Fredrick Nietzsche

[RatzingerRocks]

I have three Questions about Nietzsche.

1)What are you opinions about him as a philosopher?

2)Why is he so popular amongst the teenage population?

3)What do you beleive his proper place is in philosophy?(like do you beleive he was important for raising fundamental questions exct)

 

[David Gould]

I have three Questions about Nietzsche.

1)What are you opinions about him as a philosopher?

I think he was a very important philospher. Essentially, he was a philospher of morality, which imo is one of the most important areas for philosophy to address, as it has direct everyday application for every body.

2)Why is he so popular amongst the teenage population?

Possibly due to misunderstandings, plus the fact that he was a great writer of aphorisms. He is seen as the quintessential intellectual rebel - 'Down with God' and 'Down with morality' are things associated with him.

3)What do you beleive his proper place is in philosophy?(like do you beleive he was important for raising fundamental questions exct)

A moral philosopher who is still asking us questions today about what kind of world we want and what kinds of individuals we want to be in it. While I do not think that Nietzsche succeeded in his endeavour to create a post-Christian anti-nihilism moral system, he went a long way towards it and helped set up a lot of the signposts for others.

Personally, Nietzsche has helped me clarify a lot my own thinking. The fact that he critiqued Schopenhaur has assisted me, too, as he is one of my favourites.

 

[Eudaimonist]

1)What are you opinions about him as a philosopher?

He is well worth studying, at least for his critique of Christian ethics.

2)Why is he so popular amongst the teenage population?

Because his philosophy is nonconformist. He doesn't tell you to obey others and comform to society's standards. This is very appealing to teenagers, since they are busy forming their identities and want to have their own identity, instead of having one stamped on them.

3)What do you beleive his proper place is in philosophy?

As an individualistic and proto-existentialist philosopher.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[ReluctantProphet]

I have three Questions about Nietzsche.

1)What are you opinions about him as a philosopher?

2)Why is he so popular amongst the teenage population?

3)What do you beleive his proper place is in philosophy?(like do you beleive he was important for raising fundamental questions exct)

1) He was llimited in his understanding.

2) ALL philosophers only become popular because the social powers that be during any moment promote whoever said what they want people to believe.

3)As one more.

 

[TeddyKGB]

1) He was llimited in his understanding.

Compared to whom?

2) ALL philosophers only become popular because the social powers that be during any moment promote whoever said what they want people to believe.

That appears entirely opposite of the common reasons for Nietzsche's popularity.

 

[Livindesert]

1)What are you opinions about him as a philosopher?

2)Why is he so popular amongst the teenage population?

3)What do you beleive his proper place is in philosophy?(like do you beleive he was important for raising fundamental questions exct)

1.His writing is very entertaining
2. Eudaimonist and David answered this one pretty good already.
3. Personally I like how instead of a philosophy that teaches you how to deal with life, it motivates you to overcome it instead.

 

[nadroj1985]

1)What are you opinions about him as a philosopher?

He's probably among the five greatest philosophers of all time. For depth of thought, courage for experimentation, and subtlety of distinction, Nietzsche is pretty much unparalleled.

2)Why is he so popular amongst the teenage population?

Mostly for reasons caused by misunderstanding him, most likely. A rebellious teenager might like to hear anti-religion rants, though they would probably overlook the good things Nietzsche had to say about religion. A rebellious teenager might also like to hear that common morality is bunk, and forget the fact that Nietzsche was trying to set up a new morality in its place.

But, as has been said, Nietzsche was indeed a strong and eloquent individualist, and this is enough to attract many young minds. It probably also helps that his writings are (deceptively) simple in their language, as compared to say Spinoza, Hegel, or Kant.

3)What do you beleive his proper place is in philosophy?(like do you beleive he was important for raising fundamental questions exct)

To limit myself to one (there are probably dozens) Nietzsche was the first to really emphasize the fact that different peoples have different moralities -- before Nietzsche, the question was not "which morality is the right one?," but rather "how can we build a foundation for morality?" as if the correct morality had already been found and universally agreed upon. Read "On the Genealogy of Morals" especially to see this point.

 

[NCStein]

I've never met anyone in my generation who even knew who Nietzsche was, or had any opinion on any philosopher or philosophy that transcended "This is boring," or "This is gay."

 

[Abbadon]

1)What are you opinions about him as a philosopher?

I like his philosophy. He mistakenly gets spirituality and organized religion mixed up, but plenty of people do.

2)Why is he so popular amongst the teenage population?

I hope you mean teenagers into philosophy. Teenagers, like most age groups, as a whole really aren't as philosophical as the could be (though there's been a slight rise since the last generation, I've gathered.)

Probably because he espouses Hegel's antithesis, which means rebel!

Nothing wrong with that, but synthesis is what wins out.

3)What do you beleive his proper place is in philosophy?(like do you beleive he was important for raising fundamental questions exct)

He argued that we really need the Hegelian antithesis for society to continue. Hegel seems to think that we finished with the Prussian empire, and that there was no need to go further.

I've never met anyone in my generation who even knew who Nietzsche was, or had any opinion on any philosopher or philosophy that transcended "This is boring," or "This is gay."

Wait til college, if you're not already there. And also look out for people that play Dungeons and Dragons. Some of them tend to get into philosophy.

 

[Glacian]

And also look out for people that play Dungeons and Dragons. Some of them tend to get into philosophy.

Oh that's great!!! Haha.

Alright, I'm a 19 year old college student majoring in philosophy, and my favorite philosopher is, without competition, Nietzsche. I've also played Dungeons & Dragons for as long as I can remember. Your guess is probably right on. I suppose us geeks have a tendency to not be part of the "herd".

Nietzsche's importance as a philosopher is probably not as great as it should be. I think he deserves even more credit than he's given, and that credit is, as has already been said, misapplied. Fortunately all the baloney associating him with the nazi party seems to be fading away as he's had sort of a "revival". I'd like to see that trend continue, as I think Nietzsche has a lot to offer. He's "the philosopher with a hammer", but people often forget that hammers are used for building, and not merely destroying. He wanted to oust the apathetic confirmist inclinations in man, but he didn't merely wish to plunge us into nihilism. Nihilism was the result of a loss of God, not the end. We must erect "new gods", in a sense. Find new direction, after the demise of the creator.

I do understand though, most people in my generation seem not to be too interested in philosophy, but they're around if you really seek them out. I've met a few. And actually Nietzsche said "Plato was a bore", himself, and I tend to agree. Being a philosopher doesn't preclude boredom with some of the classics.

He's popular with the teenage population because it is the teens who are often the most idealistic, hoping to be movers and shakers in society. Nietzsche appeals to the rebellious side of people, the side that still wants to break free from the mold. Older folks are often too entrenched in society to have any desire or will to break from it. One could definitely write an entire paper on why he appeals to the younger crowd, though.

I wouldn't try to place him in philosophy. You might say there's existentialism/pre-existentialism or something of the sort in his writing, but I think pigeonholing him would do an injustice to the unique nature of his philosophy.

I wrote a paper on his concept of the ubermensch. Not sure if I'm allowed to post links here but it is available online. I suppose you can PM me if you want the link, or it's cool I'll post it up here.

 

[Received]

What makes Nietzsche great is the accessibility of his thinking; it isn't overwrought with abstraction, it doesn't hide behind flowery language, yet nevertheless it is in its own dark way insanely beautiful, and proportionately relevant to a society that seems to live and die on thoughtless morals and moral standards. He provided, perhaps in the greatest depth, the presentation of a world that lives beyond good and evil, God and immortality. While I prefer Camus for atheist-I-would-idealize if I were to deconvert, Nietzsche is at the base of his thinking.