In Beyond Good and Evil pg. 49, Friedrich Nietszche writes (Walter Kaufmann translates)
What I am excavating from this text is that Nietzsche argues the purity of truth will always be concealed (in many ways more than this quotation leads; ie language). As some form of truth hits the masses of society it will be watered down to fit their lack of mental capacities for "purer" truth. When said burgeoning truth is birthed to the masses it is "...require[d] to be thinned down, shrouded, sweetened, blunted, falsified."
This particular pericope has a context in an argument apropos of a new society of philosophers Nietzsche calls "free spirits," but I find it to be applicable for other versions of trends/fads of truth that our human history is wrought with. Whatever ethos a time and place may embody, it seems that Nietzsche's claim is relevant. As a twenty-first century man in America, I am considerning Christianity. Perhaps the "truer" version of Christianity is concealed in America contemporarily? Could it be the case that American Christianity looks more like American idealism rather than Christian "truth" (I keep quoting the word "truth" due to the irony of that would occur if it were used as an absolute while reading Nietszche). Perhaps it is essentially capitalistic Christianity where both capitialism and Christianity are "thinned down, shrouded, sweetened, blunted, falsified."
And what of other "Christianities" in its 2 millennia history? Would all of these be some "thinned" version once becoming and exoteric truth? well, part truth? If Nietzsche's proposal is correct, all things closer to the truth must essentially be esoteric. Perhaps this is reason for Christians to look to the church in Acts for the most truthful form of Christianity. But how can Nietzsche make claims about truth, or use it in his vocabulary altogether? Are we not simply deduced to our drives anyway? Hmmm... I am curious where he will go next.
2 comments:
Chris,
Are you getting the sense from Nietzsche that he believes in absolute truth BUT we cannot get to it? Or, do you thin he believes no absolute truth existes THEREFORE we cannot get to it?" Nietzsche once wrote, "Read me carefully b/c I am dangerous." I'm not sure if he is dangerous but he sure is ambiguous at times.
Harris
Thanks Harris,
I agree with the ambiguity of the stance Nietszche purports. I also couldn't say for sure, but as you have also read Beyond Good and Evil, I think back to the beginning of chapter 2 "Free Spirits" where he speaks as if his philosophy is bound to be misinterpreted (similar to your quotation). It's as if he haughtily argues without actually saying it, that HE (and perhaps these "Free Spirits") has some access to absolute truth, but the masses only get a falsified, watered-down version of partial truths.
Although this seems prideful and a bit contradictory, do you perhaps think this holds any weight? Do thinkers have some clued in version of Truth more than, let's say, insurance salesmen? What do you think? I've been pondering this since this Nietszchean idea perplexed my lobe.
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