(Originally Written December 27, 2007 in the Journal)
God give me the strength of mind to pursue this topic to its fullest. Grant me the wisdom needed in discovering your Truth. God give me the desire to seek you in every topic.
"Of the Standard of Taste"
By David Hume
(Continued)
There is a difference between sentiment and judgment.
All sentiments are right and true. Only one judgment is right and true.
A sentiment does not represent what exists in the object, only the feelings aroused in the sentiment holder.
Beauty does not exist in the object. "It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty".
To search out the real beauty is a fruitless activity. It is like seeking out the real sweet or the real bitter.
Common sense demands that there is no true beauty or no right taste; but, common sense also demands that people who prefer a finger painting to the Mona Lisa have wrong sentiments.
When something is pleasing but does not conform to the accepted rules of the medium it is pleasing in spite of its non-conformity, not because of it.
Homer pleased Athens and Rome. He pleased Paris and London in Hume's day. He pleases New York and D.C. today. Authority and prejudice may give temporary vogue to lesser, current authors, but they will diminish in time. Only great works are timeless.
[Thus, is beauty gauged on time?]
While there can be a variance of taste and sentiment, there must also be certain general principles of approbation or blame.
Beauty and deformity are not qualities in objects, but belong entirely to sentiment. However, it must be admitted that certain qualities in objects are predisposed to arousing these sentiments.
The delicacy of taste is the ability to discern all of these qualities. Those who posses this trait are more qualified to have their taste made into a standard of taste. (i.e. Sancho's taste for wine in Don Quixote).
Practice is how one acquires this delicacy of taste.
"Every work of art has also a certain end or purpose for which it is to be deemed more or less perfect, as it is more or less fitted to attain this end".
The principles of taste in men are universal and nearly or entirely the same in all men. But, few are qualified to give judgment on any work of art or to establish their own sentiment as the standard of beauty.
Key points:
1. Beauty exists in the mind of the observer, not in the object itself.
2. To seek Absolute Beauty is fruitless.
3. Taste is subjective because it is based on our sentiments. Only those who have been finely tuned to observing every part of what is beautiful are qualified to give sound judgment on works of art.
4. Those things that possess universal qualities that arouse the sentiment of beauty are timeless and culturally universal. Things that are merely agreeable in a given time and place are not necessarily beautiful.
5. "Every work of art has also a certain end or purpose". Art has a function. It relays a message. It can be judged as more perfect or less perfect on how effective it is in achieving its designed end.
1. Is this true?
2. If it is, who gives it the purpose?
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Aesthetics - What is Beauty? What is Art?
(Originally Written on December 25, 2007 in the Journal)
Aesthetics - What is Beauty? What is Art?
Part I: What is Beauty?
Questions for consideration:
1) Is beauty subjective, objective, or a combination thereof?
2) What is taste?
Part II: Explore different mediums, define art (as a language?)
Research Topics
Immanuel Kant
David Hume
Ludwig Wittgenstein
John Dewey
Leo Tolstoy
Plato
Nelson Goodman
Arthur C. Danto
Martin Heidegger
Jerrold Levinson
Terry Eagleton
Michel Foucault
Friedrich Nietzsche
Aristotle
Edmund Burke
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Topics: mediums, perception of art, why create?
"Of the Standard of Taste"
By: David Hume
It is useful for us to seek a "standard of taste".
A standard of taste is "a rule by which the various sentiments of men may be reconciled".
Aesthetics - What is Beauty? What is Art?
Part I: What is Beauty?
Questions for consideration:
1) Is beauty subjective, objective, or a combination thereof?
2) What is taste?
Part II: Explore different mediums, define art (as a language?)
Research Topics
Immanuel Kant
David Hume
Ludwig Wittgenstein
John Dewey
Leo Tolstoy
Plato
Nelson Goodman
Arthur C. Danto
Martin Heidegger
Jerrold Levinson
Terry Eagleton
Michel Foucault
Friedrich Nietzsche
Aristotle
Edmund Burke
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Topics: mediums, perception of art, why create?
"Of the Standard of Taste"
By: David Hume
It is useful for us to seek a "standard of taste".
A standard of taste is "a rule by which the various sentiments of men may be reconciled".
Friday, October 5, 2007
Feeling unfulfilled
(Originally written October 5, 2007 originally in Notebook 19)
I am so incredibly bored with life. I am tired of being broke. I am tired of mind-numbing employment. I am tired of Bertucci politics. It is truly absurd. I need something. I feel so unfulfilled.
The Linehan Company
AHclassys.com?
Alternative classified, similar to eBay, but a simple flat fee to post as long as you like.
I'm stumped. I have nothing, absolutely nothing left.
I am so incredibly bored with life. I am tired of being broke. I am tired of mind-numbing employment. I am tired of Bertucci politics. It is truly absurd. I need something. I feel so unfulfilled.
The Linehan Company
AHclassys.com?
Alternative classified, similar to eBay, but a simple flat fee to post as long as you like.
I'm stumped. I have nothing, absolutely nothing left.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Looking for a BIG IDEA
(Originally written August 28, 2007 in Notebook 19)
I am searching far and wide for that elusive BIG IDEA. What can I do to find it? Or should I settle on a little idea and then another and then another and then another and so on until I have a web of interconnected little ideas that engrosses more area than any singular big idea? Which is better, the proverbial bigness or a network of smallness?
Business idea
- Look into the vending machine industry, especially those candy machines. Is this at all worth it?
- Look into buying and selling on craigslist/eBay
- Business Plan writing
- Party/Event Planning
- Memory Books/Scrapbooks, and things: help the busy world remember and cherish their vacation, wedding, anniversary and party memories
I am searching far and wide for that elusive BIG IDEA. What can I do to find it? Or should I settle on a little idea and then another and then another and then another and so on until I have a web of interconnected little ideas that engrosses more area than any singular big idea? Which is better, the proverbial bigness or a network of smallness?
Business idea
- Look into the vending machine industry, especially those candy machines. Is this at all worth it?
- Look into buying and selling on craigslist/eBay
- Business Plan writing
- Party/Event Planning
- Memory Books/Scrapbooks, and things: help the busy world remember and cherish their vacation, wedding, anniversary and party memories
Monday, August 27, 2007
Beyond Good & Evil 257-259
(Originally written August 27, 2007 in Notebook 18)
Beyond Good & Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
Part 9 - What is Noble
257
Every enhancement of the type "man" has been made though an aristocratic society, a society which believes in differences in value of men, and one which needs slavery in some sense.
Truth is hard; one must not ascribe to the humanitarian accounts of the origin of the aristocracy.
The noble class was always the barbarian class. The barbarians conquered the weak.
The barbarians were stronger physically and stronger in soul. They are more whole human beings and therefore, more whole beasts.
The good aristocracy sees itself as the justification and the meaning, not the function of the monarch or commonwealth.
The good aristocracy uses the lower classes as instruments, anything else is a corruption.
Society must exist, not for society's sake, but so that the strong can rise to new heights on the backs of society.
259
When a principle of mutual agreement of will is levied between two men of the same stature it is good manners. But, when it is extended to society as a whole it is a will to the denial of life and a disintegrating and decaying force.
Life is essentially the strong overpowering the weak. "Life is simply the will to power" (Nietzsche, 393).
Exploitation of the weak is essential for any living and thriving society. It is not a corruption.
Beyond Good & Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
Part 9 - What is Noble
257
Every enhancement of the type "man" has been made though an aristocratic society, a society which believes in differences in value of men, and one which needs slavery in some sense.
Truth is hard; one must not ascribe to the humanitarian accounts of the origin of the aristocracy.
The noble class was always the barbarian class. The barbarians conquered the weak.
The barbarians were stronger physically and stronger in soul. They are more whole human beings and therefore, more whole beasts.
The good aristocracy sees itself as the justification and the meaning, not the function of the monarch or commonwealth.
The good aristocracy uses the lower classes as instruments, anything else is a corruption.
Society must exist, not for society's sake, but so that the strong can rise to new heights on the backs of society.
259
When a principle of mutual agreement of will is levied between two men of the same stature it is good manners. But, when it is extended to society as a whole it is a will to the denial of life and a disintegrating and decaying force.
Life is essentially the strong overpowering the weak. "Life is simply the will to power" (Nietzsche, 393).
Exploitation of the weak is essential for any living and thriving society. It is not a corruption.
Financial Notes 3
(Originally written August 27, 2007 in Notebook 19)
Savings/Investment Plan (1 month)
Today: Open Money Market Account with $25
Friday 8/31/07 Purchase 1st Gov Bond (25)
Thursday 9/6/07 Deposit 25-75 f/ D's paycheck into MM
Friday 9/7 Purchase second Gov Bond (25)
Friday 9/14 Purchase 3rd Gov Bond (25)
Thursday 9/20/07 Deposit 25-75 f/ D's paycheck into MM
Friday 9/21 purchase 4th Gov bond (25)
Friday 9/28 Purchase 5th Gov Bond (25)
Never mind, that plan stinks.
Financial Savings/Investment Plan
Phase I - Savings Accounts and Debt Payoff and Bonds
1) BOA Savings account
- Chris invests all of his savings in here until it reaches $3,000. This is our fall back money
- D puts a small amount each paycheck into here: $10-15 or so, depending on bill needs.
2) Money Market Account
- D invests her paycheck savings here
- Savings from photography goes in here
- The purpose of this account is to achieve high interest for our savings and is usable for mid-range, long-range goals
- There is no maximum on this account because it will eventually be a place for us to get our down payment on the house
3) CC #1
- Pay this off as quickly as possible from D's paycheck. $200-300/check
4) CC#2
- $212 and change is automatically withdrawn from the account months until December and it is paid off
5) CC #3
- Chris pays this off with tips
6) J.A. Cambece
- Pay $25/mo from account until paid off, pay more if possible
7) Bonds
a) EE bonds and purchase $50 EE bonds from BOA account for $25 whenever that account reaches the next highest $100 mark (example purchase it wen it hits $400, $500, $600... $2900, $3000)
b) Since this money comes from the BOA account it is paid out of Chris' tips
c) Once the BOA account hits $3,000 purchase EE Bonds ($50) as often as possible until we reach $2500 in EE Bonds
End of Phase I - Target date mid-2008
Net Worth: $7,000-$8500
Phase II Bonds & DRIP
Bonds
- continue purchasing EE Bonds until we reach $5,000 in par value or 100 $50.00 EE Bonds.
DRIPS
- Purhcase Kellogg's and invest $25-$1000 and then $25.month and let the dividends accrue.
End of Phase II Target Date: December 2008
Net Worth: $11,000-$15,000
Phase III Bonds, DRIPs, IRA
a) Bonds continue with bond investing until we hit $7500-$10000
b) continue with Kellogg's and add one or two more drips
c) Open up IRA
d) Continue to invest in MM account
Savings/Investment Plan (1 month)
Today: Open Money Market Account with $25
Friday 8/31/07 Purchase 1st Gov Bond (25)
Thursday 9/6/07 Deposit 25-75 f/ D's paycheck into MM
Friday 9/7 Purchase second Gov Bond (25)
Friday 9/14 Purchase 3rd Gov Bond (25)
Thursday 9/20/07 Deposit 25-75 f/ D's paycheck into MM
Friday 9/21 purchase 4th Gov bond (25)
Friday 9/28 Purchase 5th Gov Bond (25)
Never mind, that plan stinks.
Financial Savings/Investment Plan
Phase I - Savings Accounts and Debt Payoff and Bonds
1) BOA Savings account
- Chris invests all of his savings in here until it reaches $3,000. This is our fall back money
- D puts a small amount each paycheck into here: $10-15 or so, depending on bill needs.
2) Money Market Account
- D invests her paycheck savings here
- Savings from photography goes in here
- The purpose of this account is to achieve high interest for our savings and is usable for mid-range, long-range goals
- There is no maximum on this account because it will eventually be a place for us to get our down payment on the house
3) CC #1
- Pay this off as quickly as possible from D's paycheck. $200-300/check
4) CC#2
- $212 and change is automatically withdrawn from the account months until December and it is paid off
5) CC #3
- Chris pays this off with tips
6) J.A. Cambece
- Pay $25/mo from account until paid off, pay more if possible
7) Bonds
a) EE bonds and purchase $50 EE bonds from BOA account for $25 whenever that account reaches the next highest $100 mark (example purchase it wen it hits $400, $500, $600... $2900, $3000)
b) Since this money comes from the BOA account it is paid out of Chris' tips
c) Once the BOA account hits $3,000 purchase EE Bonds ($50) as often as possible until we reach $2500 in EE Bonds
End of Phase I - Target date mid-2008
Net Worth: $7,000-$8500
Phase II Bonds & DRIP
Bonds
- continue purchasing EE Bonds until we reach $5,000 in par value or 100 $50.00 EE Bonds.
DRIPS
- Purhcase Kellogg's and invest $25-$1000 and then $25.month and let the dividends accrue.
End of Phase II Target Date: December 2008
Net Worth: $11,000-$15,000
Phase III Bonds, DRIPs, IRA
a) Bonds continue with bond investing until we hit $7500-$10000
b) continue with Kellogg's and add one or two more drips
c) Open up IRA
d) Continue to invest in MM account
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Beyond Good & Evil 248-256
(Originally written August 26, 2007 in Notebook 18)
Beyond Good & Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
248
There are two types of genius:
1) That which wants to beget (man)
2) That which wants to give birth (woman)
These two types of peoples and genius search for one another looking to combine (as with man and woman) but, as with man and woman they often misunderstand one another.
249
"What is best in us we do not know - we cannot know" (Nietzsche 375).
250
Europe owes many things to the Jews, both good and bad.
Above all Europe owes the grand style of morality, infinite demands, infinite meanings; these we owe to the Jews and it is both the best and worst they have offered.
Nietzsche seeks to initiate a revolution process. He uses the Jews as a model on how to do so while disagreeing with the values they have set.
251
The Jews are the strongest and purest race in all of Europe. They prevail in hardships and change when they wish to.
The Jews have a faith that stands unembarrassed in the presence of modern ideas.
The Jews, if they wished, could take over all of Europe.
But rather than conquering the Jews wish only to be admitted and assimilated into a nation's culture.
The task which Nietzsche is serious about is the cultivation of a new caste that will rule Europe.
252
The English are unphilosophic as a race. Bacon is an attack on the philosophical spirit. Hobbes, Hume and Locke have amounted to a debasement of the value of philosophy.
His characteristic of an unphilosophical race is to cling to Christianity. The English need Christianity for its discipline, its power to moralize and its power to humanize.
The English person lacks a musical sense. The movements of their bodies and souls completely lack rhythm and dance.
253
There are truths that are recognized by mediocre minds at best.
The spirit of respectable, albeit mediocre, English minds like Darwin, John Stuart Mill and Herbert Spencer is becoming fashionable in middle Europe.
These mediocre minds are necessary at times. For they are knowledgeable, but the higher man is a man who "can"
The disparity between 'know' and 'can' is great. In fact, a high mind must be able to do something starkly new and innovative. Their focus on new and can may demand that he not know as much.
254
The French are a semi-successful blending of the North and South cultures.
255
We must rise above the good and evil, and as the sun sets on the moral world it becomes hospitable and profound enough for fugitives.
256
"Europe wants to become one" (Nietzsche, 386).
Beyond Good & Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
248
There are two types of genius:
1) That which wants to beget (man)
2) That which wants to give birth (woman)
These two types of peoples and genius search for one another looking to combine (as with man and woman) but, as with man and woman they often misunderstand one another.
249
"What is best in us we do not know - we cannot know" (Nietzsche 375).
250
Europe owes many things to the Jews, both good and bad.
Above all Europe owes the grand style of morality, infinite demands, infinite meanings; these we owe to the Jews and it is both the best and worst they have offered.
Nietzsche seeks to initiate a revolution process. He uses the Jews as a model on how to do so while disagreeing with the values they have set.
251
The Jews are the strongest and purest race in all of Europe. They prevail in hardships and change when they wish to.
The Jews have a faith that stands unembarrassed in the presence of modern ideas.
The Jews, if they wished, could take over all of Europe.
But rather than conquering the Jews wish only to be admitted and assimilated into a nation's culture.
The task which Nietzsche is serious about is the cultivation of a new caste that will rule Europe.
252
The English are unphilosophic as a race. Bacon is an attack on the philosophical spirit. Hobbes, Hume and Locke have amounted to a debasement of the value of philosophy.
His characteristic of an unphilosophical race is to cling to Christianity. The English need Christianity for its discipline, its power to moralize and its power to humanize.
The English person lacks a musical sense. The movements of their bodies and souls completely lack rhythm and dance.
253
There are truths that are recognized by mediocre minds at best.
The spirit of respectable, albeit mediocre, English minds like Darwin, John Stuart Mill and Herbert Spencer is becoming fashionable in middle Europe.
These mediocre minds are necessary at times. For they are knowledgeable, but the higher man is a man who "can"
The disparity between 'know' and 'can' is great. In fact, a high mind must be able to do something starkly new and innovative. Their focus on new and can may demand that he not know as much.
254
The French are a semi-successful blending of the North and South cultures.
255
We must rise above the good and evil, and as the sun sets on the moral world it becomes hospitable and profound enough for fugitives.
256
"Europe wants to become one" (Nietzsche, 386).
Friday, August 24, 2007
Financial Notes 2
(Originally written August 24, 2007 in Notebook 19)
Ch. 2 - Credit Unions
Ch. 3 - Uncle Sam & Savings Bonds
Series EE Savings Bonds
Purchase Price = 50% of bond's face value
Values: 50, 75-100, 200, 500, 1000, 5000, 10,000
Costs: 25, 37.50, 50, 100, 250, 500, 2500, 5000
Bonds stop earning interest at final maturity date and then should be redeemed or rolled over into HH bonds
Purchase these at www.savingsbonds.gov
Ch 5 - Money Market Funds
Ch. 2 - Credit Unions
Ch. 3 - Uncle Sam & Savings Bonds
Series EE Savings Bonds
Purchase Price = 50% of bond's face value
Values: 50, 75-100, 200, 500, 1000, 5000, 10,000
Costs: 25, 37.50, 50, 100, 250, 500, 2500, 5000
Bonds stop earning interest at final maturity date and then should be redeemed or rolled over into HH bonds
Purchase these at www.savingsbonds.gov
Ch 5 - Money Market Funds
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Beyond Good & Evil 240-247
(Originally written August 22, 2007 in Notebook 18)
Beyond Good & Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
Part 8: People and Fatherlands
240
Richard Wagner's overture to the Meistersinger best expresses Nietzsche's thoughts on Germans: "They belong to the day before yesterday and the day after tomorrow as yet they have no today" (Nietzsche, 364).
241
One day the stronger will become master over the strong and with the spiritual flattening of one people there will be compensation in the spiritual deepening of another people.
242
Europeans are becoming more and more similar to one another in a physiological effect of the democratic movement.
They are becoming detached to their climate and class, which is the origin of race.
The new man of Europe is characteristically nomadic and possesses the power of adaptation.
The modern ideas will have disastrous consequences: it will lead to the leveling of man and hence, the mediocritization of man.
The democratization of Europe is preparing a people that are only fit for slavery.
243
The sun is moving towards the constellation Hercules, we men should follow the sun!
244
The German soul is a hodgepodge of diverse origins.
The German people elude definition.
One is rarely completely wrong about the Germans.
The German soul is disorderly with an air of mystery.
The German is contradictory in essence: He is good-natured and vicious.
The German is a man of disguises.
The Germans are the "deceiver people".
245
Mozart was the end of the "good old time". Beethoven was a period of transition. Whatever came after him was romanticism.
Romanticism is superficial; the transition form Rousseau to Napoleon.
With Romanticism came the danger for the Germans (and German music) to cease to be the voice for the soul of Europe and to slink down to mere fatherland-ishness.
246
Books to Germans are like words said to the deaf, they are wasted on them!
247
Until recent clumsy attempts the only rhetorical eloquence in Germany came from the pulpit.
Only the preacher knew how to deliver words that had the correct sound and meaning.
Only the German Bible, Luther's Bible, grows in the hearts of Germans because no one else knew how to use the words.
Beyond Good & Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
Part 8: People and Fatherlands
240
Richard Wagner's overture to the Meistersinger best expresses Nietzsche's thoughts on Germans: "They belong to the day before yesterday and the day after tomorrow as yet they have no today" (Nietzsche, 364).
241
One day the stronger will become master over the strong and with the spiritual flattening of one people there will be compensation in the spiritual deepening of another people.
242
Europeans are becoming more and more similar to one another in a physiological effect of the democratic movement.
They are becoming detached to their climate and class, which is the origin of race.
The new man of Europe is characteristically nomadic and possesses the power of adaptation.
The modern ideas will have disastrous consequences: it will lead to the leveling of man and hence, the mediocritization of man.
The democratization of Europe is preparing a people that are only fit for slavery.
243
The sun is moving towards the constellation Hercules, we men should follow the sun!
244
The German soul is a hodgepodge of diverse origins.
The German people elude definition.
One is rarely completely wrong about the Germans.
The German soul is disorderly with an air of mystery.
The German is contradictory in essence: He is good-natured and vicious.
The German is a man of disguises.
The Germans are the "deceiver people".
245
Mozart was the end of the "good old time". Beethoven was a period of transition. Whatever came after him was romanticism.
Romanticism is superficial; the transition form Rousseau to Napoleon.
With Romanticism came the danger for the Germans (and German music) to cease to be the voice for the soul of Europe and to slink down to mere fatherland-ishness.
246
Books to Germans are like words said to the deaf, they are wasted on them!
247
Until recent clumsy attempts the only rhetorical eloquence in Germany came from the pulpit.
Only the preacher knew how to deliver words that had the correct sound and meaning.
Only the German Bible, Luther's Bible, grows in the hearts of Germans because no one else knew how to use the words.
Financial Notes 1
(Originally written August 22, 2007 in Notebook 19)
On a completely different subject, I broke down and bought an investing book. Who am I? Where is the youthful Chris Linehan?
How to invest $50-$5000
Nancy Dunnan
"Waiting means never getting started"
"Plan out your goals"
The rule of 72
Divide 72 by the interest rate and you wind up with the number of years it will take you to double your money.
a) 72 divided by 3.5% is 20.5 years
b) 72 divided by 6% is 12 years
caveat: the rule of 72 does not account for taxes
Ten Dumbest Mistakes People Make About Money
1) Being ashamed to invest small amounts
2) Having inadequate emergency savings
- Solution: stash 3-6 months of living expenses in a money market fund or bank CD
3) Leaving cash in a bank savings account
4) Operating too many accounts
5) Confusing income with appreciation
6) Avoiding financial goal setting
7) Failing to diversify
8) Procrastinating
9) Ignoring savings plans at work
10) Failing to have a will
Personal Finance Calendar
Call (800) 829-3676 and request IRS publication #535 and #463
January:
- Buy holiday cards and wrapping paper
February:
- Shop president's day sales for winter clothes
- outletbound.com -> outlet shopping
May:
Book summer vacation!
June:
www.summerjobs.com
July:
start an investment club (www.better-investing.org)
Ch. 1
Find a bank where interest is compounded daily, not quarterly
On a completely different subject, I broke down and bought an investing book. Who am I? Where is the youthful Chris Linehan?
How to invest $50-$5000
Nancy Dunnan
"Waiting means never getting started"
"Plan out your goals"
The rule of 72
Divide 72 by the interest rate and you wind up with the number of years it will take you to double your money.
a) 72 divided by 3.5% is 20.5 years
b) 72 divided by 6% is 12 years
caveat: the rule of 72 does not account for taxes
Ten Dumbest Mistakes People Make About Money
1) Being ashamed to invest small amounts
2) Having inadequate emergency savings
- Solution: stash 3-6 months of living expenses in a money market fund or bank CD
3) Leaving cash in a bank savings account
4) Operating too many accounts
5) Confusing income with appreciation
6) Avoiding financial goal setting
7) Failing to diversify
8) Procrastinating
9) Ignoring savings plans at work
10) Failing to have a will
Personal Finance Calendar
Call (800) 829-3676 and request IRS publication #535 and #463
January:
- Buy holiday cards and wrapping paper
February:
- Shop president's day sales for winter clothes
- outletbound.com -> outlet shopping
May:
Book summer vacation!
June:
www.summerjobs.com
July:
start an investment club (www.better-investing.org)
Ch. 1
Find a bank where interest is compounded daily, not quarterly
Questions for Aesthetics
(Originally written August 22, 2007 in Notebook 19)
Aesthetics
What is art?
Why do we create art?
What is the purpose of art?
What is aesthetics?
Why do we bother with theories of aesthetics?
What is the purpose of Aesthetics?
Questions for Artists
What is art?
Why do you create art?/What drives you to be creative?
How do you grow as an artist?
How do you approach a piece?
Do you individualize every single piece or is every piece a part of your artistic life?
Research: Various theories of aesthetics
Thesis: All art is a form of communication. Art is its own language. As such it is a constantly evolving thing, both as a whole and as parts. As in the case with plain language, individual pieces derive their meaning from context and there can be misunderstandings in the process of communication. Likewise, as a word's meanings can change over time an individual piece of art can have an evolving meaning. Also as words can have various meanings on how it is stressed (i.e. book (generic) or Book (Bible) so too pieces of art have various meanings when stressed differently.
Aesthetics
What is art?
Why do we create art?
What is the purpose of art?
What is aesthetics?
Why do we bother with theories of aesthetics?
What is the purpose of Aesthetics?
Questions for Artists
What is art?
Why do you create art?/What drives you to be creative?
How do you grow as an artist?
How do you approach a piece?
Do you individualize every single piece or is every piece a part of your artistic life?
Research: Various theories of aesthetics
Thesis: All art is a form of communication. Art is its own language. As such it is a constantly evolving thing, both as a whole and as parts. As in the case with plain language, individual pieces derive their meaning from context and there can be misunderstandings in the process of communication. Likewise, as a word's meanings can change over time an individual piece of art can have an evolving meaning. Also as words can have various meanings on how it is stressed (i.e. book (generic) or Book (Bible) so too pieces of art have various meanings when stressed differently.
The Priest, the Politician and the Privateer
(Originally written August 22, 2007 in Notebook 19)
The Priest, the Politician and the Privateer
Plot: The Priest and Privateer (lobbyist) use their power and prominence to sway the politician. This should set up a juxtaposition between industry and religion that will pit one against the other, but show that each is corrupt and the politician to be the greed and the greedy.
The Evolutionist and The Pastor
Plot: Make both evangelicals seem equally absurd and show that both rely on faith to serve their own purposes.
The Priest, the Politician and the Privateer
Plot: The Priest and Privateer (lobbyist) use their power and prominence to sway the politician. This should set up a juxtaposition between industry and religion that will pit one against the other, but show that each is corrupt and the politician to be the greed and the greedy.
The Evolutionist and The Pastor
Plot: Make both evangelicals seem equally absurd and show that both rely on faith to serve their own purposes.
American Trilogy
(Originally written August 22, 2007 in Notebook 19)
American Trilogy
End of the Republic
Plot: The evolution of America from Republic to totalitarian state. It ought to mirror the evolution of the Roman Empire
Birth of the Empire
Plot: America takes over the world. This should also mirror the Roman Empire, but should replace some Military conquests with financial ones. The Empire will shift from a capitalistic society to a fascist regime.
Death of the Nation
America is destroyed from internal and external forces. Its own decadence is the major downfall of the nation.
Idea: This should prove the strengths and weaknesses of the current American system of government. This trilogy ought to span 250 years and take place from 2050 - 2300 A.D.
American Trilogy
End of the Republic
Plot: The evolution of America from Republic to totalitarian state. It ought to mirror the evolution of the Roman Empire
Birth of the Empire
Plot: America takes over the world. This should also mirror the Roman Empire, but should replace some Military conquests with financial ones. The Empire will shift from a capitalistic society to a fascist regime.
Death of the Nation
America is destroyed from internal and external forces. Its own decadence is the major downfall of the nation.
Idea: This should prove the strengths and weaknesses of the current American system of government. This trilogy ought to span 250 years and take place from 2050 - 2300 A.D.
The Visitor
(Originally written 8/22/07 in Notebook 19)
Name: The Visitor
Plot:
A charming, eloquent, charismatic sailor comes to port at an island whose country has reigned uninterrupted for thousands of years. Within two weeks of his arrival he has passed judgment on the nation by observing one of the thousand cities of the nation. His eloquence leads many of the city's inhabitants to drop their religion, speak out against their government and finally revolt. The country collapses and anarchy and barbarism ensures. In the end the peace is restored, but the trust and security that was once enjoyed by the citizens is lost. The visiting sailor is tried and executed for his rash hubris and ill-educated judgment.
Idea:
Defend the best of all possible worlds thesis of Leibniz by showing how we quickly view a corrupt or non-best particular as the complete unraveling of a divinely ordained world. The goal is to show how we, such finite and miserable creatures, have grand illusions of our own foresight.
"It is unjust to make a judgment unless one has examined the entire law" (Discourse on Metaphysics and Other Essays, G.W. Leibniz)
Name: The Visitor
Plot:
A charming, eloquent, charismatic sailor comes to port at an island whose country has reigned uninterrupted for thousands of years. Within two weeks of his arrival he has passed judgment on the nation by observing one of the thousand cities of the nation. His eloquence leads many of the city's inhabitants to drop their religion, speak out against their government and finally revolt. The country collapses and anarchy and barbarism ensures. In the end the peace is restored, but the trust and security that was once enjoyed by the citizens is lost. The visiting sailor is tried and executed for his rash hubris and ill-educated judgment.
Idea:
Defend the best of all possible worlds thesis of Leibniz by showing how we quickly view a corrupt or non-best particular as the complete unraveling of a divinely ordained world. The goal is to show how we, such finite and miserable creatures, have grand illusions of our own foresight.
"It is unjust to make a judgment unless one has examined the entire law" (Discourse on Metaphysics and Other Essays, G.W. Leibniz)
A shockingly dark short story idea from 23 year-old me.
(Originally Written August 22, 2007 in Notebook 19)
Name: ____?
Plot:
Defense lawyer, high profile defense a client successfully in an unscrupulous manner the client kills again. He begins to feel an inner conflict.
He reflects on where his life has gone. He remembers his ambitions of changing the world and reflects on how far removed he is from there now. He begins to ponder leaving the high-powered firm he helped to start. He thinks about leaving to teach.
Meanwhile his 17-year-old daughter invites him to a debate. She is masterful and demolishes her opponents. He feels a pride for teaching her to argue so well. Then she divulges that she completely disagreed with her position. His heart sinks and he falls into a deep depression.
He falls into an alcoholic daze. He then has a moment of clarity. He leaves his practice to teach. He builds a relationship with his daughter. They become close over her senior year. Shen the is brutally raped and gets pregnant.
The ex-lawyer's own protege is retained to defend his daughter's rapist. The rapist is a young, rich socialite. The protege uses his former mentor's tricks to get him off.
The daughter struggles with the thought of abortion, but in his moral revival he has clung to his old Catholic faith. They struggle to find a solution, but she gets an abortion behind his back.
He returns to drinking. In a drunken rage he alienates his daughter and kill the socialite rapist, his mother and father. He then kills himself.
Idea: The key to the story is to make the lawyer as detestable as possible in the beginning and then to make the reader feel sorry for him. It must make him then appear to be genuinely remorseful and reformed. Then the rape has to come has a horrifying shock. Then he must be drastically changed by alcohol and commit the murder-suicide in an awful way.
Name: ____?
Plot:
Defense lawyer, high profile defense a client successfully in an unscrupulous manner the client kills again. He begins to feel an inner conflict.
He reflects on where his life has gone. He remembers his ambitions of changing the world and reflects on how far removed he is from there now. He begins to ponder leaving the high-powered firm he helped to start. He thinks about leaving to teach.
Meanwhile his 17-year-old daughter invites him to a debate. She is masterful and demolishes her opponents. He feels a pride for teaching her to argue so well. Then she divulges that she completely disagreed with her position. His heart sinks and he falls into a deep depression.
He falls into an alcoholic daze. He then has a moment of clarity. He leaves his practice to teach. He builds a relationship with his daughter. They become close over her senior year. Shen the is brutally raped and gets pregnant.
The ex-lawyer's own protege is retained to defend his daughter's rapist. The rapist is a young, rich socialite. The protege uses his former mentor's tricks to get him off.
The daughter struggles with the thought of abortion, but in his moral revival he has clung to his old Catholic faith. They struggle to find a solution, but she gets an abortion behind his back.
He returns to drinking. In a drunken rage he alienates his daughter and kill the socialite rapist, his mother and father. He then kills himself.
Idea: The key to the story is to make the lawyer as detestable as possible in the beginning and then to make the reader feel sorry for him. It must make him then appear to be genuinely remorseful and reformed. Then the rape has to come has a horrifying shock. Then he must be drastically changed by alcohol and commit the murder-suicide in an awful way.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The difference between me and Satan
(Originally written August 21, 2007 in Notebook 17)
There is a fine degree of difference between myself and Satan. One, I am weak in comparison to him, though no weaker in my lust for evil. The only difference is that I am redeemable, whereas he is not. Why is this so? The penalty for sin is death. I may die in body and pay my sin debt, but my spirit can be redeemed. How can Satan, a being of pure spirit die and still live? He cannot. The major difference between man (fallen beings) and fallen angels is that man is redeemable by virtue of having a body that can die, while the spirit may live on.
There is a fine degree of difference between myself and Satan. One, I am weak in comparison to him, though no weaker in my lust for evil. The only difference is that I am redeemable, whereas he is not. Why is this so? The penalty for sin is death. I may die in body and pay my sin debt, but my spirit can be redeemed. How can Satan, a being of pure spirit die and still live? He cannot. The major difference between man (fallen beings) and fallen angels is that man is redeemable by virtue of having a body that can die, while the spirit may live on.
A poorly worded argument against existential repugnancy
(Originally written August 21, 2007 in Book 17)
There are many theories and lifestyles which we scoff at because although they are rationally sound they are existentially repugnant. When one hears of utter skepticism one can easily dismiss it because it is existentially repugnant. No one can truly live a life of perpetual doubt, therefore the theory is worthless.
Too much credit is given to the argument against a theory based on existential repugnancy. My own belief system, that of Christianity is basically existentially repugnant. Christianity demands a purification that I can never live up to. Try as I may, I am human, a fallen creature. I sin, and do so viciously. The difference between a fake being and myself is that I am redeemed. While I cannot live up to the standard set forth for me by Jesus Christ it does not make me any less redeemed. All men are fallen and redeemable, only some are redeemed. Those who are redeemed live a lifestyle that is sometimes existentially repugnant. We cannot throw out any belief structure simply because it is existentially repugnant, lest we throw out our only hope for redemption.
There are many theories and lifestyles which we scoff at because although they are rationally sound they are existentially repugnant. When one hears of utter skepticism one can easily dismiss it because it is existentially repugnant. No one can truly live a life of perpetual doubt, therefore the theory is worthless.
Too much credit is given to the argument against a theory based on existential repugnancy. My own belief system, that of Christianity is basically existentially repugnant. Christianity demands a purification that I can never live up to. Try as I may, I am human, a fallen creature. I sin, and do so viciously. The difference between a fake being and myself is that I am redeemed. While I cannot live up to the standard set forth for me by Jesus Christ it does not make me any less redeemed. All men are fallen and redeemable, only some are redeemed. Those who are redeemed live a lifestyle that is sometimes existentially repugnant. We cannot throw out any belief structure simply because it is existentially repugnant, lest we throw out our only hope for redemption.
Beyond Good & Evil 230-239
(Originally written August 21, 2007 in Notebook 18)
230
The spirit is similar to the stomach: it has an urge to grow and increase and feel that it has increased (will to power); it also feels the need to contract, to disallow new entires, a lust for ignorance.
The spirit occasionally wills itself to be deceived. It also desires to deceive other spirits an hide behind its masks.
The spirit that wills deception is the will to mere appearance. Conversely, the spirit that demands knowledge and thoroughness is a will that is a kind of intellectual cruelty.
We must transfer man back into nature and remove him from his pedestal that demands a separate origin.
231
Learning changes us. It does more than preserve us.
In us there is something deep that is wholly predetermined.
232
(These are Nietzsche's truths, his "own" truths about women) [See page 352]
Woman wants to become self-reliant: "this is one of the worst developments of the general uglification of Europe" (Nietzsche, 352).
The woman wants everything but truth. The art of womanhood is lying therefore, truth is repugnant to her.
As men we love and adore the womanly instinct to lie: it makes our own truthful seeking ways seem as folly.
233
When women herald arguments from Madame Roland, Madame de Staël or Monsieur George Sand they offer the best counter-arguments known against emancipation and feminine vainglory.
234
Women know nothing about food and want to be cooks!
If woman had any reason in the kitchen they would have discovered the art of healing.
The utter lack of reason in the kitchen has impaired and delayed the growth of humanity.
235
Occasionally a few words can crystallize a society. Such was the case when Madame de Lambert uttered, "my friend, permit yourself nothing but follies - that will give you great pleasure".
236
Every noble woman believes that the Eternal Masculine will attract us higher
237
Seven Epigrams on Woman
(Wow): Such anti-woman rhetoric!
237
Men have treated women as birds: something refined and vulnerable, wild, strange, sweet and soulful, but as something one must lock up os it won't fly away.
238
One cannot deny the eternally hostile tension of man and woman.
It is shallowness when a thinker demands equality of the sexes.
A man of depth and severity and hardness must think of women as possessions.
239
Women abuse the respect they receive from men in this democratic age.
The woman who unlearns fear of men loses her womanly instinct.
As women become more powerful, woman is regressing.
Women's influence has decreased in proportion to the amount of increase in rights.
As women become more powerful in society they become more incapable of their first and last profession: giving birth to strong children.
230
The spirit is similar to the stomach: it has an urge to grow and increase and feel that it has increased (will to power); it also feels the need to contract, to disallow new entires, a lust for ignorance.
The spirit occasionally wills itself to be deceived. It also desires to deceive other spirits an hide behind its masks.
The spirit that wills deception is the will to mere appearance. Conversely, the spirit that demands knowledge and thoroughness is a will that is a kind of intellectual cruelty.
We must transfer man back into nature and remove him from his pedestal that demands a separate origin.
231
Learning changes us. It does more than preserve us.
In us there is something deep that is wholly predetermined.
232
(These are Nietzsche's truths, his "own" truths about women) [See page 352]
Woman wants to become self-reliant: "this is one of the worst developments of the general uglification of Europe" (Nietzsche, 352).
The woman wants everything but truth. The art of womanhood is lying therefore, truth is repugnant to her.
As men we love and adore the womanly instinct to lie: it makes our own truthful seeking ways seem as folly.
233
When women herald arguments from Madame Roland, Madame de Staël or Monsieur George Sand they offer the best counter-arguments known against emancipation and feminine vainglory.
234
Women know nothing about food and want to be cooks!
If woman had any reason in the kitchen they would have discovered the art of healing.
The utter lack of reason in the kitchen has impaired and delayed the growth of humanity.
235
Occasionally a few words can crystallize a society. Such was the case when Madame de Lambert uttered, "my friend, permit yourself nothing but follies - that will give you great pleasure".
236
Every noble woman believes that the Eternal Masculine will attract us higher
237
Seven Epigrams on Woman
(Wow): Such anti-woman rhetoric!
237
Men have treated women as birds: something refined and vulnerable, wild, strange, sweet and soulful, but as something one must lock up os it won't fly away.
238
One cannot deny the eternally hostile tension of man and woman.
It is shallowness when a thinker demands equality of the sexes.
A man of depth and severity and hardness must think of women as possessions.
239
Women abuse the respect they receive from men in this democratic age.
The woman who unlearns fear of men loses her womanly instinct.
As women become more powerful, woman is regressing.
Women's influence has decreased in proportion to the amount of increase in rights.
As women become more powerful in society they become more incapable of their first and last profession: giving birth to strong children.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Beyond Good & Evil 227-229
(Originally written August 18, 2007 in Notebook 18)
Beyond Good and Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
227
Honesty will be a virtue of the free spirits, but not to the point that it becomes vanity, finery, pomp or stupidity.
"Every virtue inclines toward stupidity; every stupidity, toward virtue" (Nietzsche, 346).
228
We must not allow thinking about morality to become dangerous and exciting. We must continue to let it be boring.
229
Cruelty is what drives culture. The high culture is merely refined and spiritualized cruelty.
There is too much enjoyment in one's own suffering.
Whenever one is lured into any self-denial, contrition, de-sensualization, de-carnalization or shift, one is motivated by one's cruelty against himself.
Beyond Good and Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
227
Honesty will be a virtue of the free spirits, but not to the point that it becomes vanity, finery, pomp or stupidity.
"Every virtue inclines toward stupidity; every stupidity, toward virtue" (Nietzsche, 346).
228
We must not allow thinking about morality to become dangerous and exciting. We must continue to let it be boring.
229
Cruelty is what drives culture. The high culture is merely refined and spiritualized cruelty.
There is too much enjoyment in one's own suffering.
Whenever one is lured into any self-denial, contrition, de-sensualization, de-carnalization or shift, one is motivated by one's cruelty against himself.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Beyond Good & Evil 224-225
(Originally Written August 16, 2007 in Notebook 18)
Beyond Good & Evil
Frederich Nietzsche
224
We are an interbred, a mixed society which makes us all an individual chaos.
We have a taste for most things and this makes us ignoble.
225
Hedonism, pessimism, utilitarianism and eudaemonism all measure value on the basis of pain and pleasure. But pain and pleasure are merely secondary traits.
While the common man, the herd animal, wishes to see all suffering part to an end, the free spirit wishes to see it hardened and intensified.
The end of abolishing all suffering seems so undesirable to the free spirit that he would wish, if it were inevitable, to see it hastened because it would destroy man. And man without suffering is nothing.
Great suffering is the only discipline that has ever enhanced man.
The common pan pities the creature in man. The nobler, free spirit pities the creator in man.
However, there are higher problems than that of pain and pleasure and pity and whatever philosophy stops there is naïve.
Beyond Good & Evil
Frederich Nietzsche
224
We are an interbred, a mixed society which makes us all an individual chaos.
We have a taste for most things and this makes us ignoble.
225
Hedonism, pessimism, utilitarianism and eudaemonism all measure value on the basis of pain and pleasure. But pain and pleasure are merely secondary traits.
While the common man, the herd animal, wishes to see all suffering part to an end, the free spirit wishes to see it hardened and intensified.
The end of abolishing all suffering seems so undesirable to the free spirit that he would wish, if it were inevitable, to see it hastened because it would destroy man. And man without suffering is nothing.
Great suffering is the only discipline that has ever enhanced man.
The common pan pities the creature in man. The nobler, free spirit pities the creator in man.
However, there are higher problems than that of pain and pleasure and pity and whatever philosophy stops there is naïve.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Beyond Good & Evil 200-223
(Originally written August 15, 2007 in Notebook 18)
Beyond Good & Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
200
[Idealogical foundation for Hitler's Super Race]
Today is an age of disintegration where races mix indiscriminately causing their offspring to be a constant war with themselves.
In their souls they have opposite drives and never achieve rest. It is for this reason that happiness has been distorted to mean rest: the rest of all rest, the sabbath of all sabbaths.
In strong men (i.e. Alcibiades, Caesar and Frederick II) they rise above this conflict and master waging war on oneself.
201
As long as morality is based on utility it will be done to preserve the herd.
Love of neighbor cannot exist as a part of herd morality. It is extra-moral. It is neither good nor bad. Only those things which are good for the whole society are moral and conversely only those things which are bad for the herd are immoral.
Fear of danger to the herd is the birth of morals: what is dangerous is immoral, what is safe (for the herd is moral)
"Everything that elevates an individual above the herd and intimidates the neighbor is henceforth called evil" (Nietzsche, 304).
Whatever is mediocre in desires is rendered as good or moral.
Morality aims at the goal of having nothing to fear.
202
Morality in Europe today is herd morality. It is a type of morality that possibly and ought to give way to a new morality, a higher morality. But this possibility and ought to is resisted by thin morality.
This residence is aided by religion, by Christianity.
"The democratic movement is the heir of the Christian movement" (Nietzsche, 306).
The anarchist and socialists, though opposed to Christianity and democracy, ni dieu ni maître (neither god nor master) is nonetheless an advocate of the herd.
Both Christians and democrats, both anarchists and socialists, all are one when it comes to the belief in the herd, a belief the community is the savior, the faith in themselves.
203
Democracy is a form of decay in the political organization and a form of decay of man himself.
Democracy lowers the value of man.
The new philosophers must envisage a strong, independent leader who is willing to create and exploit his society to achieve greatness.
Part 6 - We Scholars
204
There is no morality, only will.
We may talk of science only if we have experience of it, lest we be as blind men discussing colors.
205
A philosophical mind is in danger of never becoming a philosopher because of the mistrust of philosophy and the lure of becoming a "specialist" in one area.
Wisdom is seen as a kind of escape, a game, or a trick to the rabble. So the rabble deems the philosopher useless.
206
A scientific man is an ignoble man with ignoble virtues. He is not self-sufficient. He is a herd animal.
207
We must fight against the depersonalization of the spirit which is celebrated nowadays.
We must not bend to the notion of disinterested knowledge.
The scientist belongs in the hand of one who is more powerful. He belongs as an instrument to be wielded by the powerful.
The Scientist is suited for Germans, not an end.
When the scientist is mistaken for a philosopher one is giving him too much praise.
The objective man is an instrument, one that deserves praise, but he is not the goal, the conclusion or the the sunrise. He is not a bingeing.
208
The skeptic is frightened all too easily. He fears "no" Also he fears any decisiveness whether it be "yes" or "no".
Skepticism needs consolation from itself, assurances are given to the skeptic in form of slogans.
Skepticism is a spiritual sickliness, a nervous exhaustion.
Skepticism is doubt and doubt weakens the human. The worst par tis they doubt even the freedom of the will and the will becomes the sickliest, weakest part of the man.
Skepticism is a paralysis of the will.
Skepticism exists int he culture who are most refined. Those cultures who are barbarous see less skepticism.
"The time for petty politics is over: the very next century will bring the fight for the dominion of the earth - the compulsion to large-scale politics" (Nietzsche, 321).
[How prophetic]
209
The warlike age nations entered may see the development of a stronger type of skepticism.
This type of skepticism is an audacious manliness.
This type of skepticism is German skepticism and anti-romanticism.
210
The new philosophers will have traits of the German skepticism, but it will not be their all.
These free spirits will enjoy crusty in ripping apart "truth".
They will be un-humanitarian because they understand the truth cares not for the feelings or well-being of man.
They will mock those who find elevation in truth or beauty in delight.
211
The philosopher, the true philosopher may first have to be a critic, a skeptic, a dogmatist, a historian, a poet, a moralist and a scientist first. But each of these is only a precondition to becoming a philosopher.
The philosopher is above all other occupations and everything below a philosopher is a mean to the philosopher's end: the creation of values.
True philosophers are commanders and legislators; they say, "thus it shall be!"
"Their knowing is creating, their creating is legislation, their will to truth is will to power" (Nietzsche, 326).
212
The true philosopher is necessarily a man of tomorrow and the day after tomorrow and must find himself the enemy of the ideals of today.
The philosopher's ideal is the strength of the will and must fight against all that weakness the will, even the virtues of the day.
The higher man demands more and deserves more. The lower man demands less than what is owed. Humility weakens the will.
Greatness: "being capable of being as manifold as whole, as ample as full" (Nietzsche, 329).
213
What a philosopher is cannot be taught; ti must be known.
A philosopher is born as such and then further cultivated. Those who are not born as such can never enter the realm of philosopher.
Part 7: Our Virtues
214
If we, the Europeans of the day after tomorrow, the first born of the 20th century, have virtues, they will not be simpleminded as the past
215
We men of the new age are colored by different moralities.
"Our actions shine alternately in different colors, they are rarely univocal" (Nietzsche, 336).
216
That false morality offends us is progress. Soon we rid ourselves of morality altogether.
217
Those who take pride in their moral tact are people you must beware of.
Those who are forceful are blessed because they get over their stupidity.
218
Instinct is by far the most intelligent intelligence discovered yet.
219
"Moral judgments and condemnations constitute the favorite revenge of the spiritually limited against those less limited" (Nietzsche, 337).
These men fight for the equality of all men before God and almost need faith in God just for that.
220
The things that attract the higher man to it are completely uninteresting to the common man.
Whoever has sacrificed has done so wanting something in return and has received it, if only a feeling.
221
Any unegoistic morality that requires all to self0denial an modesty sins against taste and provokes great men to commit sins of omission.
All moralities must be forced to bow to the order of rank until they comply with the maxim "what is right for one is fair for the other" and agree this maxim is immoral.
Those who wish to have those who laugh on their side should never wish to bee too right. It is actually a sign of good taste to have a little bit of wrong in themselves.
222
Pity is the only religion preached today.
When pity is preached the hearers will hear a genuine sound of self-contempt.
223
The plebeian European needs costumes.
A costume is some foreign or ancient custom it can wear for a while and then store away after thoroughly studying it.
Beyond Good & Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
200
[Idealogical foundation for Hitler's Super Race]
Today is an age of disintegration where races mix indiscriminately causing their offspring to be a constant war with themselves.
In their souls they have opposite drives and never achieve rest. It is for this reason that happiness has been distorted to mean rest: the rest of all rest, the sabbath of all sabbaths.
In strong men (i.e. Alcibiades, Caesar and Frederick II) they rise above this conflict and master waging war on oneself.
201
As long as morality is based on utility it will be done to preserve the herd.
Love of neighbor cannot exist as a part of herd morality. It is extra-moral. It is neither good nor bad. Only those things which are good for the whole society are moral and conversely only those things which are bad for the herd are immoral.
Fear of danger to the herd is the birth of morals: what is dangerous is immoral, what is safe (for the herd is moral)
"Everything that elevates an individual above the herd and intimidates the neighbor is henceforth called evil" (Nietzsche, 304).
Whatever is mediocre in desires is rendered as good or moral.
Morality aims at the goal of having nothing to fear.
202
Morality in Europe today is herd morality. It is a type of morality that possibly and ought to give way to a new morality, a higher morality. But this possibility and ought to is resisted by thin morality.
This residence is aided by religion, by Christianity.
"The democratic movement is the heir of the Christian movement" (Nietzsche, 306).
The anarchist and socialists, though opposed to Christianity and democracy, ni dieu ni maître (neither god nor master) is nonetheless an advocate of the herd.
Both Christians and democrats, both anarchists and socialists, all are one when it comes to the belief in the herd, a belief the community is the savior, the faith in themselves.
203
Democracy is a form of decay in the political organization and a form of decay of man himself.
Democracy lowers the value of man.
The new philosophers must envisage a strong, independent leader who is willing to create and exploit his society to achieve greatness.
Part 6 - We Scholars
204
There is no morality, only will.
We may talk of science only if we have experience of it, lest we be as blind men discussing colors.
205
A philosophical mind is in danger of never becoming a philosopher because of the mistrust of philosophy and the lure of becoming a "specialist" in one area.
Wisdom is seen as a kind of escape, a game, or a trick to the rabble. So the rabble deems the philosopher useless.
206
A scientific man is an ignoble man with ignoble virtues. He is not self-sufficient. He is a herd animal.
207
We must fight against the depersonalization of the spirit which is celebrated nowadays.
We must not bend to the notion of disinterested knowledge.
The scientist belongs in the hand of one who is more powerful. He belongs as an instrument to be wielded by the powerful.
The Scientist is suited for Germans, not an end.
When the scientist is mistaken for a philosopher one is giving him too much praise.
The objective man is an instrument, one that deserves praise, but he is not the goal, the conclusion or the the sunrise. He is not a bingeing.
208
The skeptic is frightened all too easily. He fears "no" Also he fears any decisiveness whether it be "yes" or "no".
Skepticism needs consolation from itself, assurances are given to the skeptic in form of slogans.
Skepticism is a spiritual sickliness, a nervous exhaustion.
Skepticism is doubt and doubt weakens the human. The worst par tis they doubt even the freedom of the will and the will becomes the sickliest, weakest part of the man.
Skepticism is a paralysis of the will.
Skepticism exists int he culture who are most refined. Those cultures who are barbarous see less skepticism.
"The time for petty politics is over: the very next century will bring the fight for the dominion of the earth - the compulsion to large-scale politics" (Nietzsche, 321).
[How prophetic]
209
The warlike age nations entered may see the development of a stronger type of skepticism.
This type of skepticism is an audacious manliness.
This type of skepticism is German skepticism and anti-romanticism.
210
The new philosophers will have traits of the German skepticism, but it will not be their all.
These free spirits will enjoy crusty in ripping apart "truth".
They will be un-humanitarian because they understand the truth cares not for the feelings or well-being of man.
They will mock those who find elevation in truth or beauty in delight.
211
The philosopher, the true philosopher may first have to be a critic, a skeptic, a dogmatist, a historian, a poet, a moralist and a scientist first. But each of these is only a precondition to becoming a philosopher.
The philosopher is above all other occupations and everything below a philosopher is a mean to the philosopher's end: the creation of values.
True philosophers are commanders and legislators; they say, "thus it shall be!"
"Their knowing is creating, their creating is legislation, their will to truth is will to power" (Nietzsche, 326).
212
The true philosopher is necessarily a man of tomorrow and the day after tomorrow and must find himself the enemy of the ideals of today.
The philosopher's ideal is the strength of the will and must fight against all that weakness the will, even the virtues of the day.
The higher man demands more and deserves more. The lower man demands less than what is owed. Humility weakens the will.
Greatness: "being capable of being as manifold as whole, as ample as full" (Nietzsche, 329).
213
What a philosopher is cannot be taught; ti must be known.
A philosopher is born as such and then further cultivated. Those who are not born as such can never enter the realm of philosopher.
Part 7: Our Virtues
214
If we, the Europeans of the day after tomorrow, the first born of the 20th century, have virtues, they will not be simpleminded as the past
215
We men of the new age are colored by different moralities.
"Our actions shine alternately in different colors, they are rarely univocal" (Nietzsche, 336).
216
That false morality offends us is progress. Soon we rid ourselves of morality altogether.
217
Those who take pride in their moral tact are people you must beware of.
Those who are forceful are blessed because they get over their stupidity.
218
Instinct is by far the most intelligent intelligence discovered yet.
219
"Moral judgments and condemnations constitute the favorite revenge of the spiritually limited against those less limited" (Nietzsche, 337).
These men fight for the equality of all men before God and almost need faith in God just for that.
220
The things that attract the higher man to it are completely uninteresting to the common man.
Whoever has sacrificed has done so wanting something in return and has received it, if only a feeling.
221
Any unegoistic morality that requires all to self0denial an modesty sins against taste and provokes great men to commit sins of omission.
All moralities must be forced to bow to the order of rank until they comply with the maxim "what is right for one is fair for the other" and agree this maxim is immoral.
Those who wish to have those who laugh on their side should never wish to bee too right. It is actually a sign of good taste to have a little bit of wrong in themselves.
222
Pity is the only religion preached today.
When pity is preached the hearers will hear a genuine sound of self-contempt.
223
The plebeian European needs costumes.
A costume is some foreign or ancient custom it can wear for a while and then store away after thoroughly studying it.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
An Aphorism on Scripture and its Interpretation
(Originally written August 14, 2007 in Notebook 17)
As a Christian I must confess that the Bible is infallible. As a realistic observer of the errors of Christianity I must concede that interpretations of it are not. As a humiliated philosopher I must admit my own belongs to these fallible classes.
As a Christian I must confess that the Bible is infallible. As a realistic observer of the errors of Christianity I must concede that interpretations of it are not. As a humiliated philosopher I must admit my own belongs to these fallible classes.
Beyond Good & Evil 186-199
(Originally written August 14, 2007 in Notebook 18)
Basic Writings of Nietzsche
Frederich Nietzsche
Trans. Walter Kaufmann
The Modern Library Classics: New York, NY 2000
Beyond Good & Evil
Part V: Natural History of Morals
(pts. I-IV in Book XVI)
186
Much work is needed to be done to prepare a typology of morals.
Philosophers have been arrogant in presuming they can find a rational foundation for morality.
Morality has been accepted as a given.
The real problems of morality emerge only when we compare many, many different moralities.
187
Moralities are pawns of the moralist. They are used how the author wishes them to be.
Moralities are a sign language of the affects.
188
Every morality is a bit of tyranny against nature and reason.
To understand a morality one must understand the context in which it achieved strength and freedom.
Morality is setting of limits; it is an anti-laisser allez" (letting go). It hates laisser-allez and narrows our perspective. Morality is a kind of stupidity.
189
Morality forces fasting of some sort. It is during these fasting periods that some drive is subjected and brutalized. But that drive, in times of fasting, purifies and sharpens itself.
190
Plato's morality is similar to utilitarian morality: that which is stupid is bad. Those who do bad do so unwittingly.
But Plato used this morality as a mask. He took Socrates and made it infinite and impossible, so it would become a mask.
191
The problem of faith and knowledge (aka of instinct and reason) is ancient and can be traced to Socrates.
Socrates spent his life mocking the Athenian nobility for acting on instinct without reason, but discover that he himself acted on instinct when he examined himself.
Socrates continued to operate on instinct but allowed his reason to aid it. That is to say, Socrates appeased his own conscience though self-trickery.
Plato however stated that the reason and the instinct both tend to a single goal: the good, "God".
All philosophers and theologians since Plato have followed him: they operate this way. Morals are instinct, Christian faith, or "the herd" have, therefore, triumphed.
192
We are, and have always been accustomed to lying. Rather than looking at the whole we lazily glance at something and form an approximation in our mind.
193
What happens to us in waking life and dreams, if they are often enough have the same affect on us.
194
People want to possess things always, even other people
195
The Jews are the first people to mark the beginning in the slave rebellion of morals.
196?
197
We, if we are moralists, misunderstand nature as long as we search for the pathological or hell in masters.
Morality is timidity.
198
All moralities that address themselves to individuals for the sake of his happiness are counsels for behavior in relation to the individual's dangerous lifestyle.
These moralities seek to control the individual's passions, good and bad inclinations and stop anything in him that has the will to power.
Morality is prudence mixed with stupidity.
199
As long as there has been man there have been herds of men and a (throngs) to bodiement?? of men to a leader or small group of leaders
Man has a need in him to unconditionally do something or unconditionally not do something.
This need is satisfied by being obedient to whoever commands.
The herd instinct of obedience is inherited at the expense of the art of commanding.
Europe is full of hypocritical leaders who feel ashamed of commanding. They heed to this herd instinct by calling themselves instruments of their ancestors, their constitution, of right, their laws, or even of God rather than having the independence to simply command.
The herd man sees himself as the only way men ought to be: submissive, useful and easy to get along with.
The replacement of single leaders by parliaments is the sacrifice of independent strength for a group or herd.
Basic Writings of Nietzsche
Frederich Nietzsche
Trans. Walter Kaufmann
The Modern Library Classics: New York, NY 2000
Beyond Good & Evil
Part V: Natural History of Morals
(pts. I-IV in Book XVI)
186
Much work is needed to be done to prepare a typology of morals.
Philosophers have been arrogant in presuming they can find a rational foundation for morality.
Morality has been accepted as a given.
The real problems of morality emerge only when we compare many, many different moralities.
187
Moralities are pawns of the moralist. They are used how the author wishes them to be.
Moralities are a sign language of the affects.
188
Every morality is a bit of tyranny against nature and reason.
To understand a morality one must understand the context in which it achieved strength and freedom.
Morality is setting of limits; it is an anti-laisser allez" (letting go). It hates laisser-allez and narrows our perspective. Morality is a kind of stupidity.
189
Morality forces fasting of some sort. It is during these fasting periods that some drive is subjected and brutalized. But that drive, in times of fasting, purifies and sharpens itself.
190
Plato's morality is similar to utilitarian morality: that which is stupid is bad. Those who do bad do so unwittingly.
But Plato used this morality as a mask. He took Socrates and made it infinite and impossible, so it would become a mask.
191
The problem of faith and knowledge (aka of instinct and reason) is ancient and can be traced to Socrates.
Socrates spent his life mocking the Athenian nobility for acting on instinct without reason, but discover that he himself acted on instinct when he examined himself.
Socrates continued to operate on instinct but allowed his reason to aid it. That is to say, Socrates appeased his own conscience though self-trickery.
Plato however stated that the reason and the instinct both tend to a single goal: the good, "God".
All philosophers and theologians since Plato have followed him: they operate this way. Morals are instinct, Christian faith, or "the herd" have, therefore, triumphed.
192
We are, and have always been accustomed to lying. Rather than looking at the whole we lazily glance at something and form an approximation in our mind.
193
What happens to us in waking life and dreams, if they are often enough have the same affect on us.
194
People want to possess things always, even other people
195
The Jews are the first people to mark the beginning in the slave rebellion of morals.
196?
197
We, if we are moralists, misunderstand nature as long as we search for the pathological or hell in masters.
Morality is timidity.
198
All moralities that address themselves to individuals for the sake of his happiness are counsels for behavior in relation to the individual's dangerous lifestyle.
These moralities seek to control the individual's passions, good and bad inclinations and stop anything in him that has the will to power.
Morality is prudence mixed with stupidity.
199
As long as there has been man there have been herds of men and a (throngs) to bodiement?? of men to a leader or small group of leaders
Man has a need in him to unconditionally do something or unconditionally not do something.
This need is satisfied by being obedient to whoever commands.
The herd instinct of obedience is inherited at the expense of the art of commanding.
Europe is full of hypocritical leaders who feel ashamed of commanding. They heed to this herd instinct by calling themselves instruments of their ancestors, their constitution, of right, their laws, or even of God rather than having the independence to simply command.
The herd man sees himself as the only way men ought to be: submissive, useful and easy to get along with.
The replacement of single leaders by parliaments is the sacrifice of independent strength for a group or herd.
Friday, August 10, 2007
An aesthetic argument for the divine purpose
(Originally written August 10, 2007 in Notebook 17)
The Chief End of Man
What do you want? What do I want? What does any person want? In other words, what is the chief end of man? So many have posed that question and answered with some maxim that states: the chief end of man is happiness. Then they will spend three or four hundred pages defining the term happiness.
But if happiness is truly the chief end of man then it is not disconcerting to see so few of us truly happy? Either happiness is a goal beyond our means and we have not evolved enough or its just so difficult that only a few are so predisposed to achieving it. The latter an outdated and repugnant thought while the former will never be admitted by any naturalist. (Although I could see it being used as an argument against a benevolent God, but they would have to admit an evil God).
Why are we so convinced that happiness is the chief end of man? Let's face it, the chief end of man is not happiness. If it were then more people would obtain it. So many people work hard for it and never receive it. (Those who are too lazy to strive for it are useless to consider here).
I think we are faced with two options as the chief end of man. The first option would be a totally naturalistic option. This would stat that man has no chief end or secondary end or any end at all. If we live in completely closed naturalistic system it is pointless to talk about ends.
The second option would be a supernatural explanation. The chief end of man is to be a testament to that which made him. What is the chief end of art? What is the purpose of any specific piece of art? The chief end of art is determined by the artist, the specific purpose of each piece is created and bestowed upon it by the artist. IN the same manner man is like this.
God is the great master, the Cosmic artist. Man is a masterpiece of His. As art our chief end is the satisfaction of His will. As individual pieces of art we have varying determined purposes.
Now art is inherently open to interpretation. Some interpretations can offer insightful knowledge while others can be completely off-base. Those who know the artist more intimately are more capable of giving insightful interpretations than those who don't.
Likewise man is created to be free to interpret his own purpose and end. Often times we are mistaken in both, other times we are only partially right. Can the painting say my purpose is to play music and my end is to be happy? No, that is absurd! Can the man say my purpose is to be what I will and my end is to make myself happy? No, that is absurd.
The difference between any piece of art and any man is the man can choose to ignore his purpose and end. He can choose to take credit for his own being and destiny even though he has no legitimate right to.
So, what is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to be a living, breathing testament to the skill and greatness of the Creator. This is universal. What is the purpose of any man? To be what the Creator has made him to be. Some are paintings, some are sonnets, some are sculptures and others are the tables, the tools, and the materials used to make them. In the end we are all a part of one great masterpiece. No part is more important than the whole, but no part is so unimportant as to not be necessary to the complete greatness of the piece.
The Chief End of Man
What do you want? What do I want? What does any person want? In other words, what is the chief end of man? So many have posed that question and answered with some maxim that states: the chief end of man is happiness. Then they will spend three or four hundred pages defining the term happiness.
But if happiness is truly the chief end of man then it is not disconcerting to see so few of us truly happy? Either happiness is a goal beyond our means and we have not evolved enough or its just so difficult that only a few are so predisposed to achieving it. The latter an outdated and repugnant thought while the former will never be admitted by any naturalist. (Although I could see it being used as an argument against a benevolent God, but they would have to admit an evil God).
Why are we so convinced that happiness is the chief end of man? Let's face it, the chief end of man is not happiness. If it were then more people would obtain it. So many people work hard for it and never receive it. (Those who are too lazy to strive for it are useless to consider here).
I think we are faced with two options as the chief end of man. The first option would be a totally naturalistic option. This would stat that man has no chief end or secondary end or any end at all. If we live in completely closed naturalistic system it is pointless to talk about ends.
The second option would be a supernatural explanation. The chief end of man is to be a testament to that which made him. What is the chief end of art? What is the purpose of any specific piece of art? The chief end of art is determined by the artist, the specific purpose of each piece is created and bestowed upon it by the artist. IN the same manner man is like this.
God is the great master, the Cosmic artist. Man is a masterpiece of His. As art our chief end is the satisfaction of His will. As individual pieces of art we have varying determined purposes.
Now art is inherently open to interpretation. Some interpretations can offer insightful knowledge while others can be completely off-base. Those who know the artist more intimately are more capable of giving insightful interpretations than those who don't.
Likewise man is created to be free to interpret his own purpose and end. Often times we are mistaken in both, other times we are only partially right. Can the painting say my purpose is to play music and my end is to be happy? No, that is absurd! Can the man say my purpose is to be what I will and my end is to make myself happy? No, that is absurd.
The difference between any piece of art and any man is the man can choose to ignore his purpose and end. He can choose to take credit for his own being and destiny even though he has no legitimate right to.
So, what is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to be a living, breathing testament to the skill and greatness of the Creator. This is universal. What is the purpose of any man? To be what the Creator has made him to be. Some are paintings, some are sonnets, some are sculptures and others are the tables, the tools, and the materials used to make them. In the end we are all a part of one great masterpiece. No part is more important than the whole, but no part is so unimportant as to not be necessary to the complete greatness of the piece.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Nausea and Nietzsche
(Originally written August 8, 2007 in Notebook 17)
The obvious:
It is hot.
I am broke.
The World continues.
Nausea
Nietzsche is an intoxicating force. At first he mellows you with smooth style. Then he makes your blood boil. After you have had a taste you need more until you feel sick to your stomach. The best cure for this is to puke him out. It burns coming up a second time but you wake up with less of a hangover.
The obvious:
It is hot.
I am broke.
The World continues.
Nausea
Nietzsche is an intoxicating force. At first he mellows you with smooth style. Then he makes your blood boil. After you have had a taste you need more until you feel sick to your stomach. The best cure for this is to puke him out. It burns coming up a second time but you wake up with less of a hangover.
Beyond Good & Evil 20 - 185
(Originally written August 8, 2007 in Book 16)
Beyond Good & Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
20
All philosophical concepts are intertwined. No one discovers anything new any more, they only come back to an idea long forgotten. It is a remembering of sorts.
21
The "cause sui" is the greatest conceived self-contradiction.
"The desire for 'freedom of the will' in the superlative metaphysical sense... [is] the desire to bear the entire and ultimate responsibility, and to absolute God, the world, ancestors, chance and society" (Nietzsche, 218).
We ought to use cute and effect only as pure concepts (fictional conveniences) for the purpose of communication. We ought not to use them for explanatory purposes.
By using cause and effect in explanations we impose our way of thinking to the thing itself and speak only mythologically.
Free will, un-free will, cause and effect, are simply mythology. "in real life it is only a matter of strong and weak wills" (Nietzsche, 219).
22
The conformity of nature to laws is merely interpretation.
One can use this interpretation in any way he wishes, but it remains nonetheless an interpretation.
23
We must sail over morality and immorality to life itself.
The path to this is true psychology.
Psychology is the path to fundamental problems.
Part Two: The Free Spirit
24
The will to knowledge is on the foundation of the will to ignorance. We stay ignorant because we desire the freedom it gives.
25
Beware of defending the "truth" or your theories because no philosopher has been proven right.
Rather than striving for truth, strive for masks and subtlety so "that you may be mistaken for what you are not, or feared a little" (Nietzsche, 226).
When you defend your theories you simply become a vengeance seeker.
26
"Cynicism is the only form in which base souls approach honesty; and the higher man must listen closely to every coarse or subtle cynicism, and congratulate himself when a clown without shame or a scientific satay speaks out precisely in front of him" (Nietzsche, 228).
Indignant people are people not worth listening to because no one lies more than the indignant.
27
Do things in a way that is difficult to understand. That way those friends who laugh and misunderstand can be gotten rid of with a laugh.
28
A writers tempo of style is dictated by his language and culture and translating it to other languages can make the good intentioned translation a caricature of the original.
What Nietzsche admired most about Plato and what drew him to read Plato was Plato's secrecy and sphinx nature.
29
"Independence is for the very few, it is a privilege of the strong" (Nietzsche, 231). Those who seek it are also daring to the point of recklessness.
30
Man's highest insights must (and should) sound like follies or crimes.
That which serves the higher soul is poison to the lower.
"The virtues of the common man might perhaps signify vices and weaknesses in a philosopher" (Nietzsche, 232).
Books for the whole world are foul and small people cling to them. "One should not go to church if one wants to breathe pure air" (Nietzsche, 233).
31
The youthful soul is reckless and pursues without art. Then they add art to their arguments. Then they, after feeling disappointments turn against themselves. Ten years later we realize that this was all still youthful.
32
During prehistoric times the value of an action was judged on its consequences. This is the pre-moral period of history.
The first step into the moral history of the world is knowing thyself.
Now actions are valued or devalued on their origin or the actor's intention.
We ought to have a shift in value judgments to the extra-moral.
The intent of an action is merely a sign or a symptom and requires interpretation.
Traditional morality is merely a prejudice, something that must be overcome.
33
The whole morality of self-sacrifice must be questioned because it is a seduction.
It seduces by making one feel good. Those who are self-sacrificial reap the benefits, therefore we must be cautious.
34
The faith in immediate certainties is a moral naïveté that reflects honor or philosophers.
Apart from morality this faith is stupidity.
It is nothing more than a prejudice that makes us believe that the truth is moe valuable than mere appearance.
Why must true and false be opposites? Why can't we just admit that they are just lighter and darker shadows and shades of appearance.
36
Thinking is merely a relation of our drives to one another.
37
?
38
Often times people interpret things with their own indignation on enthusiasm so much that the actual text is buried beneath the interpretation.
39
Happiness and virtue are not valid arguments to support doctrines. But unhappy and evil are not counter arguments.
The truth may be dangerous and harmful. "The strength of spirit should be measured according to how much of the 'truth' one could still barely endure" (Nietzsche, 239).
40
Shame is an invention of man.
Masks are necessary to any profound man. The most profound man has a mask that is constantly growing.
41
We should be independent, but we must test ourselves to make sure we are ready.
We should not be too attached to any person because every person is a prison.
He should not be too attached to our fatherland.
We should detach ourselves from pity.
We should not be so attached to a science.
We should not become attached to our detachment.
We should not become attached to any virtue, lest it become a vice.
"One must know how to conserve oneself: the hardest test of independence" (Nietzsche, 242).
42
The new philosophers will want to be riddles.
43
The new philosophers will be friends of truth, but they will not be dogmatists.
"It must offend their pride, also their taste, if their truth is supposed to be a truth for everyman" (Nietzsche, 243).
44
The new philosophers will be free spirits.
Free spirits are not those democratic spirits who are calling for an equality of all men. They merely want to make life easier for the herd and abolish all suffering whatsoever, as if suffering served no purpose.
The democratic spirit, heralded as a "free spirit" is actually a spirit in bondage. It is a spirit that visits to chain all spirits together and therefore chain them all, even the exceptional owes to the ground.
TO be a truly strong and free spirit it must grow under extreme pressure.
The free spirit believes that the evil, devilry, hardness, stoicism, forcefulness, slavery and beast-like qualities in man serve to enhance him as much as the opposites do.
Free spirits are not the most communicative ones. Free spirits are not the same as free thinkers.
The free spirit has faced himself from all prisons or nooks, from prejudice, youth, origin and accident from all lures like honor, money, offices and enthusiasm of the senses because they contain hidden dependencies.
With of these restraint the free spirit is uninhabited and can stomach the unstomachable, digest the undigestible, view the unviewable, and penetrate the impenetrable.
Free-spirits are friends of solitude.
Part Three: What is religious
45
In order to know anything, one must do a lot of work to know, and then it usually amounts to a few things.
"But a curiosity of my type remains after all the most agreeable of all vices - sorry, I meant to say: the love of truth has its reward in heaven and even on earth" (Nietzsche, 250).
46
"The Christian faith is a sacrifice: all freedom, all pride, all self-confident of the spirit; at the same time, enslavement and self-mockery, self-mutiliation" (Nietzsche, 250).
Slaves are people who love as they hate: without nuance, to pain even! It is under these conditions that Christianity has appealed to so many. But, the complete lack of suffering in the masters (i.e. stoicism and skepticism) enraged the suffering Christian slaves and they overthrew their masters.
47
Wherever religion has popped up three things have followed:
1) Solitude
2) Fasting
3) Sexual abstinence
48
In Catholicism unbelief is seen as a rebellion against the spirit whereas Northern Protestantism sees unbelief as a return to spirit.
49
The Greek religion was noble because it affirms life despite the terrors of it. But when fear became an integral part of religion it paved the way for Christianity.
50
There are various types of passion for God:
- Peasant: sincere and obtrusive (ala Luther)
- Oriental- a slave who has been pardoned and elevated (a la Augustine)
51
The most powerful men bow before a saint because as they honor a saint they honor something in themselves.
They bow because a sight of a saint arouses superstition in them.
It was the "will to power" of the saint that struck fear in their hearts.
52
The Jewish Old Testament contains things so grand that Greek and Indian literature has nothing to compare with it.
The Old Testament is the book of divine justice, the New Testament is the book of grace.
The New Testament is a book for small souls and dogmatists. The pairing of the grand Old Testament and the small soul New Testament is the greatest sin against the spirit of literary Europe.
53
The European religious instinct is growing more and more powerful, but the faith in theism grows dimmer and dimmer.
54
"Modern philosophy, being an epistemological skepticism is, covertly an overtly anti-Christian - although, to say this for the benefit of more refined ears, by no means anti-religious" (Nietzsche, 256).
55
"There is a great ladder of religious cruelty with many rungs, but three of these are the most important" (Nietzsche, 257)
1. The sacrifice of human beings (especially one's loved ones) to a god
2. The sacrifice of one's nature (asceticism)
3. The sacrifice of God for nothing
56
Whoever thinks through pessimism thoroughly will come out at the end beyond morals, beyond good and evil.
He will come out the most-spirited, alive and affirming human ever.
57
One day the concepts of "God" and "sin" (the most trouble causing concepts of all time) will be viewed as a child's toy.
58
The genuinely religious life requires a life of leisure, or an aristocratic air to it.
The religious life is most fond of self-examination.
The modern world, with its busyness and stupid pride educate man for unbelief.
Every age has its naïveté, ours is the naïveté of the scholars' belief in his own superiority.
59
Those who wish to see life transcendentalized are those who have had inter lives spoiled the most.
It has been an incurable pessimism that has forced men to cling to a religious interpretation of existence. It has been fear that has drove man to religion.
Piety is the most subtle offspring of the fear of truth.
60
TO love men for God's sake is the most noble feeling attained by men.
61
The philosopher should use religion (as well as politics and economics) to cultivate and educate.
The philosopher can use religion to train people differently. Religion is used differently for those who rule and those who are ruled.
"To ordinary human beings, finally - the vast majority who exist for service and general advantage, and who may exist only for that -" (Nietzsche, 263). (Wow.)
Religion is a tool to subject the people for rules.
For those who are ruled, religion is a refreshment, a sanctification and justification of their suffering.
62
One always pays dearly when religions do not want to be used as a tool for education in philosopher's hands.
When religions insist on being sovereign in their own right, when they see themselves as ends and not means, people suffer terribly.
Religions preserve the weak and aid the suffering so that the natural selection process is destroyed. Religions weaken the human race.
Christianity is an arrogance. It is a hubris, a denial of rank in men. It is the pronouncement of the weak that they are strong. It is a complete flipping of truth.
Christianity has transformed man into a herd animal.
Part Four: Epigrams and Interludes
63: A teacher only takes things seriously in relation to his students, including himself.
64
Knowledge for its own sake is the last snare of morality
65
"The attraction of knowledge would be small if one did not have to overcome so much shame on the way" (Nietzsche, 269).
65a
One is most dishonest to one's god.
66
To let himself be taken advantage of could be the modesty of a god among men.
67
The love one is barbarism because it is done so at the expense of others. Likewise, love of God is barbarism.
68
The memory yields to one's pride (Freudian theory of repression)
69
One is mistaken if one doesn't believe that some killing is done considerately.
70
Life is repetitive. If one has character, one has experience.
71
"As long as you still experience the stars as something as 'above you' you lack the eye of knowledge" (Nietzsche, 270).
72
It is the duration, not the intensity of high feelings that make high men.
73
Whoever reaches his ideal transcends it.
73a
People can hide their glory from others and call that their pride.
74
A man with spirit is unbearable without gratitude and cleanliness.
75
"The degree and kind of a man's sexuality reach up into the ultimate pinnacle of his spirit" (Nietzsche, 271).
76
A warlike man sets upon himself in peace.
77
One wishes to bully, justify, scold, honor or hide one's habits with his principles.
78
"Whoever despises himself still respects himself as one who despises" (Nietzsche, 271).
79
A soul which is loved but does not love betrays itself.
80
A matter that becomes clear no longer interprets us. What happens when we pursue and complete the Socratic maxim of "know thyself?"
81
"It is terrible to die of thirst in the ocean. Do you have to salt your truth so heavily that it does not ever quench thirst anymore? (Nietzsche, 271).
82
Pity for all means tyranny for you.
83: ?
84
Women learn to hate to the extent to which her charms diminish.
85
"The same affects in man and woman are yet different in tempo, therefore man and woman do not cease to misunderstand each other" (Nietzsche, 272).
86
Women hate the "woman" (concept, universal)
87
If one imprison's one's heart one can free one's spirit.
88
We mistrust clever people when they become embarrassed.
89
Terrible experiences pose the question if the experiencer is not terrible.
90
Heavy-spirited people are made light by love and hate (whereas others become weighted with these)
91
Those who are so cold they burn cause some to believe they glow.
92
"Who has not, for the sake of his good reputation - sacrificed himself once?" (Nietzsche, 273).
93: ?
94 Maturity consists of finding the seriousness one had as a child at play.
95
To be ashamed one's immorality is to be on the path to be ashamed of one's morality.
96
One should part from life as Odysseus left Nausica: blessing it rather than loving it.
97
A great man is merely an actor of his own ideal.
98
Our conscience, if trained right, kisses us while hurting us.
99
The voice of disappointment is listening for an echo but only hearing praise.
100
We see ourselves as simpler than we are to take a rest from others
101
The knowledgeable man may feel like "God become animal"
102
Discover that one loves you back should disgust you because the person is stupid enough to love you back
103 ?
104
The importance of Christians' love for man is what has ceased their boring people at the stake. If they were truly concerned with men they would burn heretics and false prophets still.
105
The salvation via deception is implantable for the free spirit.
106
"In music the passions enjoy themselves" (Nietzsche, 274).
107
The sign of strong character is making up your mind and standing by it without regard to the best counter argument, therefore it is occasionally a will to stupidity.
108
There is no such thing as moral phenomena, only moral interpretation of phenomena.
109
A criminal is often unequal to his crime
110
The lawyers of criminals are often not artful enough to turn his beautiful terribleness into an advantage.
111
The vanity is most impenetrable right after the pride has been wounded
112
Those who feel predestined to see and not believe will fend off all believers
113: ?
114
The enormous expectation in sexual love and sense of shame in this expectation spoils all perspective for women
115
When neither love nor hate is involved, a women's game is mediocre
116
The great epochs of life occur when we have guts enough to rechristen our evil as what is best in us
117
The will to overcome an affect is merely the will of some other affect
118
Admiration is an innocence that people don't realize that they too may some day be admired
119
The disgust with dirt may cause us to not clean ourselves or "justify" ourselves
120
"Sensuality often hastens the growth of love so much that there roots remain weak and are easily torn up" (Nietzsche, 276).
121
It was subtle of God to learn Greek and not to learn it well
122
Enjoying praise can be a courtesy of the heart (the opposite of vanity)
123
"Even concubinage has been corrupted - by marriage" (Nietzsche, 276).
124
Whoever rejoices on the stake triumphs over the absence of pain that he expected, not over pain itself.
125
When we are forced to change our minds about a person we hold the inconvenience against him.
126
A people is a detour to get to six or seven great men (and then around them).
127
Science offends the modesty of real women. It makes them curious about their bodies
128
The more abstract the truth, the more seduction is needed to teach it.
129
The devil deeps away from God the farthest, therefore the devil is the most ancient friend of wisdom
130
A man betrays himself when his talent decreases. Talent is finery; finery is a hiding place.
131
Men and women deceive themselves about one another. At bottom they love only themselves (or their own ideal).
132
"One is best punished for one's virtues" (Nietzsche, 278).
133
Those who cannot live their ideal live more frivolously than those without an ideal.
134
All credibility and evidence of truth is derived from the senses
135 - ?
136
One seeks a midwife for his thoughts to begin a good conversation
137
A remarkable scholar is often a mediocre man. A mediocre artist is often a remarkable man.
138
We do what we do in dreams and awake: we invent who we are are and then forget him
139
"In revenge and love women is more barbarous than man" (Nietzsche, 278).
140 ?
141
The abdomen is why man doesn't easily mistake himself for a god.
142
"'In true love it is the soul that envelopes the body's' are the chastest words ever spoken"
143 Our vanity wishes that what we do best is what is hardest for us; therefore, the origin of morality
144
When a woman has scholarly inclinations there is probably something wrong with her sexuality.
145
Woman would not have the genius for finery if she didn't' instinctively have a secondary role.
146
Whoever fights monsters must not himself become a monster. The abyss stares at you when you stare at it.
147?
148
Woman are unequaled in seducing their neighbor into believing something and then believing piously in this opinion.
149
What a time experiences as evil is what an anti time experienced as good.
150
What happens around a hero is tragedy. What happens around a demigod is a satyr play. What happens around God? The World?
151
Having talent is not enough. One must have permission for the talent
152
Where the tree of knowledge is, there is so paradise. At least that is what the serpents say.
153
Whatever is done from love is done from beyond good and evil.
154
The delight in mockery is healthy, everyone else is pathology.
155
The sense of tragic gains or falls in level of sensuality.
156
Madness is rare in individuals, often in groups.
157
The thought of suicide is comforting on troubling nights
158
Reason and conscience bow to the tyrant in us.
159
One must repay good and ill, but not necessarily to that person
160
One no longer loves his insight once he communicates it.
161
Poets exploit their experiences.
162
Every nation believes our neighbor is his, not ours
163
Love brings out what is rare and exceptional, it easily deceives his normalcy
164
Jesus said the law was for servants of God. Be sons of God! What are morals to us sons of God?
165 -?
166
"Even when the mouth lies, the way it looks tells the truth" (Nietzsche, 282).
167 In hard men, intimacy involves shame
168 Christianity turned Eros into a vice
169
Talking a lot about one's self may be a way to conceal one's self
170 "Praise is more obtrusive than a reproach" (Nietzsche, 282).
171
TO a man of knowledge, pity seems ridiculous
172
From love of man one embraces another randomly, but we must not tell them that
173 One doesn't hate as long as one despises, but then only those they esteem
174 Utilitarians only love things useful as a vehicle for personal inclinations
175 - One loves one's desires and not the desired
176 Others' vanity only offends us if it offends our vanity
177 Nobody has been truthful enough about truthfulness
178 One doesn't credit clever people with their follies
179 The consequences of our actions take hold of us, indifferent to how much we have improved because of them
180 There is an innocence in lying based on a dedication to a course
181 - It is inhuman to bless when cursed
182 ?
183 "Not that you lied to me, but that I no longer believe you, has shaken me" (Nietzsche, 287).
184 The spirits of kindness may be seen to be malice
185 I don't like him because I am not equal to him. Has any one said this?
Fin
02/08/07-08/13/07 Book 16
Beyond Good & Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
20
All philosophical concepts are intertwined. No one discovers anything new any more, they only come back to an idea long forgotten. It is a remembering of sorts.
21
The "cause sui" is the greatest conceived self-contradiction.
"The desire for 'freedom of the will' in the superlative metaphysical sense... [is] the desire to bear the entire and ultimate responsibility, and to absolute God, the world, ancestors, chance and society" (Nietzsche, 218).
We ought to use cute and effect only as pure concepts (fictional conveniences) for the purpose of communication. We ought not to use them for explanatory purposes.
By using cause and effect in explanations we impose our way of thinking to the thing itself and speak only mythologically.
Free will, un-free will, cause and effect, are simply mythology. "in real life it is only a matter of strong and weak wills" (Nietzsche, 219).
22
The conformity of nature to laws is merely interpretation.
One can use this interpretation in any way he wishes, but it remains nonetheless an interpretation.
23
We must sail over morality and immorality to life itself.
The path to this is true psychology.
Psychology is the path to fundamental problems.
Part Two: The Free Spirit
24
The will to knowledge is on the foundation of the will to ignorance. We stay ignorant because we desire the freedom it gives.
25
Beware of defending the "truth" or your theories because no philosopher has been proven right.
Rather than striving for truth, strive for masks and subtlety so "that you may be mistaken for what you are not, or feared a little" (Nietzsche, 226).
When you defend your theories you simply become a vengeance seeker.
26
"Cynicism is the only form in which base souls approach honesty; and the higher man must listen closely to every coarse or subtle cynicism, and congratulate himself when a clown without shame or a scientific satay speaks out precisely in front of him" (Nietzsche, 228).
Indignant people are people not worth listening to because no one lies more than the indignant.
27
Do things in a way that is difficult to understand. That way those friends who laugh and misunderstand can be gotten rid of with a laugh.
28
A writers tempo of style is dictated by his language and culture and translating it to other languages can make the good intentioned translation a caricature of the original.
What Nietzsche admired most about Plato and what drew him to read Plato was Plato's secrecy and sphinx nature.
29
"Independence is for the very few, it is a privilege of the strong" (Nietzsche, 231). Those who seek it are also daring to the point of recklessness.
30
Man's highest insights must (and should) sound like follies or crimes.
That which serves the higher soul is poison to the lower.
"The virtues of the common man might perhaps signify vices and weaknesses in a philosopher" (Nietzsche, 232).
Books for the whole world are foul and small people cling to them. "One should not go to church if one wants to breathe pure air" (Nietzsche, 233).
31
The youthful soul is reckless and pursues without art. Then they add art to their arguments. Then they, after feeling disappointments turn against themselves. Ten years later we realize that this was all still youthful.
32
During prehistoric times the value of an action was judged on its consequences. This is the pre-moral period of history.
The first step into the moral history of the world is knowing thyself.
Now actions are valued or devalued on their origin or the actor's intention.
We ought to have a shift in value judgments to the extra-moral.
The intent of an action is merely a sign or a symptom and requires interpretation.
Traditional morality is merely a prejudice, something that must be overcome.
33
The whole morality of self-sacrifice must be questioned because it is a seduction.
It seduces by making one feel good. Those who are self-sacrificial reap the benefits, therefore we must be cautious.
34
The faith in immediate certainties is a moral naïveté that reflects honor or philosophers.
Apart from morality this faith is stupidity.
It is nothing more than a prejudice that makes us believe that the truth is moe valuable than mere appearance.
Why must true and false be opposites? Why can't we just admit that they are just lighter and darker shadows and shades of appearance.
36
Thinking is merely a relation of our drives to one another.
37
?
38
Often times people interpret things with their own indignation on enthusiasm so much that the actual text is buried beneath the interpretation.
39
Happiness and virtue are not valid arguments to support doctrines. But unhappy and evil are not counter arguments.
The truth may be dangerous and harmful. "The strength of spirit should be measured according to how much of the 'truth' one could still barely endure" (Nietzsche, 239).
40
Shame is an invention of man.
Masks are necessary to any profound man. The most profound man has a mask that is constantly growing.
41
We should be independent, but we must test ourselves to make sure we are ready.
We should not be too attached to any person because every person is a prison.
He should not be too attached to our fatherland.
We should detach ourselves from pity.
We should not be so attached to a science.
We should not become attached to our detachment.
We should not become attached to any virtue, lest it become a vice.
"One must know how to conserve oneself: the hardest test of independence" (Nietzsche, 242).
42
The new philosophers will want to be riddles.
43
The new philosophers will be friends of truth, but they will not be dogmatists.
"It must offend their pride, also their taste, if their truth is supposed to be a truth for everyman" (Nietzsche, 243).
44
The new philosophers will be free spirits.
Free spirits are not those democratic spirits who are calling for an equality of all men. They merely want to make life easier for the herd and abolish all suffering whatsoever, as if suffering served no purpose.
The democratic spirit, heralded as a "free spirit" is actually a spirit in bondage. It is a spirit that visits to chain all spirits together and therefore chain them all, even the exceptional owes to the ground.
TO be a truly strong and free spirit it must grow under extreme pressure.
The free spirit believes that the evil, devilry, hardness, stoicism, forcefulness, slavery and beast-like qualities in man serve to enhance him as much as the opposites do.
Free spirits are not the most communicative ones. Free spirits are not the same as free thinkers.
The free spirit has faced himself from all prisons or nooks, from prejudice, youth, origin and accident from all lures like honor, money, offices and enthusiasm of the senses because they contain hidden dependencies.
With of these restraint the free spirit is uninhabited and can stomach the unstomachable, digest the undigestible, view the unviewable, and penetrate the impenetrable.
Free-spirits are friends of solitude.
Part Three: What is religious
45
In order to know anything, one must do a lot of work to know, and then it usually amounts to a few things.
"But a curiosity of my type remains after all the most agreeable of all vices - sorry, I meant to say: the love of truth has its reward in heaven and even on earth" (Nietzsche, 250).
46
"The Christian faith is a sacrifice: all freedom, all pride, all self-confident of the spirit; at the same time, enslavement and self-mockery, self-mutiliation" (Nietzsche, 250).
Slaves are people who love as they hate: without nuance, to pain even! It is under these conditions that Christianity has appealed to so many. But, the complete lack of suffering in the masters (i.e. stoicism and skepticism) enraged the suffering Christian slaves and they overthrew their masters.
47
Wherever religion has popped up three things have followed:
1) Solitude
2) Fasting
3) Sexual abstinence
48
In Catholicism unbelief is seen as a rebellion against the spirit whereas Northern Protestantism sees unbelief as a return to spirit.
49
The Greek religion was noble because it affirms life despite the terrors of it. But when fear became an integral part of religion it paved the way for Christianity.
50
There are various types of passion for God:
- Peasant: sincere and obtrusive (ala Luther)
- Oriental- a slave who has been pardoned and elevated (a la Augustine)
51
The most powerful men bow before a saint because as they honor a saint they honor something in themselves.
They bow because a sight of a saint arouses superstition in them.
It was the "will to power" of the saint that struck fear in their hearts.
52
The Jewish Old Testament contains things so grand that Greek and Indian literature has nothing to compare with it.
The Old Testament is the book of divine justice, the New Testament is the book of grace.
The New Testament is a book for small souls and dogmatists. The pairing of the grand Old Testament and the small soul New Testament is the greatest sin against the spirit of literary Europe.
53
The European religious instinct is growing more and more powerful, but the faith in theism grows dimmer and dimmer.
54
"Modern philosophy, being an epistemological skepticism is, covertly an overtly anti-Christian - although, to say this for the benefit of more refined ears, by no means anti-religious" (Nietzsche, 256).
55
"There is a great ladder of religious cruelty with many rungs, but three of these are the most important" (Nietzsche, 257)
1. The sacrifice of human beings (especially one's loved ones) to a god
2. The sacrifice of one's nature (asceticism)
3. The sacrifice of God for nothing
56
Whoever thinks through pessimism thoroughly will come out at the end beyond morals, beyond good and evil.
He will come out the most-spirited, alive and affirming human ever.
57
One day the concepts of "God" and "sin" (the most trouble causing concepts of all time) will be viewed as a child's toy.
58
The genuinely religious life requires a life of leisure, or an aristocratic air to it.
The religious life is most fond of self-examination.
The modern world, with its busyness and stupid pride educate man for unbelief.
Every age has its naïveté, ours is the naïveté of the scholars' belief in his own superiority.
59
Those who wish to see life transcendentalized are those who have had inter lives spoiled the most.
It has been an incurable pessimism that has forced men to cling to a religious interpretation of existence. It has been fear that has drove man to religion.
Piety is the most subtle offspring of the fear of truth.
60
TO love men for God's sake is the most noble feeling attained by men.
61
The philosopher should use religion (as well as politics and economics) to cultivate and educate.
The philosopher can use religion to train people differently. Religion is used differently for those who rule and those who are ruled.
"To ordinary human beings, finally - the vast majority who exist for service and general advantage, and who may exist only for that -" (Nietzsche, 263). (Wow.)
Religion is a tool to subject the people for rules.
For those who are ruled, religion is a refreshment, a sanctification and justification of their suffering.
62
One always pays dearly when religions do not want to be used as a tool for education in philosopher's hands.
When religions insist on being sovereign in their own right, when they see themselves as ends and not means, people suffer terribly.
Religions preserve the weak and aid the suffering so that the natural selection process is destroyed. Religions weaken the human race.
Christianity is an arrogance. It is a hubris, a denial of rank in men. It is the pronouncement of the weak that they are strong. It is a complete flipping of truth.
Christianity has transformed man into a herd animal.
Part Four: Epigrams and Interludes
63: A teacher only takes things seriously in relation to his students, including himself.
64
Knowledge for its own sake is the last snare of morality
65
"The attraction of knowledge would be small if one did not have to overcome so much shame on the way" (Nietzsche, 269).
65a
One is most dishonest to one's god.
66
To let himself be taken advantage of could be the modesty of a god among men.
67
The love one is barbarism because it is done so at the expense of others. Likewise, love of God is barbarism.
68
The memory yields to one's pride (Freudian theory of repression)
69
One is mistaken if one doesn't believe that some killing is done considerately.
70
Life is repetitive. If one has character, one has experience.
71
"As long as you still experience the stars as something as 'above you' you lack the eye of knowledge" (Nietzsche, 270).
72
It is the duration, not the intensity of high feelings that make high men.
73
Whoever reaches his ideal transcends it.
73a
People can hide their glory from others and call that their pride.
74
A man with spirit is unbearable without gratitude and cleanliness.
75
"The degree and kind of a man's sexuality reach up into the ultimate pinnacle of his spirit" (Nietzsche, 271).
76
A warlike man sets upon himself in peace.
77
One wishes to bully, justify, scold, honor or hide one's habits with his principles.
78
"Whoever despises himself still respects himself as one who despises" (Nietzsche, 271).
79
A soul which is loved but does not love betrays itself.
80
A matter that becomes clear no longer interprets us. What happens when we pursue and complete the Socratic maxim of "know thyself?"
81
"It is terrible to die of thirst in the ocean. Do you have to salt your truth so heavily that it does not ever quench thirst anymore? (Nietzsche, 271).
82
Pity for all means tyranny for you.
83: ?
84
Women learn to hate to the extent to which her charms diminish.
85
"The same affects in man and woman are yet different in tempo, therefore man and woman do not cease to misunderstand each other" (Nietzsche, 272).
86
Women hate the "woman" (concept, universal)
87
If one imprison's one's heart one can free one's spirit.
88
We mistrust clever people when they become embarrassed.
89
Terrible experiences pose the question if the experiencer is not terrible.
90
Heavy-spirited people are made light by love and hate (whereas others become weighted with these)
91
Those who are so cold they burn cause some to believe they glow.
92
"Who has not, for the sake of his good reputation - sacrificed himself once?" (Nietzsche, 273).
93: ?
94 Maturity consists of finding the seriousness one had as a child at play.
95
To be ashamed one's immorality is to be on the path to be ashamed of one's morality.
96
One should part from life as Odysseus left Nausica: blessing it rather than loving it.
97
A great man is merely an actor of his own ideal.
98
Our conscience, if trained right, kisses us while hurting us.
99
The voice of disappointment is listening for an echo but only hearing praise.
100
We see ourselves as simpler than we are to take a rest from others
101
The knowledgeable man may feel like "God become animal"
102
Discover that one loves you back should disgust you because the person is stupid enough to love you back
103 ?
104
The importance of Christians' love for man is what has ceased their boring people at the stake. If they were truly concerned with men they would burn heretics and false prophets still.
105
The salvation via deception is implantable for the free spirit.
106
"In music the passions enjoy themselves" (Nietzsche, 274).
107
The sign of strong character is making up your mind and standing by it without regard to the best counter argument, therefore it is occasionally a will to stupidity.
108
There is no such thing as moral phenomena, only moral interpretation of phenomena.
109
A criminal is often unequal to his crime
110
The lawyers of criminals are often not artful enough to turn his beautiful terribleness into an advantage.
111
The vanity is most impenetrable right after the pride has been wounded
112
Those who feel predestined to see and not believe will fend off all believers
113: ?
114
The enormous expectation in sexual love and sense of shame in this expectation spoils all perspective for women
115
When neither love nor hate is involved, a women's game is mediocre
116
The great epochs of life occur when we have guts enough to rechristen our evil as what is best in us
117
The will to overcome an affect is merely the will of some other affect
118
Admiration is an innocence that people don't realize that they too may some day be admired
119
The disgust with dirt may cause us to not clean ourselves or "justify" ourselves
120
"Sensuality often hastens the growth of love so much that there roots remain weak and are easily torn up" (Nietzsche, 276).
121
It was subtle of God to learn Greek and not to learn it well
122
Enjoying praise can be a courtesy of the heart (the opposite of vanity)
123
"Even concubinage has been corrupted - by marriage" (Nietzsche, 276).
124
Whoever rejoices on the stake triumphs over the absence of pain that he expected, not over pain itself.
125
When we are forced to change our minds about a person we hold the inconvenience against him.
126
A people is a detour to get to six or seven great men (and then around them).
127
Science offends the modesty of real women. It makes them curious about their bodies
128
The more abstract the truth, the more seduction is needed to teach it.
129
The devil deeps away from God the farthest, therefore the devil is the most ancient friend of wisdom
130
A man betrays himself when his talent decreases. Talent is finery; finery is a hiding place.
131
Men and women deceive themselves about one another. At bottom they love only themselves (or their own ideal).
132
"One is best punished for one's virtues" (Nietzsche, 278).
133
Those who cannot live their ideal live more frivolously than those without an ideal.
134
All credibility and evidence of truth is derived from the senses
135 - ?
136
One seeks a midwife for his thoughts to begin a good conversation
137
A remarkable scholar is often a mediocre man. A mediocre artist is often a remarkable man.
138
We do what we do in dreams and awake: we invent who we are are and then forget him
139
"In revenge and love women is more barbarous than man" (Nietzsche, 278).
140 ?
141
The abdomen is why man doesn't easily mistake himself for a god.
142
"'In true love it is the soul that envelopes the body's' are the chastest words ever spoken"
143 Our vanity wishes that what we do best is what is hardest for us; therefore, the origin of morality
144
When a woman has scholarly inclinations there is probably something wrong with her sexuality.
145
Woman would not have the genius for finery if she didn't' instinctively have a secondary role.
146
Whoever fights monsters must not himself become a monster. The abyss stares at you when you stare at it.
147?
148
Woman are unequaled in seducing their neighbor into believing something and then believing piously in this opinion.
149
What a time experiences as evil is what an anti time experienced as good.
150
What happens around a hero is tragedy. What happens around a demigod is a satyr play. What happens around God? The World?
151
Having talent is not enough. One must have permission for the talent
152
Where the tree of knowledge is, there is so paradise. At least that is what the serpents say.
153
Whatever is done from love is done from beyond good and evil.
154
The delight in mockery is healthy, everyone else is pathology.
155
The sense of tragic gains or falls in level of sensuality.
156
Madness is rare in individuals, often in groups.
157
The thought of suicide is comforting on troubling nights
158
Reason and conscience bow to the tyrant in us.
159
One must repay good and ill, but not necessarily to that person
160
One no longer loves his insight once he communicates it.
161
Poets exploit their experiences.
162
Every nation believes our neighbor is his, not ours
163
Love brings out what is rare and exceptional, it easily deceives his normalcy
164
Jesus said the law was for servants of God. Be sons of God! What are morals to us sons of God?
165 -?
166
"Even when the mouth lies, the way it looks tells the truth" (Nietzsche, 282).
167 In hard men, intimacy involves shame
168 Christianity turned Eros into a vice
169
Talking a lot about one's self may be a way to conceal one's self
170 "Praise is more obtrusive than a reproach" (Nietzsche, 282).
171
TO a man of knowledge, pity seems ridiculous
172
From love of man one embraces another randomly, but we must not tell them that
173 One doesn't hate as long as one despises, but then only those they esteem
174 Utilitarians only love things useful as a vehicle for personal inclinations
175 - One loves one's desires and not the desired
176 Others' vanity only offends us if it offends our vanity
177 Nobody has been truthful enough about truthfulness
178 One doesn't credit clever people with their follies
179 The consequences of our actions take hold of us, indifferent to how much we have improved because of them
180 There is an innocence in lying based on a dedication to a course
181 - It is inhuman to bless when cursed
182 ?
183 "Not that you lied to me, but that I no longer believe you, has shaken me" (Nietzsche, 287).
184 The spirits of kindness may be seen to be malice
185 I don't like him because I am not equal to him. Has any one said this?
Fin
02/08/07-08/13/07 Book 16
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Beyond Good and Evil 11-19
(Originally written August 7, 2007 in Book 16)
Beyond Good & Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
11
Kant asked, "How are synthetic judgments a priori possible" and he replied by "virtue of a faculty".
His answer is circular and equivalent to "How does opium induce sleep? By a faculty of sleepiness"/
The question we ought to ask is "why is belief in such judgments necessary?" (Nietzsche, 209).
These judgments can be false but belief in them as true is necessary as a perspective for life.
12
We must rid ourselves of atomism especially soul atomism and the belief in the indestructible, indivisible and eternal soul.
But we need not throw out the soul entirely. We can use a "moral soul" hypothesis.
13
All living things seek first and foremost to discharge its strength.
"Life itself is will to power" (Nietzsche, 211).
Self-preservation is only a frequent result of the will to power.
14
Physics is merely an interpretation and exegesis of the world to suit us, not a world-explanation.
15
Our sense organs cannot be phenomena in physiology otherwise we would be left with the absurd thought that:
1) the world is a product of our organs
2) our body is part of the world
3) our organs are a product of our body
4) our organs are products of our organs
5) Our organs are self-caused
(which is absurd)
16
We should free ourselves of the seduction of words and phrases like, "I think" (Descartes), "I will" (Schopenhauer), "immediate certainty", "absolute knowledge", and "the thing itself" because they involve a contradiction in adjecto (contradiction between the noun and the adjective).
17
We cannot say "I think" because a thought comes when it wishes not when I wish it.
We cannot say "it thinks" because this involves interpretation of the process, not the process itself.
18
Refutations of theories add charm to the theory and therefore, make it more appealing.
19
We speak of the will as if it is the most easily known thing to us, but willing is, above all else, something complicated.
The will is a complex of thinking and sensation. It is also an affect. It is the affect of command.
Beyond Good & Evil
Friedrich Nietzsche
11
Kant asked, "How are synthetic judgments a priori possible" and he replied by "virtue of a faculty".
His answer is circular and equivalent to "How does opium induce sleep? By a faculty of sleepiness"/
The question we ought to ask is "why is belief in such judgments necessary?" (Nietzsche, 209).
These judgments can be false but belief in them as true is necessary as a perspective for life.
12
We must rid ourselves of atomism especially soul atomism and the belief in the indestructible, indivisible and eternal soul.
But we need not throw out the soul entirely. We can use a "moral soul" hypothesis.
13
All living things seek first and foremost to discharge its strength.
"Life itself is will to power" (Nietzsche, 211).
Self-preservation is only a frequent result of the will to power.
14
Physics is merely an interpretation and exegesis of the world to suit us, not a world-explanation.
15
Our sense organs cannot be phenomena in physiology otherwise we would be left with the absurd thought that:
1) the world is a product of our organs
2) our body is part of the world
3) our organs are a product of our body
4) our organs are products of our organs
5) Our organs are self-caused
(which is absurd)
16
We should free ourselves of the seduction of words and phrases like, "I think" (Descartes), "I will" (Schopenhauer), "immediate certainty", "absolute knowledge", and "the thing itself" because they involve a contradiction in adjecto (contradiction between the noun and the adjective).
17
We cannot say "I think" because a thought comes when it wishes not when I wish it.
We cannot say "it thinks" because this involves interpretation of the process, not the process itself.
18
Refutations of theories add charm to the theory and therefore, make it more appealing.
19
We speak of the will as if it is the most easily known thing to us, but willing is, above all else, something complicated.
The will is a complex of thinking and sensation. It is also an affect. It is the affect of command.
Types of Christians
(Originally written August 7, 2007 in Notebook 17)
Types of Christians
There are many types of Christians, even within the realm of true Christians. It is common to mislabel a person as a Christian by their acts, mannerisms and habits. But a true Christian is one who has believed in God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Ghost and that this triune, yet One God has acted in history That above all else He came to earth as the Son and died on the cross for the iniquities of all men and will return to earth as conqueror and king. The true Christian, in believing this has surrendered himself to God and has become filled with the Holy Spirit. Once the man has submitted then God does the redeeming wok of making him a Christian.
Now that we have briefly differentiated a true Christian from someone mislabeled as such we have various types of Christians. These range from good to bad (not good to evil). At the worst end we have hypocritical christians.
A hypocritical christian is some one who, on a consistent basis, does what is contrary to the Sprit's instruction. He has submitted to God initially and become filled with the Sprit, but he does not submit to the Spirit's prompts on a regular basis. All Christians ignore these prompts some times and even act contrary to them on occasion. But, the hypocritical Christian does so more often than not.
The intellectual Christian is the theologian who does not act on his own knowledge of God. He can have a proper belief and intellectuals hold the instructions of the Spirit in the correct order. But when it comes to surrounding his heart to the Spirit's prompts he cannot do so.
The intellectual Christian can even act on the prompts, but not do so in the way that is asked. The intellectual Christian may tithe regularly (as can the hypocritical Christian) but not do so with an open heart. The actions of a Christian must flow from the heart of the individual, not the intellect.
Lastly, we have the Christ-hearte Christian. He acts on the prompts of the Spirt and does so with a willing heart. He has surrendered mind, body and soul to Christ and follows accordingly. The Christ-Heart Christian acts almost intuitively on the SPirit's prompting whereas the hypocritical fights the prompts or the intellectual Christian systematizes the prompts and acts out of the system, not the prompt.
In the end the Christian is a Christian and will be received in Heaven by God. But, those who are Christ-hearted will be the jewels of Heaven and most precious in His sight.
Types of Christians
There are many types of Christians, even within the realm of true Christians. It is common to mislabel a person as a Christian by their acts, mannerisms and habits. But a true Christian is one who has believed in God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Ghost and that this triune, yet One God has acted in history That above all else He came to earth as the Son and died on the cross for the iniquities of all men and will return to earth as conqueror and king. The true Christian, in believing this has surrendered himself to God and has become filled with the Holy Spirit. Once the man has submitted then God does the redeeming wok of making him a Christian.
Now that we have briefly differentiated a true Christian from someone mislabeled as such we have various types of Christians. These range from good to bad (not good to evil). At the worst end we have hypocritical christians.
A hypocritical christian is some one who, on a consistent basis, does what is contrary to the Sprit's instruction. He has submitted to God initially and become filled with the Sprit, but he does not submit to the Spirit's prompts on a regular basis. All Christians ignore these prompts some times and even act contrary to them on occasion. But, the hypocritical Christian does so more often than not.
The intellectual Christian is the theologian who does not act on his own knowledge of God. He can have a proper belief and intellectuals hold the instructions of the Spirit in the correct order. But when it comes to surrounding his heart to the Spirit's prompts he cannot do so.
The intellectual Christian can even act on the prompts, but not do so in the way that is asked. The intellectual Christian may tithe regularly (as can the hypocritical Christian) but not do so with an open heart. The actions of a Christian must flow from the heart of the individual, not the intellect.
Lastly, we have the Christ-hearte Christian. He acts on the prompts of the Spirt and does so with a willing heart. He has surrendered mind, body and soul to Christ and follows accordingly. The Christ-Heart Christian acts almost intuitively on the SPirit's prompting whereas the hypocritical fights the prompts or the intellectual Christian systematizes the prompts and acts out of the system, not the prompt.
In the end the Christian is a Christian and will be received in Heaven by God. But, those who are Christ-hearted will be the jewels of Heaven and most precious in His sight.
Boredom is a lack of faith
(Originally written August 7, 2007 in Notebook 17)
Boredom
Boredom is wickedness. We should never be bored. To be bored is to be malcontent with our surroundings. How can we be malcontent with our situation? Either we have become idle and become sick of our idleness or we have lost faith in a positive outcome. If we are idle then we are so because of our own choosing. If we lack faith in positive outcomes we have lost faith in God.
Boredom
Boredom is wickedness. We should never be bored. To be bored is to be malcontent with our surroundings. How can we be malcontent with our situation? Either we have become idle and become sick of our idleness or we have lost faith in a positive outcome. If we are idle then we are so because of our own choosing. If we lack faith in positive outcomes we have lost faith in God.
Some Cultural Criticism on Baseball and Honesty
(Originally written August 7, 2007 in Notebook 17)
We, as a culture are not only numb to cheating and dishonesty, but approve of it. Cheating lying and most importantly, the half-truth telling are arts and skills that are honed from early ages. We only criticize these actions when the person doing them is caught.
We see these things as shrewdness and tactics in business and in life. Cheating in school or plagiarism is only a great sin if we copy word for word, but if we add an insight here and there we are seen as reworking old theories and making them new. We can point to these insights and say, "Sure, our theories are similar, but my insights make it my own". We would only become outraged if we saw someone plagiarizing our own work or something we collectively hold as sacrosanct.
In business we only become outraged at cheating, lying and half-truths when they come to fruition in major scandals. Rightfully so we were outraged at Enron, but we ignore a salesman's half-truths tricks as the norm unless we are, of course, the one who the product is sold to.
In spurts we are outraged by cheating only when the hallowed records fall. Nobody cared about steroids in the 80's and 90's, now that a truly talented ballplayer has tied Aaron's record we are outraged. Just the hint of cheating has us up in arms about Barry Bonds. For what reason? It offends our ideological history of Baseball. Where was this outrage when it all began? Was it not obvious that something improper was going on when people were gaining 30 pounds of muscle in the offseason?
Lying, cheating and half-truths are ignored or even celebrated until their outcomes effect us directly or they encroach upon something that is sacred. We should be outraged when this happens, but we should have been outraged much sooner.
We, as a culture are not only numb to cheating and dishonesty, but approve of it. Cheating lying and most importantly, the half-truth telling are arts and skills that are honed from early ages. We only criticize these actions when the person doing them is caught.
We see these things as shrewdness and tactics in business and in life. Cheating in school or plagiarism is only a great sin if we copy word for word, but if we add an insight here and there we are seen as reworking old theories and making them new. We can point to these insights and say, "Sure, our theories are similar, but my insights make it my own". We would only become outraged if we saw someone plagiarizing our own work or something we collectively hold as sacrosanct.
In business we only become outraged at cheating, lying and half-truths when they come to fruition in major scandals. Rightfully so we were outraged at Enron, but we ignore a salesman's half-truths tricks as the norm unless we are, of course, the one who the product is sold to.
In spurts we are outraged by cheating only when the hallowed records fall. Nobody cared about steroids in the 80's and 90's, now that a truly talented ballplayer has tied Aaron's record we are outraged. Just the hint of cheating has us up in arms about Barry Bonds. For what reason? It offends our ideological history of Baseball. Where was this outrage when it all began? Was it not obvious that something improper was going on when people were gaining 30 pounds of muscle in the offseason?
Lying, cheating and half-truths are ignored or even celebrated until their outcomes effect us directly or they encroach upon something that is sacred. We should be outraged when this happens, but we should have been outraged much sooner.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Optimism in a rough patch (more rough patches a' comin)
(Originally written August 3, 2007)
Cat, Family & School (money and time)
For the last six years I have floated from place to place; physically, emotionally and spiritually I have made so many mistakes. When I seem to overcome one another haunts me and frustrates my efforts.
My family is Indiana, I am in Virginia. My wife is with me but I scarcely feel her person.
My cat is leaving tomorrow. She goes back to Indiana because my landlady despise her. Sometimes I despise my landlady, more so now than ever. Did I mention my landlady is my mother-in-law?
School is an ever present problem for me. My negligence at seventeen has rendered a college degree an unbelievably difficult task. Now I will not take classes this fall because I lack the deposit money, a measly $250.00
I can look at all these frustrations and say: "If only I had money and time then ____. But this is foolishness.
Had I not flawed for six years maybe I still would be in Indiana with backwards people and living a lie full of trivial nonsense and alcoholic stupor.
Had I not been negligent at seventeen I would have finished college at twenty-one, but I would never had met my wife.
If I had money I could keep my cat and live elsewhere. But I would then deprive my wife of time with her siblings.
There is brightness in ever dark. It may be faint and sometimes I must struggle to see it. But through struggling I make my eyesight acute and train my eyes to see the beauty in the ugliness. That is a wonderful gift that I am wholly convinced is well worth the effort, but time will be spent in achieving this end. Sorrow will be had. Frustrations will come and be overcome. I will hate and love, laugh and cry. It is only my worry that I will hate at the end and cry at the end rather than love and laugh. I have no assurance of the outcome within me, only without and within Him.
Cat, Family & School (money and time)
For the last six years I have floated from place to place; physically, emotionally and spiritually I have made so many mistakes. When I seem to overcome one another haunts me and frustrates my efforts.
My family is Indiana, I am in Virginia. My wife is with me but I scarcely feel her person.
My cat is leaving tomorrow. She goes back to Indiana because my landlady despise her. Sometimes I despise my landlady, more so now than ever. Did I mention my landlady is my mother-in-law?
School is an ever present problem for me. My negligence at seventeen has rendered a college degree an unbelievably difficult task. Now I will not take classes this fall because I lack the deposit money, a measly $250.00
I can look at all these frustrations and say: "If only I had money and time then ____. But this is foolishness.
Had I not flawed for six years maybe I still would be in Indiana with backwards people and living a lie full of trivial nonsense and alcoholic stupor.
Had I not been negligent at seventeen I would have finished college at twenty-one, but I would never had met my wife.
If I had money I could keep my cat and live elsewhere. But I would then deprive my wife of time with her siblings.
There is brightness in ever dark. It may be faint and sometimes I must struggle to see it. But through struggling I make my eyesight acute and train my eyes to see the beauty in the ugliness. That is a wonderful gift that I am wholly convinced is well worth the effort, but time will be spent in achieving this end. Sorrow will be had. Frustrations will come and be overcome. I will hate and love, laugh and cry. It is only my worry that I will hate at the end and cry at the end rather than love and laugh. I have no assurance of the outcome within me, only without and within Him.
Babbling about hope and strength
(Originally written August 3, 2007 in Notebook 17)
Hope & Strength
I have neither hope nor strength in me. My hopes are consistently dashed at every bend. Obstacles are placed in front of my path on a such a regular basis. I know not what is normalcy any longer. The strength in me has been wasted on selfish, futile adventures. Yet somehow I press on. This one, this perseverance without internal hope or strength would be enough to convince me that there is something greater than I. That for some unknown reason takes a personal interest in me.
Hope & Strength
I have neither hope nor strength in me. My hopes are consistently dashed at every bend. Obstacles are placed in front of my path on a such a regular basis. I know not what is normalcy any longer. The strength in me has been wasted on selfish, futile adventures. Yet somehow I press on. This one, this perseverance without internal hope or strength would be enough to convince me that there is something greater than I. That for some unknown reason takes a personal interest in me.
The finiteness of man and infiniteness of God
(Originally written August 3, 2007 in Notebook 17)
We are closest to God in our darkest hour. It is a pity that this is so, but nonetheless the norm. When we are at our highest point we take credit for accomplishments and need nothing else from God. When we are neither high nor low we are too preoccupied with the particulars of everyday life to bother ourselves with God. Alas, when we are low, distraught and out of options we turn to God with fervor and passion. We are nearest to God when we are at our lowest because it is then the we fully comprehend our own finiteness and inadequacy.
As human beings we ought to be consistently aware of our own smallness. We should always feel the finiteness of our situation and thus search for the Infinite. We should recognize that we are frail and helpless. This is not pessimism! This is realism!
But, while constantly being aware of our smallness we can enjoy life and a life grandiose as vessels through which the Infinite chooses to act. We are but small, but with the acting power of God as He so chooses to act through us we accomplish fantastic things. It is precisely at this point we must remember ouromallness the most, so as to not take undue credit.
We should be struck with awe that anything so great as God has chosen to act in a way that involves us. With omnipotency and omniscience, God does not need us to enact His will. But, in His infinite mercy and wisdom He chooses to act through us. This is not pessimistic anti-humanism; it is simply a realism and a correct response to God, who as always gives me hope and strength, especially when I have none myself.
We are closest to God in our darkest hour. It is a pity that this is so, but nonetheless the norm. When we are at our highest point we take credit for accomplishments and need nothing else from God. When we are neither high nor low we are too preoccupied with the particulars of everyday life to bother ourselves with God. Alas, when we are low, distraught and out of options we turn to God with fervor and passion. We are nearest to God when we are at our lowest because it is then the we fully comprehend our own finiteness and inadequacy.
As human beings we ought to be consistently aware of our own smallness. We should always feel the finiteness of our situation and thus search for the Infinite. We should recognize that we are frail and helpless. This is not pessimism! This is realism!
But, while constantly being aware of our smallness we can enjoy life and a life grandiose as vessels through which the Infinite chooses to act. We are but small, but with the acting power of God as He so chooses to act through us we accomplish fantastic things. It is precisely at this point we must remember ouromallness the most, so as to not take undue credit.
We should be struck with awe that anything so great as God has chosen to act in a way that involves us. With omnipotency and omniscience, God does not need us to enact His will. But, in His infinite mercy and wisdom He chooses to act through us. This is not pessimistic anti-humanism; it is simply a realism and a correct response to God, who as always gives me hope and strength, especially when I have none myself.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Forming a Christian Philosophy
(Originally written August 2, 2007 in Notebook 17)
Christian Philosophy vs. Pseudo Christianity
Any Christian philosophy or Christian intellectual theory must adhere to three rules which will ensure that they remain Christian and do not fall into the Pseudo-Christianity realm. What is non-Christian in an explicit sense is easy to point out. But what is non-Christian in an implicit sense or Pseudo-Christianity is difficult to see and whatever is Pseudo-Christian is not Christian at all, but heresy.
So, back to these "rules". The first and most important rule to formulating a Christian philosophy is that it must have its primary source or foundation in special revelation. This is all rational arguments must proceed from the text of the Bible. General revelation, reason and true mystic experiences must supplement the foundational textual argument. In thinking this I did not include, originally, mystical experiences or prompts from the Holy Spirit; but, then I realized that the Holy Spirit would never prompt that is counter-scriptural.
The second rule in formulating a Christian Philosophy is that whatever is incorporated into the scriptural foundation must be wholly consistent with that f;foundation. Any rational argument added to the base of Scripture is forming a theory must not contradict that part of the Scriptures. That is to say that we cannot use a single passage as a foundation then argue from that passage that contradicts another passage.
The third (and humbling) rule is that whatever philosophy we come to from the foundation of Scriptures is theoretical. We can be absolutely sure that the Bible is infallible and Truth. We cannot be absolutely sure that our inferences from it are absolutely true, despite how rationally inescapable they are. To believe that our individual philosophies are as sure as the Bible is to demand a canonical status for them that cannot be demanded.
Since our Christian philosophy is not absolutely true we must remember that it cannot be the source of our faith. Our faith in God and Jesus Christ must originate in the Scriptures and any rational argument we or anyone else formulates on this basis must assist our faith and supplement it. Our theories, no matter how probable, sound or rational are still humble opinions by very inadequate creatures and inferior intellects. We must not assume that we have the assurance of intellect as we may assume the assurance of faith.
Christian Philosophy vs. Pseudo Christianity
Any Christian philosophy or Christian intellectual theory must adhere to three rules which will ensure that they remain Christian and do not fall into the Pseudo-Christianity realm. What is non-Christian in an explicit sense is easy to point out. But what is non-Christian in an implicit sense or Pseudo-Christianity is difficult to see and whatever is Pseudo-Christian is not Christian at all, but heresy.
So, back to these "rules". The first and most important rule to formulating a Christian philosophy is that it must have its primary source or foundation in special revelation. This is all rational arguments must proceed from the text of the Bible. General revelation, reason and true mystic experiences must supplement the foundational textual argument. In thinking this I did not include, originally, mystical experiences or prompts from the Holy Spirit; but, then I realized that the Holy Spirit would never prompt that is counter-scriptural.
The second rule in formulating a Christian Philosophy is that whatever is incorporated into the scriptural foundation must be wholly consistent with that f;foundation. Any rational argument added to the base of Scripture is forming a theory must not contradict that part of the Scriptures. That is to say that we cannot use a single passage as a foundation then argue from that passage that contradicts another passage.
The third (and humbling) rule is that whatever philosophy we come to from the foundation of Scriptures is theoretical. We can be absolutely sure that the Bible is infallible and Truth. We cannot be absolutely sure that our inferences from it are absolutely true, despite how rationally inescapable they are. To believe that our individual philosophies are as sure as the Bible is to demand a canonical status for them that cannot be demanded.
Since our Christian philosophy is not absolutely true we must remember that it cannot be the source of our faith. Our faith in God and Jesus Christ must originate in the Scriptures and any rational argument we or anyone else formulates on this basis must assist our faith and supplement it. Our theories, no matter how probable, sound or rational are still humble opinions by very inadequate creatures and inferior intellects. We must not assume that we have the assurance of intellect as we may assume the assurance of faith.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Beyond Good & Evil 4-10
(Originally written July 27, 2007 in Book 16)
Beyond Good & Evil
4.
It is not that the falseness of these judgments constitute an objection to them. Because these judgments, though false, may be necessary to sustaining life as we know it.
"To recognize untruth as a condition of life- that certainly means resisting accustomed value feelings in a dangerous way, and a philosophy that risks this would by that token alone place itself beyond good and evil" (Nietzsche, 202).
5.
What is worst about philosophers is not their childish mistakes, but their lack of honesty in work.
The mystic is much more honest.
6.
The "drive for knowledge" is not the father of philosophy. Some other drive has employed understanding as a means to some end.
The philosopher contains nothing that is impersonal. It is his morality that bears witness to who he is.
7.
Epicurus claimed that all philosophers are actors and skilled of an art he was not for this reason he hated them.
8.
There is a point when every philosopher's conviction comes to the stage.
9.
The pride of philosophers is what leads them to set out rules of nature. They wish to impose their own morality or the world.
Philosophy always creates the world in its own image and cannot do otherwise.
"Philosophy is this tyrannical drive itself, the most spiritual will to power, 'to the creation of the world', to the causa prima" (Nietzsche, 206).
10.
The metaphysician may prefer only a handful of certainty to a whole lot of "beautiful possibilities".
Holding onto a few certainties in lieu of embracing possibilities is nihilism.
Beyond Good & Evil
4.
It is not that the falseness of these judgments constitute an objection to them. Because these judgments, though false, may be necessary to sustaining life as we know it.
"To recognize untruth as a condition of life- that certainly means resisting accustomed value feelings in a dangerous way, and a philosophy that risks this would by that token alone place itself beyond good and evil" (Nietzsche, 202).
5.
What is worst about philosophers is not their childish mistakes, but their lack of honesty in work.
The mystic is much more honest.
6.
The "drive for knowledge" is not the father of philosophy. Some other drive has employed understanding as a means to some end.
The philosopher contains nothing that is impersonal. It is his morality that bears witness to who he is.
7.
Epicurus claimed that all philosophers are actors and skilled of an art he was not for this reason he hated them.
8.
There is a point when every philosopher's conviction comes to the stage.
9.
The pride of philosophers is what leads them to set out rules of nature. They wish to impose their own morality or the world.
Philosophy always creates the world in its own image and cannot do otherwise.
"Philosophy is this tyrannical drive itself, the most spiritual will to power, 'to the creation of the world', to the causa prima" (Nietzsche, 206).
10.
The metaphysician may prefer only a handful of certainty to a whole lot of "beautiful possibilities".
Holding onto a few certainties in lieu of embracing possibilities is nihilism.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
A particularly witty aphorism from the 23 year old me.
(Originally written July 26, 2007 in Notebook 18)
Unfinished thoughts
"Unfinished thoughts" as a term is funny to me because is a thought every truly finished? That is to say -
Unfinished thoughts
"Unfinished thoughts" as a term is funny to me because is a thought every truly finished? That is to say -
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
A weak argument for the existence of God
(Originally written July 25, 2007 in Notebook 18)
Diversity
Diversity should be embraced; but, it is not our diversity that defines us as a collective. What is most important in us is our commonality. The very fact that we are so strikingly similar despite our diversity is a testimony to either a supreme mind or an incredibly random experience. One of these absurd, but I'm sure you already know that.
Diversity
Diversity should be embraced; but, it is not our diversity that defines us as a collective. What is most important in us is our commonality. The very fact that we are so strikingly similar despite our diversity is a testimony to either a supreme mind or an incredibly random experience. One of these absurd, but I'm sure you already know that.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Thoughts on Boredom
(Originally written July 24, 2007 in Notebook 17)
Boredom
Boredom is an enemy we all face. I think that it is our succumbing to boredom to the majority of breakdowns in society. Boredom with a job can cause a man to pity himself and so he sits at home and wastes away physically, mentally and spiritually. Boredom in marriage can lead to affairs. Boredom in life can lead to rash adventurousness that only causes pain. I think boredom could even lead one to suicide. How do we overcome boredom? What can we do?
Well, what is boredom? Is it not simply being unsatisfied with the particular moment we are at? Learning to be satisfied with our situations would lead to less boredom and therefore, less vice. But then again this answer is totally unsatisfactory because it does not provide us with any real proactive resolutions to the problem of boredom.
We honestly must look at every situation we are in as a unique moment in time and an opportunity to do something. That something is our purpose and our meaning which we can only arrive at through prayer and meditation. I truly find that when I am not spending time in prayer or meditation on something, anything, I find myself bored most often.
The problem of boredom is universal in that it can effect any and all. But I believe that the solution is particular and relative to the individual. You must search for yourself to escape boredom.
Boredom
Boredom is an enemy we all face. I think that it is our succumbing to boredom to the majority of breakdowns in society. Boredom with a job can cause a man to pity himself and so he sits at home and wastes away physically, mentally and spiritually. Boredom in marriage can lead to affairs. Boredom in life can lead to rash adventurousness that only causes pain. I think boredom could even lead one to suicide. How do we overcome boredom? What can we do?
Well, what is boredom? Is it not simply being unsatisfied with the particular moment we are at? Learning to be satisfied with our situations would lead to less boredom and therefore, less vice. But then again this answer is totally unsatisfactory because it does not provide us with any real proactive resolutions to the problem of boredom.
We honestly must look at every situation we are in as a unique moment in time and an opportunity to do something. That something is our purpose and our meaning which we can only arrive at through prayer and meditation. I truly find that when I am not spending time in prayer or meditation on something, anything, I find myself bored most often.
The problem of boredom is universal in that it can effect any and all. But I believe that the solution is particular and relative to the individual. You must search for yourself to escape boredom.
Allegory of Imago Dei in a fallen world
(Originally written July 24, 2007 in Notebook 17)
When I search the faces of men, women and even children I see two things. IN the honest people I see hatred, selfishness, stupidity, envy and a whole host of vices. In the dishonest folks I see masks that scarcely hide these vices.
Man, above all things, is a selfish brute. All of us are more concerned with ourselves than with anything else. It is written that I should love all men as I love myself, but as I am a man I too share all of these selfish vices. On the one hand I love myself and indulge my selfish wants. On the other I loathe myself for being selfish. Should I love and hate all men as I love and hate myself?
The goodness of man is a myth, a fable, and aspiration that is unachievable by every individual ever born or who will be born. We lie, cheat, kill steal and rape for pleasure. If we do not do these things in act we most assuredly do them in thought.
Our normalcy is cruelty. Our modus operandi is meanness.We are all sharks and dogs. We are even more dangerous when we hunt together. Our selfishness can be combined and we grow in greed exponentially when we are left with no outside intervention. We destroy all that we touch, or we consume it and hoard it to satisfy our insatiable lust.
But is there no good in man? How can we explain altruism at all? If what I wrote was the case then we would never see a single good deed and yet we do see such deeds.
When was the last time you witnessed the goodness of man? Prove me wrong! I beg of you! I want so badly to be wrong, but fear I am correct. When we witness a good deed or the goodness of man we witness no act of man at all. Every act, thought or desire of man is utterly selfish. A good deed is truly selfless. There can be no combination of selfishness and selflessness. There must be one or the other. They cannot coexist.
In times of tragedy such as 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina we were all witnesses to the goodness of men. We saw at times of great tragedy truly selfless deeds that involved the apex of selflessness: giving one's life for another. There, there is the goodness of man! In times of tragedy a selfless nature can overcome the normal of selfishness.
But how can a truly selfish being forgo all of his instincts. How can he act against his nature? He cannot! It would be like seeing fish flying in the air and birds living in water. It is an impossibility. But nonetheless there are good deeds and goodness.
When a good deed happens, when selflessness overcomes selfishness we are no longer ourselves. It is the very notion of selflessness that allows for good deeds to happen. We lose ourselves, our selfish nature, if only for a moment, and do not ourselves act. Something selfish cannot do something selfless, likewise something selfless cannot do something selfish.
When we become selfless we are not ourselves. We cannot be. Yet we seem to act. We are all fashioned in the image of God. We all have the divine imprint in us somewhere. It is like a beautiful diamond that is recovered from the charred remains of a home.
At one time the home was beautiful and the diamond was placed in the house on display for everyone to see. It shined and reflected light throughout the whole house. But we insulted the builder and keeper of the house, for He is one and the same. The perfect house, the gorgeous furniture, the luxurious landscape, and most precious that diamond he gave us was not enough. We saw it all and were ungrateful. Ingratitude became selfishness and then self-idolatry.
In agner and righteous rage the Builder cursed the house, the landscape and the furniture; but, in mercy he left us our lives and that diamond. The landscape grew wild and overtook the house. Without the keeper we could not maintain the house. Slowly but surely the house turned to ruin, until finally it burned down.
When we scrounged through the rubble frantically searching of our accumulated possessions we happened upon the diamond. Its brilliance remained exactly as it was the day it was given to us. We remembered the Builder, we remember the glory of the House and for that moment we are one with the Builder again. He acts through us for a moment until we return to normalcy.
The image of God in us is untainted. Though our bodies, our minds, and our world has fallen into disrepair the image remains as new as ever. It takes tragedy for us to remember this image, even if it is done so subconsciously. It is out of that image we act in goodness. The image of God overwhelms the corruptness of selfishness and we lose ourselves to God. God's goodness is enacted through men and when we come to our senses we are selfish again.
The goodness of man is a myth. It is another selfish ideal of a selfish creature. Whatever is good must belong to good. Man is most definitely no longer good (though he can be restored! Hallelujah!through an eternal selflessness). When good shines through man it is the goodness of God, not man. So much for the goodness of man.
When I search the faces of men, women and even children I see two things. IN the honest people I see hatred, selfishness, stupidity, envy and a whole host of vices. In the dishonest folks I see masks that scarcely hide these vices.
Man, above all things, is a selfish brute. All of us are more concerned with ourselves than with anything else. It is written that I should love all men as I love myself, but as I am a man I too share all of these selfish vices. On the one hand I love myself and indulge my selfish wants. On the other I loathe myself for being selfish. Should I love and hate all men as I love and hate myself?
The goodness of man is a myth, a fable, and aspiration that is unachievable by every individual ever born or who will be born. We lie, cheat, kill steal and rape for pleasure. If we do not do these things in act we most assuredly do them in thought.
Our normalcy is cruelty. Our modus operandi is meanness.We are all sharks and dogs. We are even more dangerous when we hunt together. Our selfishness can be combined and we grow in greed exponentially when we are left with no outside intervention. We destroy all that we touch, or we consume it and hoard it to satisfy our insatiable lust.
But is there no good in man? How can we explain altruism at all? If what I wrote was the case then we would never see a single good deed and yet we do see such deeds.
When was the last time you witnessed the goodness of man? Prove me wrong! I beg of you! I want so badly to be wrong, but fear I am correct. When we witness a good deed or the goodness of man we witness no act of man at all. Every act, thought or desire of man is utterly selfish. A good deed is truly selfless. There can be no combination of selfishness and selflessness. There must be one or the other. They cannot coexist.
In times of tragedy such as 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina we were all witnesses to the goodness of men. We saw at times of great tragedy truly selfless deeds that involved the apex of selflessness: giving one's life for another. There, there is the goodness of man! In times of tragedy a selfless nature can overcome the normal of selfishness.
But how can a truly selfish being forgo all of his instincts. How can he act against his nature? He cannot! It would be like seeing fish flying in the air and birds living in water. It is an impossibility. But nonetheless there are good deeds and goodness.
When a good deed happens, when selflessness overcomes selfishness we are no longer ourselves. It is the very notion of selflessness that allows for good deeds to happen. We lose ourselves, our selfish nature, if only for a moment, and do not ourselves act. Something selfish cannot do something selfless, likewise something selfless cannot do something selfish.
When we become selfless we are not ourselves. We cannot be. Yet we seem to act. We are all fashioned in the image of God. We all have the divine imprint in us somewhere. It is like a beautiful diamond that is recovered from the charred remains of a home.
At one time the home was beautiful and the diamond was placed in the house on display for everyone to see. It shined and reflected light throughout the whole house. But we insulted the builder and keeper of the house, for He is one and the same. The perfect house, the gorgeous furniture, the luxurious landscape, and most precious that diamond he gave us was not enough. We saw it all and were ungrateful. Ingratitude became selfishness and then self-idolatry.
In agner and righteous rage the Builder cursed the house, the landscape and the furniture; but, in mercy he left us our lives and that diamond. The landscape grew wild and overtook the house. Without the keeper we could not maintain the house. Slowly but surely the house turned to ruin, until finally it burned down.
When we scrounged through the rubble frantically searching of our accumulated possessions we happened upon the diamond. Its brilliance remained exactly as it was the day it was given to us. We remembered the Builder, we remember the glory of the House and for that moment we are one with the Builder again. He acts through us for a moment until we return to normalcy.
The image of God in us is untainted. Though our bodies, our minds, and our world has fallen into disrepair the image remains as new as ever. It takes tragedy for us to remember this image, even if it is done so subconsciously. It is out of that image we act in goodness. The image of God overwhelms the corruptness of selfishness and we lose ourselves to God. God's goodness is enacted through men and when we come to our senses we are selfish again.
The goodness of man is a myth. It is another selfish ideal of a selfish creature. Whatever is good must belong to good. Man is most definitely no longer good (though he can be restored! Hallelujah!through an eternal selflessness). When good shines through man it is the goodness of God, not man. So much for the goodness of man.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Organizing my thoughts on Aesthetics
(Originally written July 22, 2007 in Book 25)
Recap of Aesthetic Freestyling & Five Levels of Aesthetic Judgment so far:
I. Beauty
What is Beauty?
- Beauty is the quality of being worthy of aesthetic appreciation
- Ugly is the opposite of beauty; that is, it is the quality of being unworthy of aesthetic appreciation
- Taste is unconcerned with beauty. Taste is the quality of personal preference. Taste and beauty would correlate every time in a purely aesthetic being.
- Beauty is external; it exists in the thing itself. It is objective. Taste is internal; it exists in the viewer of the thing. It is subjective
II. Aesthetic Judgments
- Aesthetic judgments are judgments we make on the basis of whether a thing is beautiful or ugly
- When making aesthetic judgments it is incorrect to incorporate taste into the equation. If we confuse taste and beauty we are left with problematic philosophy
- When making aesthetic judgments we go through a process to make mature aesthetic judgments. There are five stages:
1. Surface judgment: Infancy
2. Sensory judgment: Childhood
3. Historical judgment: Adolescence
4. Introspective Judgment: Adulthood
5. Mystic Artist Judgment: Full Maturity
III. Aesthetic and Non-Aesthetic Objects
An aesthetic object is differentiated from a non-aesthetic object by its primary function
A non-aesthetic object is any object that's primary function that is not the primary function of an aesthetic object
An aesthetic object is an art object
The primary function of an aesthetic object is to communicate something
IV. Art
What is art?
Art is anything that is created to relay a thought, feeling, emotion, story, etc. that does not use ordinary language
Art is itself a universal language.
Perceived problem: what about literature? Literature uses ordinary language, but literature is nonetheless art. Solution: in creating art the author transforms ordinary language into the universal language of art. The question here is how?
V. Is art as a whole good or evil?
Recap of Aesthetic Freestyling & Five Levels of Aesthetic Judgment so far:
I. Beauty
What is Beauty?
- Beauty is the quality of being worthy of aesthetic appreciation
- Ugly is the opposite of beauty; that is, it is the quality of being unworthy of aesthetic appreciation
- Taste is unconcerned with beauty. Taste is the quality of personal preference. Taste and beauty would correlate every time in a purely aesthetic being.
- Beauty is external; it exists in the thing itself. It is objective. Taste is internal; it exists in the viewer of the thing. It is subjective
II. Aesthetic Judgments
- Aesthetic judgments are judgments we make on the basis of whether a thing is beautiful or ugly
- When making aesthetic judgments it is incorrect to incorporate taste into the equation. If we confuse taste and beauty we are left with problematic philosophy
- When making aesthetic judgments we go through a process to make mature aesthetic judgments. There are five stages:
1. Surface judgment: Infancy
2. Sensory judgment: Childhood
3. Historical judgment: Adolescence
4. Introspective Judgment: Adulthood
5. Mystic Artist Judgment: Full Maturity
III. Aesthetic and Non-Aesthetic Objects
An aesthetic object is differentiated from a non-aesthetic object by its primary function
A non-aesthetic object is any object that's primary function that is not the primary function of an aesthetic object
An aesthetic object is an art object
The primary function of an aesthetic object is to communicate something
IV. Art
What is art?
Art is anything that is created to relay a thought, feeling, emotion, story, etc. that does not use ordinary language
Art is itself a universal language.
Perceived problem: what about literature? Literature uses ordinary language, but literature is nonetheless art. Solution: in creating art the author transforms ordinary language into the universal language of art. The question here is how?
V. Is art as a whole good or evil?
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