The other half of Nietzsche's naively spoken decontextualised phrase.

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HomunculusThor's picture
The other half of Nietzsche's naively spoken decontextualised phrase.

Friedrich Nietzsche, in Twilight of the Idols, Maxims and Arrows #8., did enunciate:
“Out of life's school of war: What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.”

Do you think he was agreeing with this, or, Do you think he was simply (ironically, contradictorily--even caustically), putting the known phrase: “What does not destroy me, makes me stronger”, in the contextual mouths of the war-mongers; and not something that is supposed to, by crude reductionism, make oneself feel better about their life or life-situation, at all?

For I hear people, a lot, quote but half the idea, being: “What does not destroy me, makes me stronger” without at all conjoining it, as it were, to its psycho-intentional base: “Out of life's school of war:”...?

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Travis Hedglin's picture
I would probably have to read

I would probably have to read the passage with its surrounding context to tell what he meant by it. But, knowing Fred, it was probably a satirical social commentary that was meant to goose his contemporary society in the ribs.

HomunculusThor's picture
I agree. And I love that you

I agree. And I love that you said "Knowing Fred." So down to earth, and yet so funny! :)

Travis Hedglin's picture
Well, anyone familiar with

Well, anyone familiar with Fred knows that he says a lot of things taken easily out of context, because he was a big fan of satire and sarcasm.

cmallen's picture
I have little doubt about

I have little doubt about Nietzsche's use of caustic irony in this case (and many other cases.)

HomunculusThor's picture
True. :)

True. :)

Pitar's picture
"Out of life's school of war"

"Out of life's school of war" is inferred. We need not elaborate it. War defines us.

What I do think is where nothing comes of war, perseverance ("makes me stronger") assures it will continue to serve man with nothing of worth. Killing good men to kill their evil is to kill them all.

Or...

If you're gonna be stupid, you'd better be tough.

HomunculusThor's picture
All true, except in that

All true, except in that there are many people, many individual persons, who are not defined by war and do not have or share in the militaristic mindset, which mindset Nietzsche's Arrow points out; and what doesn't kill them often messes them up, or breaks them. And one might call them sensitive or even weak.
I'm not disagreeing with what you have said, Pitar, but I guess I would couple to your last sentence:
"If you're gonna be sensitive or weak, you'd better be tough"--hence the validity of war defining Mankind, but not every man; for every man lives within that larger Mankind which IS defined by war.
Just a distinction.

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