Ideas from 'Twilight of the Idols' by Friedrich Nietzsche [1889], by Theme Structure

[found in 'Twilight of the Idols and The Anti-Christ' by Nietzsche,Friedrich (ed/tr Hollingdale,R.J.) [Penguin 1972,0-14-044207-3]].

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1. Philosophy / B. History of Ideas / 4. Early European Thought

18330

Judging by the positive forces, the Renaissance was the last great age

1. Philosophy / C. History of Philosophy / 2. Ancient Philosophy / b. Pre-Socratic philosophy

2900	I revere Heraclitus

1. Philosophy / C. History of Philosophy / 2. Ancient Philosophy / c. Classical philosophy

2913	Thucydides was the perfect anti-platonist sophist

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 1. Philosophy

2909	Thinking has to be learned in the way dancing has to be learned

1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 3. Metaphysical Systems

2892	Wanting a system in philosophy is a lack of integrity

2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 7. Status of Reason

2896	I want to understand the Socratic idea that 'reason equals virtue equals happiness'

2. Reason / C. Styles of Reason / 1. Dialectic

2897	With dialectics the rabble gets on top

2. Reason / E. Argument / 6. Conclusive Proof

2898	Anything which must first be proved is of little value

7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 3. Being / e. Being and nothing

18317

The 'real being' of things is a nothingness constructed from contradictions in the actual world

7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 3. Being / h. Dasein (being human)

18315

We get the concept of 'being' from the concept of the 'ego'

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 4. Anti-realism

18316

The grounds for an assertion that the world is only apparent actually establish its reality

9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 6. Nihilism about Objects

18314

In language we treat 'ego' as a substance, and it is thus that we create the concept 'thing'

12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 6. Inference in Perception

18309

The evidence of the senses is falsified by reason

14. Science / D. Explanation / 4. Explanation Doubts / b. Rejecting explanation

18323

Any explanation will be accepted as true if it gives pleasure and a feeling of power

15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 5. Generalisation by mind

18310

The 'highest' concepts are the most general and empty concepts

16. Persons / E. Rejecting the Self / 2. Self as Social Construct

20368

There are no 'individual' persons; we are each the sum of humanity up to this moment

18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 5. Rationality / b. Human rationality

2899	The fanatical rationality of Greek philosophy shows that they were in a state of emergency

20. Action / B. Preliminaries of Action / 2. Willed Action / a. Will to Act

18313

The big error is to think the will is a faculty producing effects; in fact, it is just a word

20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 3. Acting on Reason / b. Intellectualism

20133

The 'motive' is superficial, and may even hide the antecedents of a deed

21. Aesthetics / A. Aesthetic Experience / 5. Natural Beauty

18326

The beautiful never stands alone; it derives from man's pleasure in man

21. Aesthetics / B. Nature of Art / 8. The Arts / a. Music

20101

Without music life would be a mistake

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / a. Preconditions for ethics

2902	Healthy morality is dominated by an instinct for life

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / f. Ethical non-cognitivism

18311

Philosophers hate values having an origin, and want values to be self-sufficient

18324

There are no moral facts, and moralists believe in realities which do not exist

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / g. Moral responsibility

2904	The doctrine of free will has been invented essentially in order to blame and punish people

22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / c. Life

18321

To evaluate life one must know it, but also be situated outside of it

2893	In every age the wisest people have judged life to be worthless

18308

A philosopher fails in wisdom if he thinks the value of life is a problem

2894	Value judgements about life can never be true

2895	The value of life cannot be estimated

18322

When we establish values, that is life itself establishing them, through us

22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / g. Love

18319

Love is the spiritualisation of sensuality

22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / d. Good as virtue

2903	A good human will be virtuous because they are happy

22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 2. Happiness / c. Value of happiness

2891	Only the English actually strive after happiness

23. Ethics / A. Egoism / 1. Ethical Egoism

18327

A wholly altruistic morality, with no egoism, is a thoroughly bad thing

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / d. Courage

15606

Military idea: what does not kill me makes me stronger

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / f. Compassion

18328

Invalids are parasites

24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / f. Against democracy

18331

Democracy is organisational power in decline

24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / g. Liberalism critique

18332

The creation of institutions needs a determination which is necessarily anti-liberal

25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 1. Basis of justice

2911	True justice is equality for equals and inequality for unequals

25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 1. War / a. Just wars

18320

To renounce war is to renounce the grand life

25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 5. Education / c. Teaching

2908	There is a need for educators who are themselves educated

25. Social Practice / F. Life Issues / 4. Suicide

18329

Sometimes it is an error to have been born - but we can rectify it

26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 2. Natural Purpose / c. Purpose denied

2905	'Purpose' is just a human fiction

28. God / B. Proving God / 2. Proofs of Reason / b. Ontological Proof critique

18312

The supreme general but empty concepts must be compatible, and hence we get 'God'

28. God / C. Attitudes to God / 5. Atheism

2906	By denying God we deny human accountability, and thus we redeem the world

29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 4. Christianity / a. Christianity

18325

Christians believe that only God can know what is good for man

2901	How could the Church intelligently fight against passion if it preferred poorness of spirit to intelligence?

29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 2. Immortality / d. Heaven

18318

People who disparage actual life avenge themselves by imagining a better one