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Metaphor is pervasive and universal in everyday life, not only in language but also in thought and action; our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of...
The metaphor essay
The metaphor essay
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In the film, The Matrix, the human race is forced into a “dream state” by a powerful group that controls their reality. “The Matrix” is a false reality where people live an ordinary life. However, this reality, or illusion, is being forced onto people who readily accept it as truth. This concept is where Friedrich Nietzsche’s essay, “On Truth and Lies in a Moral Sense” (1873) begins its argument. Nietzsche begins his argument by explaining that we have a need to form groups or “herds”. To keep these groups together “a uniformly valid and binding designation is given to things” (452). This idea basically boils down to groups create metaphors to further the groups purpose. Nietzsche continues by explaining that “This creator [of metaphors] only designates the relationship of things to man” (453). Ultimately, we can only derive metaphors from a human point of view. As a result of assigning these human designations, the whole identity of the “thing” is lost. Nietzsche wants us to break away from the designation given to “things” by groups because designations will only categorizes things as black and white.
One might object here that if Nietzsche is arguing against truth, how that argument can be true. Of course, Nietzsche’s argument does imply that we are “deeply immersed in illusions” (452). But, Nietzsche is saying that truths have lost their meaning over time. What Nietzsche really means is “Truths are illusions which we have forgotten are illusions; they are metaphors that have become worn out and have been drained of sensuous force, coins which have lost their embossing and are now considered as metal no longer as coins” (455). The essence of Nietzsche’s argument is that a metaphor, over times, loses its meaning. Even m...
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...Nietzsche’s argument may seem trivial, it is in fact crucial in terms of today’s concern over politics, religion, consumerism and even education. Let’s examine the movie The Matrix again. The human race is enslaved to a powerful army of robots. The matrix, also known as a false reality, is created to keep the enslaved humans oblivious to what is going on. Finally, the main character, Neo, rejects this illusion called the matrix; and fights to free himself from slavery. Though a bit unrealistic, this argument seems to be parallel with Nietzsche’s argument that we are “deeply immersed in illusions”. Nietzsche insists that an individual who accepts truths “is like a servant who goes in search of booty and prey for his master. Conversely, an individual who rejects this illusion “becomes the master and it dares to wipe from its face the expression of indigence” (461).
In their film, The Matrix, Andy and Larry Wachowski have included many literary allusions and symbols to enhance the appeal of this groundbreaking science fiction film. As incredible as the special effects and cinematography are in this film, the Wachowski brothers have significantly bolstered the appeal of The Matrix by an elaborately constructed story spanning time and reality. These allusions and symbols include references from infamous writers such as Lewis Carol, Jung, John Bunyan and Descartes. However, the most meaningful and abundant references come from The Holy Bible.1
Nietzsche says, “If he will not be satisfied with truth in the form of tautology, that is to say, if he will not be content with empty husks, then he will always exchange truths for illusions.” (Truth and lies, 55) Through this statement he clearly means that if people are not satisfied they will exchange their sadness and loneliness with illusions; in other words, magic. Without realizing they will make their illusions the truth, which unfortunately is a lie. Like for example O’Brien talks about Jimmy Cross carrying love letters from Martha. Like he says, “In the late afternoon, after a day 's march, he would dig his foxhole, wash his hands under a canteen, unwrap the letters, hold them with the tips of his fingers, and spend the last hour of light pretending. He would imagine romantic camping trips into the White Mountains in New Hampshire.”(The Things they carried, 1) In these few sentences, it depicts clearly that Jimmy is pretending, imagining his time with Martha. He pretends, and yet believes that Martha loves him like the way he loves her. For him this is real, and that is the element of magic. For the magic to work, Jimmy has to lie to himself and believe that this is the only truth. Another time magic has importance is when Ted Lavender gets shot in the head and Rat Kiley freaks out and starts yelling the obvious: “ Ted Lavender was shot in the head on his way back from peeing.... Oh
However, Nietzsche’s idea of the powerful forcing their will on common people resonates with me. It is something we see in our modern society, wealthy people seem to have a higher influence over the average American. Examples of powerful people controlling others are found in politics, economy, media, and religion. Common people are lead to think in certain ways that the powerful need them to. Nietzsche said that people will only be equal as long as they are equal in force and talent, people who have a higher social group are more influential in decisions because average people look to them for information. The thing I do not agree with Nietzsche on his view as Christianity as a weakness because religion is a main cause of people’s decision
The Matrix, directed by the Wachowski brothers, a film about the journey of Neo discovering the real and simulation world, revolves around how he is “The One” destined to save mankind. As critics may say that The Matrix is either an action packed movie containing philosophy or a philosophical movie containing action, critics also miss the fact that it could possibly be considered as a religious themed movie because it contains a plethora of Biblical references, such as symbolic evidence. In Gregory Bassham’s article, “The Religion of The Matrix and Problems of Pluralism”, he discusses how the film contains Christian themes, non-Christian themes, and lastly, religious pluralism. The rhetorical
...nd, this student sees the writers picked and choose what they wanted to use from each philosopher’s works and ultimately like the essence of the Matrix, distorted the ultimate truths each philosopher sought out.
Deep within the cave the prisoners are chained by their necks and have a limited view of reality. Around them, by the distant light of the fire, they only see shadows and outlines of people or objects. From their conclusions of what they may think is real, are false. “The Matrix” parallels Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” in a number of ways. Similar to the prisoners of the cave the humans trapped in the modern day puppet-handlers (the machines) want them to see. In the movie, Neo is a computer hacker, and on day he suddenly realizes that his world is fake, by finding out the truth after he was released from the pod. Neo discovers that what he has been presented with his entire life is only reflections or merely shadows of the truth. The theme is recognized throughout the movie as we see many objects, as well as Neo, reflected in other objects. The puppet-handlers (the machines) represent what Plato calls the influential and powerful members of society. The objects making the shadows in “The Allegory of the Cave” are also creating a false conclusion for the prisoners. In “The Matrix” the puppet-handle...
Nietzsche believed we create the self through our experiences and our actions, and in order to be a complete self, we must accept everything we have done. I agree with him in this sense. Although it is easy to learn from the mistakes of others, there is no greater lesson than learning from our own mistakes. He also believed there is much more to the self than we know about. This is another example about how we learn about ourselves through our experiences and actions.
Nietzsche is not persuaded and does not use religion in his writings. He however does believe that there is good that can come out of suffering. However the good that comes out of it is the fact that through suffering the strong man will become stronger, because of the suffering. Nietzsche feels that religion is only for the weal and that offers support for those that are weak. This is true to a point, religion can help people who are going through a hard time, and is helpful when someone is at a low point. However this is not the only time someone can use religion, strong men need religion just as much as the
The central point of this essay is this “truths are illusions of which we have forgotten that they are illusions.” (Pg. 146) He also goes on to say that the truth is a metaphor, using the Latin meanings of metaphor, meta (to carry with) and phora (to carry over), we can say that a metaphor is a transference between two completely different spheres. It is all about reasons, concepts, and perceptions. What we consider or believe to be the truth is simply a subject realm of experience, completely different from reality. For example, colors, if we were to believe and go by what Nietzsche is saying, colors are not absolute truths just illusions that we have created in our relative reality. So nothing is actually blue, and to take it a step further blue is not real, both perceptions are illusions that we have made
We have grown weary of man. Nietzsche wants something better, to believe in human ability once again. Nietzsche’s weariness is based almost entirely in the culmination of ressentiment, the dissolution of Nietzsche’s concept of morality and the prevailing priestly morality. Nietzsche wants to move beyond simple concepts of good and evil, abandon the assessment of individuals through ressentiment, and restore men to their former wonderful ability.
“There are no truths,” states one. “Well, if so, then is your statement true?” asks another. This statement and following question go a long way in demonstrating the crucial problem that any investigator of Nietzsche’s conceptions of perspectivism and truth encounters. How can one who believes that one’s conception of truth depends on the perspective from which one writes (as Nietzsche seems to believe) also posit anything resembling a universal truth (as Nietzsche seems to present the will to power, eternal recurrence, and the Übermensch)? Given this idea that there is no truth outside of a perspective, a transcendent truth, how can a philosopher make any claims at all which are valid outside his personal perspective? This is the question that Maudemarie Clark declares Nietzsche commentators from Heidegger and Kaufmann to Derrida and even herself have been trying to answer. The sheer amount of material that has been written and continues to be written on this conundrum demonstrates that this question will not be satisfactorily resolved here, but I will try to show that a resolution can be found. And this resolution need not sacrifice Nietzsche’s idea of perspectivism for finding some “truth” in his philosophy, or vice versa. One, however, ought to look at Nietzsche’s philosophical “truths” not in a metaphysical manner but as, when taken collectively, the best way to live one’s life in the absence of an absolute truth.
Friedrich Nietzsche’s On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense represents a deconstruction of the modern epistemological project. Instead of seeking for truth, he suggests that the ultimate truth is that we have to live without such truth, and without a sense of longing for that truth. This revolutionary work of his is divided into two main sections. The first part deals with the question on what is truth? Here he discusses the implication of language to our acquisition of knowledge. The second part deals with the dual nature of man, i.e. the rational and the intuitive. He establishes that neither rational nor intuitive man is ever successful in their pursuit of knowledge due to our illusion of truth. Therefore, Nietzsche concludes that all we can claim to know are interpretations of truth and not truth itself.
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”.
The philosopher Nietzsche has been scrutinized for most of his work because he stood against the Christian faith. He believed that Christianity held people back from achieving a full life because it countered all the wants and needs of the human. He believed that slaves made up Christianity to replace the things that they could not receive. Sex, power and revenge were all out of range for a slaves so in return they made up Christianity to follow. Nietzsche’s greatest works however is what he describes as Übermensch or Superman. This “superman” is someone that has evolved even greater than any of today’s humans. He compares evolution from apes to humans and believes that the human isn’t done with evolution yet, instead is still growing and
Friedrich Nietzsche was without a doubt one of the most influential thinkers of the 19th century. He was a man who ventured to question all of man's beliefs. He was out to seek the important questions in life, not always their answers. Some consider Nietzsche to be one of the first existentialist philosophers along with Søren Kierkegaard. He was the inspiration for many philosophers, poets, sociologists, and psychologists including Sigmund Freud. His goal to seek explanations for society's commonly accepted values was an inspiration for Freud's psychoanalysis theory1. Nietzsche's life as well as his theories such as the will to power, the Übermensch, eternal recurrence, and his thoughts on religion all had a momentous affect on 19th and 20th century philosophy.