Nietzsche’s Philosophy: Nihilism and Western Culture
Nietzsche’s Life and the Roots of Nihilism
Friedrich Nietzsche was born in 1844 in Germany. Raised in a religious environment, he received strong support throughout his life from his sister, Elisabeth. He studied theology and philosophy at the University, specializing in Greek Philosophy. He was appointed professor of classical philosophy, but in 1879, his declining health forced him to retire. In 1888, he struggled between lucidity and madness, finally succumbing to madness in 1889. His mother and sister cared for him until his death in 1900.
Nietzsche’s Critique of Western Values
Nietzsche critically challenged the values of Western culture, stemming from the Socratic-Platonic tradition and culminating in Christianity. Parmenides introduced the relationship between being and thinking, which became detrimental when Socrates identified reason, virtue, and happiness. Plato further solidified this by attributing reality to concepts. Since then, Western culture has tended to project ideal worlds that devalue the sensible world.
This trend intensified with the increasing emphasis on the Good and Being, at the expense of passion, instinct, worldly values, and the natural, multiple reality. Nietzsche’s critique encompasses metaphysical, religious, and moral aspects, all interwoven in the cultural system of the West. The entire history of our culture, he argued, is an anti-vital movement leading to decay, degeneration, and the exhaustion of human potential. He termed this “fatigue” nihilism.
Understanding Nihilism
Etymologically, the term “nihilism” derives from “nihil,” meaning “nothing.” It can be defined as the loss of values, the dispossession of a way of life and existence, and the denial of instances that support a particular Weltanschauung (worldview). In the case of Western culture, the collapsing system is the Christian-Platonic view of reality, symbolized by the Christian God. Nihilism is a historical fact that became explicit in Modernity (18th century) and culminated in the last third of the 19th century. However, it originated in Ancient Greece, with the establishment of a value system based on rationality that falsely represented genuine life.
Nihilism as the Culmination of Error
More specifically, nihilism is the culmination of a long-standing error in the foundation of an entire culture. Traditional values, Nietzsche believed, are rooted in a descending conception of life that emphasizes the qualities of the weak (humility, sacrifice, compassion, altruism) – the sick, those who cannot or will not strive to grow. This is, ultimately, the morality of the flock, the resentment of those who envy the strong and powerful, who are able to realize their full potential as human beings.
But life and nature demonstrate that not all are equal; there are hierarchies. The species (and culture) that develops requires the most valuable and strong individuals. We must unmask what is happening and take over. The very dynamics of an anti-vital culture lead to its demise: it cannot suppress life forever, because life ultimately complains and rebels.
Two Aspects of Nihilism
Nietzsche saw two aspects of nihilism:
- Negative-Passive Nihilism: The collapse of life-affirming values and the resulting exhaustion, leaving individuals without a foundation or references.
- Positive-Active Nihilism: The willingness to create new values out of the critical situation of confusion and helplessness.
This dual option, according to Nietzsche, marks the dividing line between the weak and the strong, between slaves and masters.