Nietzsche’s Critique: Re-evaluating Western Culture and Values
Nietzsche’s Critique: Re-evaluating Western Culture
Nietzsche critiques Western culture as decadent, betraying life’s values. He proposes an improvement on traditional values to produce true human liberation.
Critique of Morality
Nietzsche deeply criticizes Western culture, particularly Platonism, for its unnaturalness. He considers it the biggest mistake, prioritizing ideas located beyond everyday life and denying the real man. Morality creates slaves and masters throughout history, culminating in a spiral that liberals must overcome to reach the Superman.
Critique of Religion
Nietzsche argues that all religions are born from fear, anguish, and needs, never containing any truth. He believes the Christian religion created a heaven that leads to underestimation of the earthly world. It promotes contempt for instincts and passions, encouraging obedience, sacrifice, and the notion of sin. Any idea of God or transcendence is part of the Socratic tradition, which Nietzsche sees as an attempt on life. He believes the real truth is in constant flux, in appearances.
Nihilism
Nietzsche discusses nihilism as a historical moment or consequence of Western historical development. He states that existing values are devalued, not that there are no values. Culture caused the death of God, the elimination of the absolute. God does not need modern science to explain the universe; human reason is limited. Rationalism desecrates all planes of reality. Nietzsche proposes a positive nihilism, creating new values like courage, strength, pride, and passion, returning to the Dionysian versus the Apollonian.
The Superman
The Superman is represented by the camel, which obeys the moral burden of slaves; the lion, which rebels and tires of the burden (negative nihilism); and the child, who says yes to life and plays with values. The child represents the search for self-affirmation, will to power, desire for domain, force of elan vital, and exaltation of force against the will of the wise man. The eternal return involves embracing life with all its consequences, wanting to repeat the present with all its pain and joy.
Proletariat and Bourgeoisie
Revolutions arise from the Industrial Revolution, creating confrontation between bourgeois liberalism and nationalism against anarchism, socialism, and communism. In Germany after Franco-Prussian unification, Bismarck established a national-liberal state in 1871.
Artistic and Cultural Movements
Artistic movements include romanticism, realism, naturalism, impressionism, and modernism. Notable writers include Balzac, Victor Hugo, Stendhal, Baudelaire, Zola, Dostoyevsky, and Tolstoy. Painters include Courbet, Manet, Renoir, Gauguin, and Van Gogh. Musicians include Berlioz, Verdi, Bizet, Wagner, and Brahms.
Experimental Science
Experimental science gained prestige in Germany due to technical progress and applications. The 19th century saw the rise of scientism, believing in the power of science for human progress. Key energy science concepts came from Clausius and Helmholtz. Darwin’s theory of evolution emerged after Kant and Hegel’s absolute idealism, centered on reason. This opposes Marx’s historical materialism, which seeks to transform the world through revolutionary action and implement a classless society. Comte’s positivism and Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism propose replacing religious and metaphysical institutions with science to promote human progress. Radical individualism, as seen in Feuerbach and Max Stirner, emphasizes the particular human being and freedom as fundamental and unique values.
Irrationalism
Schopenhauer’s irrationalism, influenced by Kant’s thing-in-itself, sees the will to live as irrational and blind, imposing continuous existence and deep suffering. Escape from this is possible only through art, culture, and ascetic renunciation. Wagner’s opera, influenced by Schopenhauer, sought to free music from the pain of the irrational world of will.