by a brilliant academic career, but also by declining health that led to madness and death. His major works include “The Birth of Tragedy,” “Thus Spoke Zarathustra,” “The Gay Science,” and “Beyond Good and Evil.” Nietzsche’s thought has been influential throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, particularly in existentialism and postmodernism.
Vitalism
Nietzsche’s philosophy is deeply imbued with vitalism, a strong affirmation of life. He criticizes traditional morality for suppressing human instincts and going against life itself. He challenges the Platonic notion of life as a mere transit to a supersensible world, arguing that the only reality is the earth. Nietzsche criticizes traditional metaphysics for opposing the evolution and dynamism of life. He also critiques the use of concepts, arguing that they cannot capture the ever-changing nature of life. He extends his criticism to the positive sciences for their quantitative view of life and their intrusion into morality and the state. Nietzsche discusses nihilism as the disorientation and doubt that follow the collapse of traditional metaphysics. He sees nihilism as a necessary stage for the arrival of a new perspective on life and humanity. Nietzsche’s philosophy offers a number of proposals that emphasize the affirmation of life and personal experience. He exalts individual expression, the use of metaphor, and the creativity of art, which he connects to the “will to power.”
The Death of God
Nietzsche famously declared that “God is dead.” He argued that Western man had inadvertently killed God through the gradual erosion of faith and the rise of scientific thinking. The death of God leads to disorientation and a loss of meaning in life. Man replaces God and the singular truth with multiple gods and multiple truths. However, with the decline of God and traditional metaphysics, the values associated with them lose their foundation and become subject to critique and denial. Nihilism can lead to a sense of despair and meaninglessness.
Nihilism
Nietzsche describes nihilism as a three-stage process: 1) Nihilism as the negation of all existing values, resulting from doubt and disorientation. 2) Nihilism as self-affirmation, a moment of reflection on the root of the initial negation. 3) Nihilism as a starting point for a revaluation of values, a time of intuition expressed in the “will to power.” This “will to power” represents the value of the individual’s will to create and shape their own life and meaning. This, according to Nietzsche, is the basis for a new philosophy.