Phl 101 Nietzche

What are the two symbolic principles Nietzsche identifies in Greek culture?

Apollo (order, reason, restraint) and Dionysus (intoxication, chaos, theater).

What does the combination of Apollo and Dionysus create?

Tragedy.

How did the ancient Greeks approach tragedy?

They experienced it without "blinking"—facing it directly without turning away.

What does Nietzsche mean by "God is dead"?

The decline of belief in God, where people act as though they don't believe, even if they claim to.

How does Nietzsche compare the "death of God"?

To unchaining the Earth from its orbit, wiping the sky with a sponge, or drinking the sea.

What is Nietzsche's critique of other philosophers?

They claim to reveal truth but only reflect their personal desires and opinions.

What are Nietzsche's four errors about how humans see themselves?

1. We see ourselves incompletely, ignoring flaws. 2. We give ourselves fictitious attributes. 3. We think we are superior to animals and plants. 4. We create "tables of goods" (moral rules) and pretend they are eternal.

What is Nietzsche's concept of the Overman?

A superior being who seeks challenge, overcomes weaknesses, and gives life meaning without longing for an afterlife.

Why does Nietzsche criticize the idea of equality?

He sees it as a leveling down of society to mediocrity, represented by the "last man."

What is the "last man" according to Nietzsche?

A weak, mediocre individual who avoids challenges and values comfort over growth.

What is the eternal recurrence?

The idea of living one's life over again, exactly as it is, with no changes.

Who accepts the eternal recurrence?

Only the Overman, as it represents the ultimate affirmation of life.

Why doesn't Nietzsche qualify as an Overman?

Due to his poor health and other personal limitations.

What inspired Nietzsche’s pessimistic outlook on life?

His chronic bad health and the death of his father when he was five years old.

What question did Nietzsche spend his life trying to answer?

"What kind of life has value and is worth living?"

What two answers did Nietzsche find to his question about life's value?

The lives of the ancient Greeks and the life of the Overman.