Monday, November 17, 2008

Philosophy 118: 17 November, 2008

These notes were taken from my class with Dr. Reyes for Philosophy 118 this Monday...

.:More Biographical Notes On Nietzsche: Nietzsche Needs A Hug (But Not From A Horse...)!!!:.

The war in 1870 was the Franco-Prussian war. Nietzsche volunteered as a medical orderly, carrying the wounded and taking care of the injured.

In 1871, Nietzsche's sick leave lasted about a year, which he spent in the Swiss Alps.

In 1872, he returned to teach, with a professorial chair waiting for him. From this point on, he would rapidly fluctuate from teaching to being on leave for the rest of his career.

He also published “Die Gebunt der Tragodie,” translated, “The Birth of Tragedy.” The book was regarded as “a disaster,” and people couldn't quite classify it, whether it's literature, or literary critique, or philosophy. Some prematurely declared this to be the “death” of his career.

In 1873, he published “Unzeitgemasse Betrachtungen,” translated, “Untimely Meditations.” A chapter of this book was “Vom Nutzen und Nachteil der Historie fur das Leber,” translated, “The Use and Disadvantage of History for Life.” In this regard, he discusses the many ways of writing about history, such as lingering in the past, dwelling on past tragedies; or writing a history meant to inspire, which entails building a certain sense of mythology.

In 1876, several of his friends got married, leaving him feeling alone. In a panic, he ended up proposing to a girl named Mathilde. After being rejected, he took another sick leave, this time going to Italy, visiting Genoa, Naples, and Sorrento.

In 1878, he publishes “Menschliches Allzumenschliches,” translated “Human All So Human.” He believes that the way to do Philosophy is not through Metaphysics, because the focus of existence is not Being, but Becoming. Reality is not something that can be frozen, it is always shifting, and such, there is no absolute Truth.

In 1879, he resigned from his professorial chair, and spent the last ten years of his non-committed life writing.

In 1881, he published “Morgenrote,” translated “The Red of the Morning, aka, The Dawn.”

In 1882, he published “Die Frohliche Wissenschaft,” translated “The Gay Science.” This is where the sentence “God is dead” came from.

In the same year, he fell for a woman named Lou von Salome. Unfortunately, he never had the courage to approach her directly, and asked Paul Ree to play cupid. Paul Ree was, predictably, also interested in her, but she rejected both of them in favor of the writer Rilke. She was a Russian writer.

In 1883, 1884, and 1885 he published “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” translated, “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” in part.

In 1886, he published “Jenseits von Gut und Bose,” translated, “Beyond Good and Evil.”

In 1887, he published “Zur Genealogie den Moral,” translated, “Regarding the Genealogy of Morality.”

From 1882-1887, Nietzsche was scribbling short notes aimed towards writing what he intended to be his magnum opus, “Der Wille Zun Macht,” translated, “The Will To Power.” However, he himself didn't finish the book, but someone else compiled and published his note in his stead. He also intended to change the title of the book to “Versuch einer Unwertung allen Werte,” translated, “Attempts Towards a Transvaluation of All Values.”

In 1888-1889, he began to show signs of madness based on the letters he wrote to his friends. Maybe he was writing in Lolcat? =P

He also published “Der Fall Wagner,” translated, “The Case of Wagner;” “Gotzen Dammerung,” translated, “The Twilight of the God;.” “Der Anti-Christ,” and “Ecce Homo,” the last three published posthumously.

In 1889, he embraced a horse in the middle of Turin, and after collapsing, was committed. His mother and his sister, Elizabeth, cared for him until his death in 1900.

.:Nietzsche's Writing Style:.

Nietzsche writes in short, aphoristic sentences. As someone who believes that reality is “on the go,” it would mean that his writing is all over the place and very unstructured. A few examples of his famous quotes would be:

“You must say 'yes' to life.” Taking a more definite stand in life than the willy-nilly of being uncertain. You either live life to the fullest, or not live it at all.

“If I knew the world would end tomorrow, I would still plant my seed today.”

.:An Attempt To Outline Nietzsche's Thinking:.

1.Birth of Tragedy
2.Critique of Morality
3.Critique of Metaphysics
4.Critique of Religion
5.Critique of Language
6.Will to Power
7.Aesthetic Phenomenon

.:Quotable Quote:.

“I never thought speed could be so uncomfortable!” - Dr. Reyes

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