Nietzsche's Critique of Western Thought and Morality

Nietzsche's Critique of Western Thought

The text that we have to discuss is an excerpt from Twilight of the Idols, a work in which Nietzsche declares war on the entire tradition of Western thought: philosophers, priests, moralists, and scientists—essentially, all who have defended the morality of slaves and promoted a lifestyle that denies metaphysical life and instincts. In short, he critiques those who have denied the Dionysian.

Philosophy of Reason

As stated in the philosophy of reason, this is a character epistemic text that summarizes Nietzsche's critique of metaphysics and vital morality. Encased in the nineteenth century, Nietzsche's thought is a response to the crisis of Enlightenment reason. The philosophy of the second half of the nineteenth century largely reacts to the failures of Enlightenment philosophy by turning toward irrationalism.

Influence of Schopenhauer

Schopenhauer and the will to live are the first influences, along with the romantic movement and its emphasis on the feelings of the individual as agent and operator, the role of art, music, and literature. In this context, Nietzsche developed his thinking, fiercely criticizing everything that constitutes the tradition of moral philosophy in the West.

Destruction of Values

In his thought, Nietzsche proposes a destructive phase of all the values that have contributed to Western culture. Using the genealogical method and his "hammer of the destroyer," he aims to dismantle all of Western philosophy since Plato, which has built up its own unnatural morality. The morality of Christianity, the herd mentality that has denied everything vital and instinctive in man, must also be destroyed, as it has denied the necessary Dionysian.

Path to Nihilism

Once all this is destroyed, we arrive at nihilism—the feeling that we are nothing, devoid of values. At that moment, we can begin to create something radically new, something that Nietzsche proposes. Humanity must start building a new morality, a "morality of lords" to recover the life instinct, the Dionysian, which resides within man.

The Time of Zarathustra

This is the time of Zarathustra, the superman, and the will to power. These elements construct a new world of life values in which the Dionysian, or life itself, is brought back to center stage. A new philosophy that denies life and senses, but rewards and places them above all as guides of human experience.

Eternal Return

In short, it is the eternal return to the life of our human condition, what Nietzsche called "Dionysian." As we can see, we have discussed how the aphorism fits perfectly within Nietzsche's philosophical positions. Not in vain, its theme has a profound impact on the author's critique of the entirety of Western culture.