After reviewing Nietzche’s Twilight of the Idols and studying further research, I have come to find that some of his criticism of Socrates and Plato’s values and philosophy are valid, however, I believe some may be a bit of a stretch because he simply did not like their philosophical views and rejects any attempt to create a philosophical system. He says that the will to create a system reflects a lack of integrity on the philosopher’s part.
Socrates believes that one should follow reason to keep the soul virtuous which keeps the soul in good condition. The soul then goes to Hades where it is truly happy and free. To him, self-knowledge is virtue and is attained by knowledge itself. Nietzsche says that there is no basis for the idea of reason with virtue or virtue with happiness. Nietzche believes that no one can judge what is a well-lived life and a poor-lived until they are dead because if they are living, they cannot fully reflect and see how they lived. This I believe is invalid. Maybe this belief comes from religion, but why couldn’t one evaluate how they are currently living by beliefs and action? If you believe in good values, but doing wrong actions, you are living more of a poor life than good. If you believe in bad values, but are doing the right thing, you would be living more of a good life.
In the reading, it explains that Socrates is wealthy, educated, has a high status and honored, but Socrates believes all of it is worthless, harmful and damaging to the soul. The soul is all that matters because it is eternal. When he was on death row, he didn’t really fight to save his life. He knows his potential and is refusing to take control and live up to it. He truly doesn't care whether he dies and is willing to throw hi...
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...e to get revenge on others, especially if those who were stronger wronged them. An example of modern day’s slave mentality would be Christianity. Many of the morals and values they live are humbling, forgiving, and based off of the true intention of their heart. So yes, I believe that to an extent, Nietzche critique is still relevant in today’s world.
The only way Nietzche has truly affected or challenged my beliefs are living my life to the full extent. It has reminded me to be more self-aware and to take control of my potential and opportunities. He has not changed my views on God or after-death. I don’t believe we have killed God and that we can determine the value of our life as we are living. I don’t believe that my own Christian values make me weak and that personal power is essential. However, he has broadened my view of building and testing the will to power.
According to Pierre Hadot, “Thus philosophy was a way of life, both in its exercise and effort to achieve wisdom, and its goal, wisdom itself. For real wisdom does not merely cause us to know: it makes us “be” in a different way” ( Pierre 265) This explanation of a philosophical way of life is in all ways the definition of Socrates’ life. Socrates made his way through his entire life living in this way, seeking out wisdom, seeking out answers and never once got in trouble with the court until the age of seventy years old. He believed that by telling people about ignorance and wisdom, that he was only doing so for the good of the people. Socrates even goes as far as saying, “I am that Gadfly which God has attached to the state, and all day long and in all places am always fastening upon you, arousing and persuading and reproaching you”(Plato 9). Socrates believes that he was sent from God to show people a different way of life, a life of questioning and reason to which he should teach to all people. When asked if he was ashamed of a course of life of which would likely bring him to an untimely end Socrates says, “you are mistaken: a man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of living or dying; he ought only to consider whether in doing anything he is doing right or wrong” (Plato 7).
When he is questioned why he doesn’t want to attempt to escape his death, he states that he feels it is unjust to escape. Socrates did what he believed his job was, which was to enlighten the youth to the unjust ways of society. While the way he was punished for it was unjust, Socrates stated that he has lived a happy life, and if he can’t rightly persuade the Laws of Athens to change its mind and let him go, then he can accept that.
In philosophy “Nihilism” is a position of radical skepticism. It is the belief that all values are baseless and nothing is known. The word “Nihilism” itself conveys a sense of abolishing or destroying (IEP). Nietzsche’s work and writings are mostly associated with nihilism in general, and moral nihilism especially. Moral nihilism questions the reality and the foundation of moral values. Nietzsche supported his view on morality by many arguments and discussions on the true nature of our inner self. Through my paper on Moral Nihilism, I will explain 5 major arguments and then try to construct a deductive argument for each, relying on Nietzsche’s book II “Daybreak”.
He talks about being safe from the prospect of dying tomorrow in all human probability and not likely to have his judgment upset by this impending. Socrates answers first that one should not worry about public opinion, but only listen to wise and expert advice. He thinks that she should not regard all the opinions that people hold. One should regard the good
Socrates believed there were two ways to live and and only one way to calculate value. The superficial way-believing that wealth, reputation, and honors (all exterior measures) held the real value. And on an interior level- having wisdom, truth, and the best state of your soul. The book certainly makes you question what you personally find to be valuable.
He applies this logic to mean that he must go around Athens and show others that they are not actually wise, so that they can become intelligent like him. As a result, he feels he is helping the society of Athens as a whole. By a small number, Socrates is found guilty and the jury comes to a decision to put Socrates to death. To further his display of haughty behavior Socrates’ response is to say in a mostly joking manner that the city should be giving him a medal of honor. He continues on to reject exile and prison time, suggesting that he pay a fine. Socrates’ reaction is unlike what is to be expected. He believes that it is ridiculous to fear the after-life because it does not make sense to fear things he does not know (29c). When given a chance to defend himself Socrates doesn’t cry, beg, or bring family matters into the courtroom, thinking it better to die after an honorable defense than live on against his own
When discussing the soul, we are often given the image of the soul imprisoned by the body. Thus, death is a kind of liberation from this prison. Only through death can our soul achieve that release where we won’t make choose base on the distraction. Socrates concludes that the soul is what goes through states of change. Surely, Socrates wants to argue that the body dies while the soul lives on, free from the body. The Soul is something distinct from the part of the human body, something that enters the body and imbues it life, but that can exist independently of it. The soul gives the body life, but has no life independent of the body. Thus, the soul is the master of the body. Having wrapped up his myth, Socrates remarks that the time has come for him to drink the poison. He states that after his is death, his soul will leave his body and will live on eternally. The body that left behind is not Socrates, because Socrates’ soul will no longer inhabit
A person’s body can change in appearance numerous times throughout his or her life, but who they are essentially does not change along with the outward appearance. He claims ownership of his body, and he uses his body, but his body is not the self, the soul is the self—the soul is in possession of the body. Socrates seems to agree to an extent with Democritus on the morality of the soul, to the extent that a soul can be good or vicious. Living well or living badly are all matters of the soul. If one wants to have a good soul then he or she should not place too much emphasis on external goods, and should focus on having areté of the soul instead. Areté consists of what we typically associate with good people; it is virtue, excellence, and being the best one can be. Socrates asserts that when one dies there are two possibilities; either you become nothing and unaware, or your soul goes on to an afterlife somewhere else. In death, when the soul separates from the temporary body, it goes into the afterlife exactly as it was in life. Meaning, if the soul has been taken care of during life then it will continue to be a healthy, happy soul in death. However, if it were neglected because the person placed too much importance on external goods during life, which causes damage, it will enter the afterlife as the same damaged soul it was in life. He seems to be saying that the people who typically only seek out the external goods are the ones with vicious souls, and that they think that they can compensate for the state of their soul by acquiring all of these external things. However, Socrates says that there is no hope for vicious souls; if a person has a vicious soul he or she has a damaged self, and there are no external goods or benefits that can compensate for
(37) The problem is that many of the citizens of Athens who wanted Socrates dead, lacked that emotional intelligence and thought highly of themselves. So of course they become defensive when Socrates sheds light on the idea that they may be wrong. As someone who cared most about the improvement of the soul, Socrates would have made a constructive role model to the criminals of Athens, as he would go on saying, “virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue comes money and every other good of man…”(35) Socrates was able to benefit everyone alike as he had human wisdom- something that all the Athenians could relate
He never really claimed whether death was a bad thing but he did have a way of saying that there is a bad within the realm of it. Some of these things can be lying, being violent, abandonment, etc. So if it came down to Socrates having to lie in order to live, he would rather choose to die. This leads to him thinking that he had “strong evidence” that his indictment and death may be a good thing. He believes in doing to right thing. So for Socrates he committed a crime that he feels he needs to pay for, and he’s choosing to see the positive side of his death whether it is just sleep or life after death. Therefore, if he believes he is doing the right thing then death might end up being a good
He is saying that if we fear death or to live our life a certain way then we won’t accomplish anything. If we wake up everyday, and we are scared of not getting into our dream job, then we are not going to even try to do what it takes to get that job. Socrates states” Wherever a man has taken up a position because he considers it best, or has been posted there by his commander, that is where I believe he should remain, steadfast in danger, taking no account all of death or of anything else rather than dishonor.” Socrates is trying to show if we examine that what we think something is the best option in life then we need to take that course of action, even in cases where we risk dying or getting hurt it doesn’t matter. We should be living a life without fear of dying because if we didn’t we wouldn’t be living our life to the fullest. When we live our life to the fullest that means that we will have no regrets about the things we do while we are live. Socrates comes to accept this when he tells that truth in court instead of getting sympathy from the jurors. Socrates states “I have no regrets about defending myself as I did; I should far present a defence and die, than live by defending myself in that other fashion”. Even if we are scared about our future, we shouldn’t stop living our
Socrates attempts to make other people reason well and therefore be virtuous by performing their human function; I believe that this action inwardly reflects Socrates’s own virtue. For example, if a professor can effectively teach mathematics to his students, then he most likely holds knowledge of the subject within himself. In a similar way, Socrates instills virtue in other people, which shows that he himself is a virtuous being. Although some people criticize him, evidence of his positive impact is reinforced by the approval and support of his friends in the Apology. While promoting virtue when alive, Socrates wishes to continue to encourage virtue even after death. For example, at the onset of his death, Socrates asks the jurors to ensure that his sons are given grief if they care for anything else more than virtue (Plato and Grube 44). While Socrates could have been thinking about himself or other things at that moment, he is thinking of how to guide people towards living virtuously. Both his actions while living and his intentions after death reveal that Socrates wished to aid people in living virtuous lives, which highlight his own state of
Socrates says that God determines what is right and wrong. “I owe a greater obedience to God then to you and so long as I draw breath and have my faculties, I shall never stop practicing philosophy and exhorting you and indicating truth to everyone I meet” (Apology, 29d). God’s rules and commandments are what you need to follow in order to assure a good life after death. God and his commandments come first over everything else. Socrates believes in the divine command theory and how you must listen to Gods commandments. God decides what is moral and obedience to God is how you live justly. Socrates also says he will never stop practicing philosophy because in his eyes philosophy is the way to live life. He has said that living without examining life is a life not worth living. Questioning and indicating truth to others by pointing out their ignorance is what he saw as an essential part of being moral. Morality ties in to the question of solution by asking questions and seeking wisdom you are doing what is just and fixing the condition of humanity. Morality also relates to condition because the soul must be more important than material objects in order to be moral. He says you must follow cities laws and obedience to Gods laws as well in order to be just. On top of that you should be self-examining yourself so that you can better the soul as much as
Nietzsche’s primary understanding of the life of Socrates was as the death of life. Socrates embodied the reason, virtue, and happiness, who believed in the vanity of life. He was known to walk around, living in a state of poverty, and question the moral beliefs and ethical decisions of those around him. Nietzsche believes that Socrates and Plato were the ‘symptoms of decline’ for life, for the reason that life was a sickness, and it progressed as more reason revealed the sickness many covered. What then is the value of life? Nietzsche responds that it is a paradox: ‘For a philosopher to see a problem in the value of life is almost an objection against himself, a note of interrogation set against his wisdom—a lack of wisdom.’
Socrates felt that, above all, one should be a good citizen and always do the right thing (Plato 18). However, many in his time did not worry about doing what was correct. Socrates realized this, and understood that they did not care to look into their actions and beliefs. Their first thoughts were on the goals that they had, such as money and pleasure, rather than the thought of whether or not the goals they held were actually what should have been considered important and right (Plato 26). Socrates knew that, unless they took the time to question their lifestyles, they would never do the right thing. By living a life that was being examined, the citizens would be living a life that was, for the most part, also right. Socrates believed that a life that was not right was not worth living, which is why he also felt as though an unexamined life would also be not worth living.