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1. Nietzsche’s Spirit of Revenge
Nietzsche believed that the thought of the eternal recurrence of the same was the ultimate expression of will to power. Heidegger, however, saw in it the very same “spirit of revenge” from which Nietzsche was trying to escape. In order to see why this is the case, we must review what the spirit of revenge meant for Nietzsche, and how he thought he had eluded it. (more…)
Nietzsche blind to the clearing.
Nietzsche blind to the clearing.
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(Part 2 available here)
1. Nihilism and the Death of God
The preceding installment gave the reader a sketch of Heidegger’s interpretation of Nietzsche. It is now time to go into more detail. Heidegger argues that there are “three axes” of Nietzsche’s philosophy: the eternal return, the will to power, and the revaluation of all values.[1] Our discussion will focus upon these but also cover other matters important for understanding Nietzsche. Ultimately, Heidegger will show that all the different “axes” or aspects of Nietzsche’s philosophy are interrelated, and that a thorough discussion of any one must lead to the others. (more…)
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1. The Metaphysics of Presence
In the last installment, we introduced Heidegger’s claim that Western metaphysics ends with Nietzsche. For Heidegger, metaphysics is the expression of an anthropocentrism that culminates in the meaninglessness and inhumanity of modern technological civilization. With Nietzsche, metaphysics comes full circle and “reverses” Platonism. Nietzsche prepares the ground for the ultimate result of metaphysics, which is not actually a work of philosophy. It is modern technological civilization itself. (more…)
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1. Nietzsche as Essential Thinker
Friedrich Nietzsche is an extraordinarily significant thinker for the Right. His affirmation of hierarchy and natural inequality and his analysis of Leftism as moved by ressentiment are extremely important to us. Yet, viewed from the Right, there are also major problems with Nietzsche’s thought. His historicism and relativism (or “perspectivism”) are both highly problematic. (more…)
You can order Greg Johnson’s Tyranny and Wisdom here.
You can order Greg Johnson’s Tyranny and Wisdom here.
2,627 words
Philosophy is the most important thing you will ever study, but it is easy to get bogged down in asides about the meanings of words. Thus it is helpful to get the basic terminology out of the way first.
It’s All Greek to Us
The European philosophical tradition began in Ancient Greece. Thus we will have to use a few Greek words to explain it. But don’t be intimidated. Since many English words have Greek roots, you have been speaking Greek all along without knowing it. (more…)
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I consider that all materialists, including the vertical racists, are and must be hostile to us…. Furthermore, [they] have mainly nineteenth-century outlooks. I have small tolerance for these survival types, but I never disturb them in their mental graveyards. It is they who attacked me.”
—Francis Parker Yockey[1] (more…)
3,606 words
Schopenhauer as Lebensphilosoph
This introduction to the thought of Arthur Schopenhauer is not, strictly speaking, a part of the series on “Heidegger’s history of metaphysics” that I have been writing now for almost five years. The reason is that Heidegger had little use for Schopenhauer, and not a lot to say about him. To my knowledge, he never taught a course on any of Schopenhauer’s works. (more…)
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All parts here.
Introducing the Clearing
As we discussed last time, Heidegger’s major objection to Hegel is to identify his philosophy as “ontotheology.” In other words, Hegel confuses the “ontological difference,” the difference between being-as-such and beings, the things that have being. In the end, Hegel declares that the Absolute is being. (more…)
3,748 words
All previous parts here.
Heidegger’s Critique of Hegel
We now turn, finally, to Heidegger’s critique of Hegel. As we noted at the beginning of this series, Heidegger saw Hegel’s philosophy as the completion of Western metaphysics. He thus agrees with Hegel in one very important respect, for Hegel held exactly this view of his own philosophy. (more…)
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First they came for elves, and I remained silent because I never met an elf. Then they came for Gods, and I remained silent because I never felt their presence. Then they came for ghosts, and I remained silent because I never saw a ghost. Then they came for consciousness, and I did not exist.
– Unknown mortal (more…)
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All previous parts can be found here.
Being, Nothing, Becoming
In our last installment, we introduced Hegel’s Logic and made a few small steps in trying to comprehend the standpoint from which it begins. We have spent a good deal of time discussing Hegel’s concept of “absolute knowing,” and it is in the Logic that we see it in operation. (more…)
