“The formula of my happiness a Yes, a No, a Straight line, a goal”. (Nietzsche, 1982, 473)

What does Nietzsche Believe he is knocking down and what are his Hopes for the Future?

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nWhat does Nietzsche believe he is knocking down and what are his hopes for the future?

n “The formula of my happiness: a Yes, a No, a Straight line, a goal”. (Nietzsche, 1982, 473)

n Out of chaos and destruction, great things are created, archived; and with Nietzsches writings, it is not different. He was a man who, while witnessing the degradation and health of his body, he also found extraordinary inspiration for his writings. His ideas possess a magnificent insight of the future, of a society in which he could see through the real ‘lenses. Nietzsche was a man carrying a brilliant mind with ideas that could change the way human beings live, but he was also an unfortunate ‘prisoner in his fragile body. Perhaps his desire to overcome his own physical weakness was the most ‘incentive for his best creations. This essay contain a brief attempt to describe some of the ideas in which Nietzsche believe were wrong within society, how did they originated and how we, human beings, have consolidate those ideas as ‘universal truth.

nNietzsche began his attacks by scrutinizing the excess of historical knowledge. This criticism includes all traditions, morals and religion. He argues that remembering and keeping records of the past in excess can turn into sickness. Following this argument, he explains that this sickness emerges because there is a demand for ‘history to be taken as science. However, in order for this to work, the historian would have to separate herself from her own viewpoints and judgments acquiring knowledge that is useful to fit everyone. Fredrick Nietzsche was critical of historical studies in 19th century across Europe. According to him, the excessive focus of the past contributes to sickness. In fact, he suggested that an inadequate level of historical knowledge is beneficial to peoples ingenious power, happiness and health. Precisely, certain historical information is valuable and useful to human life (Santini 2014, p.1). However, excess historical information can be detrimental leading to negative impacts on the quality of human life. His reference to the term ‘history is used to indicate past knowledge of ancient cultures such as the Renaissance, Rome and Greece, which include information of the past music, art, literature and philosophy (Duman 2012, p.30). Similarly, historical perspectives also refer to scholarly mind, involving commitment to stringent principles of scientific and academic techniques. Nietzsche recommended that in order to have successful future, human beings must promote paradigm shift, which helps to move away from historical studies towards a free and forward-focused future (Sinclair 2004, p.1). The issue following this argument is that exactly due to the fact that, it is impossible for one to have a neutral description of any historical events.

n“Originally one approved unegoistic actions and called them good from the point of view of those to whom they were done, that to say, those to whom they were useful. Later one forgot how this approval originated and, simply because unegoistic actions were always habitually praised as good, one also felt them to be good – as if they were something good in themselves.” (GM)

nIn other words, the historical knowledge we know now have been constructed on the basis and beliefs of ‘one individual perspective which has been classified as ‘good. Another problem Nietzsche argues is that because humans have not shaped their personality out of their own self but instead they have ‘mirrored in the traditions of history, and for him, history is nonetheless an interpretation of the historian who creates a framework suitable to her own time. Most notably, he implies that humans dissatisfaction and disgruntlement is founded in their memory. In this regard, he articulated cynicism at the mans memory, stating that human beings are so connected to the present work that any memory activity is tarnished by what they intend to remember (Sinclair 2004, p.2).

n“A human beings historical knowledge and sensitivity can be very limited, his horizon as narrow as that of the inhabitant of an isolated alpine valley; each of his judgments may contain an injustice, each experience may be marked by the misconception that he is the first to experience it”.

nDespite all of this fault-finding, Nietzsche criticism is not directly entirely because of history, as he argues human beings do need some history however, we needed for different reasons. History is needed for the sake of life and action, not to turn comfortably away from life and action. (GM) It occurs when one hangs on to the past with the belief that all of the greater things could only belong there. For him, this excessive ‘obsessive attitude towards history it is a path, which retards man and moves him away from life. Most notably, he implies that humans dissatisfaction and disgruntlement is founded in their memory. In this regard, he articulated cynicism at the mans memory, stating that human beings are so connected to the present work that any memory activity is tarnished by what they intend to remember (Sinclair 2004, p.2).

n‘If Goeth was right to assert that when we cultivate our virtues we at the same time cultivate our faults. – Excessive historical knowledge reinforces the good just as much it does the bad. We, as humans, have a tendency to focus on the negatives, even when these two forces are in balance. Thus, this focus on cultivating our faults, as Nietzsche says, it can grow rapidly, eliminating life, like a ‘malign tumor.

nNietzsche makes a comparison on how a caw lives precisely for the moment. “Consider the cattle, grazing as they pass you by: they do not know what is mean by yesterday or today, they leap about, eat, rest, digest, leap about again, and so from morning till night and from day to day, fettered to the moment and its pleasure or displeasure, and thus neither melancholy nor bored”. Following this quote, Nietzsche explains how man envies the simplistic life of an animal, which is neither bored nor painful. He sees the true contentment that relies on the animal yet, he still refuses to adopt that same form of life because man always thinks himself above all other living beings. Nietzsche questions whether animals and humans are different or similar. In so doing, he claims that human beings unlike beasts possess memory, which is not an asset. Certainly, he asserts that human memory has turn out to be a burden, a curse or a difficulty as opposed to being a resource (Santini 2014, p.10). It brings man to a paradox of wishing the same ‘careless state of life of an animal and rejecting the idea of being like an animal. Therefore, the power of subjectivity damages the future opportunities for innovation as humans concentrates on remembering acts (Beeckman 2008, p.17).

n“But he also wonders at himself, that he cannot learn to forget but clings relentlessly to the past: however far and fast he may run this chain runs with him”. This metaphor describing mans attachment to the past and his inability to forget can be applied to all the other things Nietzsche is criticizing, from moral, guilty, punishments; everything that literally ties man into live in a pessimist past, ceasing him on moving forward with life. What he is knocking down it is a system made up of errors, of wrong values and tradition that have been formed and consolidate by us. According to insights by Nietzsche, memory is like plastic force whose powers work by restructuring and integrating the foreign and the past, hence paying off what is already lost. Therefore, concentrating on remembering things reduces human confidence in their minds hence permitting them to observe the hidden items, insights and statements in the historical account (Duman 2012, p.32). In this respect, Nietzsche point out that, human beings should promote themselves to a super-historical perspective.

n“By searching out origins, one becomes a crab. The historian looks backward; eventually he also believe backward” (Nietzsche, 1982, 470) this a pessimist view of life. Therefore, they should come up with more progressive thinking that is not based on the past. Although the study of history is important, such undertakings should only be aimed at improving the lives of the people into the future (Santini 2014, p.13). Moreover, human should analyze their tasks without being preoccupied by the past. In so doing, it helps them to be more creative since work founded on history is more hurtful.

n “In order to determine this degree and thereby establish the limit beyond the past must be forgotten if it is not to become the grave digger of the present. We would have to know exactly how great the shaping power of a human being, a people and a culture is. By shaping power I mean that authority to develop its own singular character out of itself, to shape and assimilate what is past and alien, to heal wounds, to replace what has been lost, to recreate broken forms out of itself alone”. More importantly, Nietzsches arguments attempt to oppose certain philosophical opinions that promote the importance of history (Dries ed. 2008, p.21). For instance, scholars such as Hegel had developed philosophical insights in the 19th century, which advocated for the need of self-awareness of the meaning and nature of history especially in the civilization period (Duman 2012, p.35).

nAdditionally, he suggested that creation of awareness about past events and knowledge was the right thing. Nevertheless, Nietzsche rejects such philosophy and adopts three strategies to history (Sinclair 2004, p.5). Precisely, he advocates for the critical, the antiquarian and the monumental history.

nNietzsche is knocking down how man has forgotten the creation of the concept of morality, but at the same time, he constantly ‘remembers to look backwards. This backwards outlook turns man to live in a lie. Monumental history concentrates of the case in point of man greatness, persons who transform the impression of man by providing content that is more appealing. Although Nietzsche does not provide names of transformative people, he presumably refers to individuals such as Napoleon, Caesar, Socrates, and Jesus (Santini 2014, p.15). One common feature that all great persons possess is the superior preparedness and determination to risk their well-being and life for the sake of others. Such persons can motivate others to achieve great things. However, monumental history has various challenges because as people view these great persons as inspiring, they destroy their future by overseeing the exceptional background that helped them to rise (Dries ed. 2008, p.23). In addition, they act as a barrier to new and transformative culture.

nAntiquarian history means academic engagement in some previous culture. It normally used among the scholars who promotes their cultural identify (Beeckman 2008, p.17). However, Nietzsche criticizes this form of history because too much preoccupation in the past among the scholar can cause undiscriminating attraction for everything that is old, irrespective of whether it is sincerely interesting or admirable. Furthermore, he cautions that admiration and veneration for the past events can hinder originality in the future (Duman 2012, p.41). Similarly, this kind of historical insights can quickly leads to mere scholarliness. Consequently, the main purpose and aim of studying would be lost in the future (Santini 2014, p.23). Moreover, scholars who are immersed into past cultural methods view them as so wonderful that they fail to generate something new in the future.

n ‘Im the dynamite!- If the ‘Enlightenment was marked as the questioning of tradition, Nietzsche was then the ‘dynamite containing a powerful message to abolish tradition.

n Our ignorance and lack of knowing ourselves it is a major contributor for forming false concepts on how human beings understand what is good and what is wrong. Nietzsche advices that human must adapt critical history. In this respect, he recommended that instead of admiring the past, individuals should discard it in order to generate something different or original. For instance, innovative artistic groups are normally very critical of the methods, techniques and styles they change (Beeckman 2008, p.17). However, the challenge with critical history is that human beings will be discriminatory to the past, which may be useful in their future activities.

nConclusion

nNietzsches arguments criticize the idea of using excessive historical knowledge in humans life. Therefore, he cautions that this behavior is not serving the needs of the society because it is not contributing to more vibrant, richer, and new culture. On the contrary, it is causing loss of originality, creativeness and vision of the future among the people (Santini 2014, p.1). In addition, too much immersion of past academic methods, and techniques among the scholars does not help to enhance current and future culture and life (Duman 2012, p.30). For this reason, successful future can be realized through critical history.

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nReferences

nBeeckman, T., 2008. Nietzsches Timely Genealogy: An Exercise in Anti-Reductionist Naturalism. Nietzsche on Time and History, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, pp.63-744.

nDries, M. ed., 2008. Nietzsche on time and history. Walter de Gruyter.

nDuman, M., 2012. NIETZSCHES CRITIQUE OF HISTORICAL REASON. Felsefe ve Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi (FLSF), (13).

nSantini, C., 2014. The History of Literature as an Issue: Nietzsches Attempt to Represent Antiquity. Nietzsche as a Scholar of Antiquity, London and New York: Bloomsbury, pp.159-79.

nSinclair, M., 2004. Nietzsche and the problem of history. Richmond Journal of Philosophy, 8, pp.1-6.