Philosophies of Plato & Nietzsche
This is an excerpt from the paper...
The questions What is philosophy? and How do we philosophize?, like many philosophical questions, do not necessarily have fully discoverable or absolute answers. This is because like PlatoÆs conception of the absolute forms, only the essence or glimpses of such answers can be gleaned and then only by the most developed philosophers (i.e. the wisest among us). Friedrich Nietzsche thinks few men can become philosophers because few have the strength necessary to think objectively and independently. Philosophy has been defined as a pilgrimage through life from innocence towards wisdom and is a concept that embodies the ultimate knowledge of knowing one can never possess absolute knowledge or wisdom. In fact, the study of philosophy is considered a love of wisdom and the investigation of the nature of reality (American Heritage Dictionary, 2000). Historically, philosophy stretches back to as far as the great Greek philosophers: Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. Because Plato was a philosopher of the Ancient Greeks, and because Nietzsche is a much more modern philosophy, understanding of the history and definition of philosophy and how to philosophize is best gained by an examination of both of these schools of thought. Thus, we gain a deeper insight into the answers of each of the above questions.Philosophy, as defined by Plato, represents ôknowingö the good. Only purposefully devoted and trained philosophers can achieve this goal. Philosophers are the o
. . .
is is true wisdom.
Since many cannot generally be objective, only those that can will become philosophers. Being able to think independently and objectively is for the few and is a privilege of the strong. The difference between exoteric and esoteric is the difference between subjective and objective analysis, ôThe virtues of a common man perhaps signify vices and weaknesses in a philosopher. Happiness and vice are no arguments, likewise unhappiness and evil are not counter argumentsö (Nietzsche, 1989, Aphorism 30).
So it seems objectivity is one component of the concept of philosophy offered by Nietzsche. In Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche rejects the notion of good or evil as being anything other than man-constructed values that are arbitrarily imposed upon the masses by the dominant institutions and classes of society. In NietzscheÆs estimation, whatÆs good to one may be evil to another, so he does not find PlatoÆs conception of philosophy to be valid. He does not accept an absolute or inherent good or evil quality of essence in anything, for they are manmade conceptions imposed defined at will. In On The Genealogy of Morals, Nietzsche (1967) expresses contempt for the man of ressentiment, experiencing nausea over thei
. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
Body Philosophy, Morals Nietzsche, Plato Socrates, Nietzsche Nietzsche, Incorporated PlatoÆs, Conclusion Despite, Evil Nietzsche, Friedrich Nietzsche, PlatoÆs NietzscheÆs, , complete wisdom, desire complete, true philosopher, conception philosophy, wisdom satisfied, plato 1987, desire complete wisdom, complete wisdom satisfied, true wisdom, york ny, philosopher desire complete, philosophy defined, translated walter kaufmann, philosophy completely, true philosopher desire,
Approximate Word count = 1408
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)
More Essays on Philosophies of Plato & Nietzsche
|
Customer Service
to Over
32,000 Professionally Written Papers!!!
