Comparing Nietzsche and Schopenhauer's Attitudes Towards Life

3284 Words7 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Nietzsche

Comparing Nietzsche and Schopenhauer's Attitudes Towards Life

ABSTRACT: On the basis of his metaphysics, Schopenhauer was led to advocate quietism and resignation as attitudes toward life. In the course of his career, Nietzsche reversed his estimation of Schopenhauer from initial agreement to final excoriation. In what follows, I examine and assess the grounds on which Nietzsche revised his opinion of Schopenhauer as educator of humanity. I argue that three fundamental issues divide Nietzsche and Schopenhauer. The first concerns the eliminability of human suffering. The second regards the value of sympathy to those who feel rather than are recipients of this sentiment. The third is the value of cultivating indifference to the suffering of others. Schopenhauer considers suffering as inextricably bound up with human existence, whereas Nietzsche views suffering as a sign of weakness that is ultimately eliminable from human existence. Schopenhauer assumed that sympathy and compassion have a benign effect upon those who experience these emotions; Nietzsche maintains they have the opposite effect. Contra Nietzsche, Schopenhauer deplores the cultivation of indifference towards the suffering of others. I defend Schopenhauer against Nietzsche on all three issues, though I argue that Schopenhauer exaggerates the ubiquity of human suffering and hence the need and desirability of the cultivation of self-denial.

1. Nietzsche's Revaluation of Schopenhauer

On the basis of his metaphysics, Schopenhauer was led to advocate quietism and resignation as an attitude to life. As is well known, Nietzsche held Schopenhauer's views on this and other matters in far higher esteem at the start of his intellectual career than he did at its end. To...

... middle of paper ...

..., Friedrich (1965), Schopenhauer as Educator, trans. J.W. Hillesheim and Malcolm R. Simpson, (South Bend, Indiana, Gateway), pp. 25-26

(2) Nietzsche, Friedrich (1968), Twilight of the Idols and the Anti-Christ, trans. R.J.Hollingdale, (Harmondsworth, Penguin), pp.79-80

(3) Nietzsche, Friedrich, op cit, p.75

(4) Nietzsche, Friedrich, op cit, p.88

(5) Nietzsche, Friedrich, op cit, p. 88

(6) Mill, John Stuart (1962), Utilitarianism, (ed.) M.Warnock, (Glasgow, Collins), p.26.

(7) Nietzsche, Friedrich (1968), Twilight of the Idols and the Anti-Christ, trans. R.J.Hollingdale, (Harmondsworth, Penguin), pp.118-119.

(8) Schopenhauer, Arthur (1965), On the Basis of Morality, trans. E. F. J. Payne, (Indianapolis, Bobbs-Merrill), pp. 211-212.

(9) Nietzsche, Friedrich (1969), Thus Spoke Zarathrustra, trans. R.J.Hollingdale, (Harmondsworth, Penguin), p.103.

Show More
Related

  • Public Broadcasting In Canada

    2606 Words  | 6 Pages

    Over the centuries, the media has played a significant role in the shaping of societies across the globe. This is especially true of developed nations where media access is readily available to the average citizen. The media has contributed to the creation of ideologies and ideals within a society. The media has such an effect on social life, that a simple as a news story has the power to shake a nation. Because of this, governments around the world have made it their duty to be active in the regulation and control of media access in their countries. The media however, has quickly become dominated by major mega companies who own numerous television, radio and movie companies both nationally and internationally. The aim of these companies is to generate revenue and in order to do this they create and air shows that cater to popular demand. In doing so, they sometimes compromise on the quality of their content. This is where public broadcasters come into perspective.

    Read More

  • What Does It Mean To Say That God Is Dead Nietzsche

    2371 Words  | 5 Pages

    “Has he got lost? Did he lose his way like a child? Or is he hiding? Is he afraid of us? Has he gone on a voyage? Emigrated?” No the madman says; “we have killed him – you and I. All of us are his murderers” This exchange encapsulates the aphorism that underpins much of Nietzsche’s thought; that “God is dead”. But what does this mean - What is Nietzsche telling us by claiming that we have murdered God? This essay is going to attempt to try and understand what Nietzsche argues has changed and what hasn’t with the death of God and to examine his critique of 19th century morality in the context of the 21st century politics and see if he offers a constructive alternative to the way we engage in political discourse.

    Read More

  • Domestic Violence: And They Didn't Live Happily Ever After

    927 Words  | 2 Pages

    “And they lived happily ever after...” Little girls all over the world desire their love story to follow the path of these six promising words; but unfortunately for many young dreamers, this fairy tale finale becomes just the opposite of what they crave. These little girls grow up to become young women, and one out of every four will experience some sort of domestic violence in her lifetime. Domestic violence is “the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and other abusive behavior perpetrated by one intimate partner against the other.” While there are occurrences of domestic abuse against men, women account for eighty-five percent of all domestic violence cases (NCADV). Domestic violence against women is a much too common problem in the world today, but by raising awareness and teaching people to identify domestic brutality, the ability to eliminate the issue becomes a more realistic possibility.

    Read More

  • The Question of Free Will: Descartes, Hume, and Nietzsche

    2066 Words  | 5 Pages

    September 10, 2009. Cambridge Critical Guide to Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morality, Simon May, ed., 2010. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1473095>. Nietzsche, Friedrich.

    Read More

  • Christianity and Popular Culture

    2621 Words  | 6 Pages

    1.H. Richard Niebuhr, Christ and Culture (New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, Harper Torchbooks, 1951), chap. 1.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther and His Hymn "A Mighty Fortress is Our God"

    1100 Words  | 3 Pages

    * Heiko A. Oberman. Luther: Man Between God and the Devil, trans. Eileen Walliser-Schwarzbart (New York, NY: Doubleday, 1992).

    Read More

  • The No Child Left Behind Act: Bringing Down the American Education System

    2036 Words  | 5 Pages

    The No Child Left Behind Act was passed in 2001. It was not written by teachers, educators, or parents, but by legislators who did not have experience in education. The act was written because the government felt that students were not proficient enough in basic skills, such as reading level, fundamental math skills, as well as other subjects. The writers believed that every person should have the same education, which would produce the same outcome in each child. NCLB changed school curriculums to focus on their standardized tests, which would ultimately evaluate how well the teachers, school districts, and students are performing. Arne Duncan, an American education administrator, believes that “…NCLB holds all students to the same, challenging standards…” is the best way to explain the program in an unbiased perspective. To put it more harshly, “No Child Left Behind is a test-and-punish scheme that fails to deal with real problems in schools,” says Michelle Rhee, a chancellor in Washington, D.C. “[It] ends up dumbing down educational quality.”

    Read More

  • No Child Left Behind

    1336 Words  | 3 Pages

    The NCLB Act was signed by former President George Bush in 2002, which was created to improve student and achievement gaps. In the article, “No Child Left behind and the Transformation of Federal Education Policy”, Patrick J. McGuinn exclaimed, “No Child Left behind is an attempt by the federal government to regulate educational policy in the 50 states” (Patrick McGuinn,2007, p. 370). It is also designed to make sure that all students can achieve high standards from all states which include students with disabilities. Before the NCLB was passed, students with disabilities were excluded from school assessments. Now that this act was ...

    Read More

  • No Child Left Behind

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    As students in a Structure & Philosophy class, one of the main components has been to introduce and familiarize us with the No Child Left Behind Act. President Bush passed this legislation on January 8, 2002. The NCLB Act was designed to ensure each and every student the right to a fair education, to give parents more options in their child’s education, and to guarantee all teachers are highly qualified. By highly qualified, the act means teachers must have at least a bachelor’s degree, have full state certification or licensure, and have demonstrated competence in their subject areas (US Dept. of Education).

    Read More

  • Poor Parenting Revealed in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    1085 Words  | 3 Pages

    Madigan, P. The Modern Project to Rigor: Descartes to Nietzsche. Landham: UP of America, 1986.

    Read More

  • No Child Left Behind- Sound Program or an Atrocious Notion?

    1477 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Standardized Test Definition." The Glossary of Education Reform. Great Schools Partnership, 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • Romantic and Enlightenment Ideas in Frankenstein

    1160 Words  | 3 Pages

    Madigan, P. The Modern Project to Rigor: Descartes to Nietzsche. Landham: UP of America, 1986.

    Read More

  • The No Child Left Behind Act

    1436 Words  | 3 Pages

    In conclusion, the initial intentions of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) were to close the achievement gap between low achieving students and schools and their counterparts; but have fallen short in many important aspects along the way. Teachers have become de-sensitized to the reasons they initially desired to be educators and have lost their vision of how to implement instruction due to standards of NCLB and the consequences for not meeting those mandated goals. Likewise, students must perform, many times, above their level in order to be labeled “adequate” by the federal government and their schools. In some cases, there is a disproportionate burden placed on schools, teachers, and students, all for the sake of what is federally deemed as average achievement.

    Read More

  • Rhetoric vs. Truth

    2248 Words  | 5 Pages

    On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense, Nietzsche. United States of America: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2001. 1171-1179. Print

    Read More

  • William J. La Due’s The Trinity Guide to Eschatology

    1207 Words  | 3 Pages

    Keller, Catherine. "The Last Laugh : A Counter-Apocalyptic Meditation on Moltmann's Coming of God." Theology Today 54, no. 3 (1997): 381-391.

    Read More

More about Comparing Nietzsche and Schopenhauer's Attitudes Towards Life

Open Document