Nietzsche's Philosophy: Vitalism, Culture Critique, and the Übermensch

Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy, particularly in his later years, was marked by profound insights and a delicate, often challenging, intellectual journey. His thought was profoundly shaped by three key influences:

• The pessimistic philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer.
• His deep appreciation for classical Greek culture.
• The vibrant spirit of the Italian Renaissance.

Nietzsche's philosophy is characterized by vitalism and irrationalism, which deny the primacy of reason.

Nietzsche's Core Influences and Philosophy

The Apollonian, the Dionysian, and Socrates' Influence

Reason and its vehicle of expression (language) cannot fully capture the joy of living life, which Nietzsche believes is driven by the will to power – a blind desire to persist in reality. Here, one feels the influence of Schopenhauer's pessimism, for whom understanding reality means perceiving the world as will, an impetus to live. Schopenhauer viewed life as incomplete and temporary, a path to death, advocating for detachment from passion and curbing the desire for life to avoid suffering.

Nietzsche, on the contrary, exalts life. He uses the Greek gods Dionysus and Apollo as metaphors to symbolize what life means. Nietzsche's Dionysus coincides with Schopenhauer's concept of will, but for Schopenhauer, the will is something negative that a wise man must overcome. For Nietzsche, Dionysus is the god of passion; life should be lived fully.

Apollo symbolizes the meaning that Schopenhauer represents: the god of reason. However, even Apollo has an irrational vitality at his base. This tragic vision of the world, caught between these two opposites, assumes that life is a dislocation of contradictions. Nietzsche's position is to accept this contradiction with joy; his optimism is tragic.

For Nietzsche, Socrates is the great corruptor of Greek thought. He initiated the overvaluation of the rational, consuming life. Plato continued the destruction of culture by dividing the world into sensible and intelligible realms and placing truth in the latter. This division, assumed by Christianity, has corrupted all of Western culture.

Nietzsche's Critique of Western Culture

Nietzsche argues that throughout the history of Western culture, humanity has lost the true meaning of life. He seeks to deny ideological forms of life with their values, aiming to eliminate them so that man can be happy again.

The primary culprits for this negation of life are Socrates and Plato, who placed truth in an ideal world, replacing the vibrant ideal of life itself. Religion, too, is born of fear. Man depends on God because he is a coward, daring not to assume his own destiny. This Christianity proclaims the greatness of man when, in fact, it makes him weaker.

It may seem that science will solve all problems, but Nietzsche attacks mechanistic science's attempt to explain life as a machine, especially because it relies on mathematics. Worse still, he criticizes Western Christian morality.

The Eternal Recurrence and the Übermensch

The Übermensch (Superman) returns to Earth and despises the heavens. He who has no order creates his own rules, free and aggressive, hating equality while embracing difference and hierarchies. The Übermensch despises the weak and fully embraces risk. They seek to become their own god.

Zarathustra is not only the Übermensch but also a prophet of the eternal recurrence, emphasizing the need to value every moment and live fully, as all experiences will recur infinitely.