Why Nietzsche Hated Kant

SUPPORT US ON PATREON:

WATCH:

OUR ANALYSES:

The quote at the start of this video comes from Twilight of the Idols, one of Nietzsche’s later works. It’s decidedly more radical in tone than his earlier works. For a more nuanced take on Immanuel Kant, we need to go visit Nietzsche’s earlier writings.

Let’s take a look at Nietzsche most sustained critique of him, the one we find in Beyond Good and Evil. It concerns one of Kant’s central ideas in metaphysics, his table of categories.

The table of categories is therefore a part of Kant’s answer to the questions: how does the mind work? How does it make sense of the world? How does it generate experience? It’s in large part his answer to the famous question: how are synthetic judgments a priori possible?

Nietzsche’s critique boils down to this: he accuses Kant of not saying much at all.

Nietzsche paints with a very broad brush here, as he is wont to do. But his argument is really that behind all the technical terms and expensive words, Kant is moving around in a circle and in fact not accomplishing much at all. He is going nowhere.

How does the mind work, asks Kant. And what is his answer? By a faculty of the mind. The mind works by virtue of a principle by which the mind works. It’s a non-answer.

The first part of Nietzsche’s critique centres around the circle in which he claimed Kant moved. Saying that Kant didn’t really answer the question at all, but merely repeated it. Like the doctor in Molière’s play.

The second part of his critique is not unique to Kant but rather a general point Nietzsche makes about all philosophy in Beyond Good and Evil, namely that each philosophy is merely a reflection of the personality of the philosopher who came up with it.

Kant asks the question: how are synthetic judgments a priori possible?
And Nietzsche replies with another question: why should they be possible?

Kant had a very clear goal with his philosophy - he had already decided his destination. He wanted to build a bridge between the rationalism of Descartes and the empiricism of Hume, and in the process of doing so, save the possibility of scientific knowledge, a priori synthetic judgments.

Kant therefore stands accused of putting the cart before the horse. Rather than being a disinterested, cold, objective thinker, who will follow whatever path his philosophy takes him, Nietzsche accuses him of having already set a destination and then rationalising his way towards a path to that destination.

Kant wanted to save the possibility of synthetic judgments a priori, and therefore he found a way to do so.

This is the wrong way to go about things, as we are supposed to believe, and indeed we delude ourselves into believing, that philosophy is an autonomous activity that will lead wherever it leads. If we have a predetermined conclusion we want to arrive at, that is suspicious. Philosophy is supposed to be the discipline that will tell us, through investigation and deep thought, which conclusions are correct. If we presuppose a certain conclusion, we are skipping the entire philosophical process.

Nietzsche accuses basically every philosopher of doing this, including Kant. Most notably in Beyond Good and Evil he also attacks Descartes for doing the same thing.

So far we have only discussed Kant’s metaphysics and epistemology. But Nietzsche’s most vitriolic critiques are reserved for Kant’s system of morals.

The foundation of his critique is the same: philosophers come up with systems that are not the result of a dispassionate objective search for truth, but rather every philosophical system is a way for the philosopher to justify his personality, emotions or prejudiced beliefs. For Nietzsche, this is true in the realm of metaphysics, like we just discussed, as well as in the domain of ethics.

Kant’s ethical system became famous because of the so-called categorical imperative. This is a principle based on duty for which Kant developed three formulations.

This video was sponsored by Brilliant. Thank you for supporting the channel!

[WeltgeistYT]

Thank you for watching! You guys seem to enjoy this series of "Why Nietzsche Hated..." so hopefully this instalment doesn't disappoint. -Weltgeist

[aSandwich.]

Other philosophers: *exist*
Nietzsche: "Your Jordan's fake."

[casinhamagica]

Yeah, I want a whole series.
Why Nietzsche Hated Socrates
Why Nietzsche Hated Plato
Why Nietzsche Hated Aristotle
Why Nietzsche Hated Kant
Why Nietzsche Hated Hegel
Why Nietzsche Hated John Locke
Why Nietzsche Hated David Hume
Why Nietzsche Hated Berkeley
Why Nietzsche Didn't Hated Sartre, but would if he had known him
I'd watch it all.

[Jabranalibabry]

Nietz: why have an Immanuel who KANT when you've Zarathustra who KAN!

[sumdumbmick]

whenever a philsopher or scientist hits a brick wall of their own making and declares that it implies some underlying complex truth of the universe, this is when I say 'they Kant understand it'.

[benandrew]

"Kant therefore stands accused of putting Descartes before the horse"
bravo

[ajk]

4:09 Didn't Epictetus say the same thing two thousand years ago "“We suffer not from the events in our lives but from our judgement about them.”

[tycobrahe]

"I have found it necessary to deny knowledge in order to make room for faith" (Critique of Pure Reason). Kant himself says it! Nietzsche was spot on! Kant is a continuation of religious metaphysics (this world is unreal), epistemology (reason is limited), and ethics (obedience/duty).
Nice coverage of a complex topic! Thank you!

[chrisstott]

A great video. I agree with Nietzsche's criticism that Kant was far too circular. But I also get the impression that as part of his critique Nietzsche effectively argued that philosophy must lack any motivation, which is when I'd ask him; "So, lacking motivation, why would I do it?"

[felixdm]

Clear, interesting, well put together, and well explained - excellent video 👍

[mindlifechannel]

Really great summation, not only of Nietzsche but also for Kant. I have read his Critique of Pure Reason book and it is not the easiest to fathom, but hearing commentary of this quality brings it all together. Would be also good to see some videos featuring Kant given his association with Schopenhauer. Thank you JZ (John)

[montynorman]

@weltgeist i would like to see a video of Nietzsches critique on himself. This has been something I’ve became interested in recently

[ieatpaste]

Nietzsche calling Kant "the great spider of the age" is my personal favorite. I think it's in "How to Philosophize With the Hammer"

[vbathory]

If Nietzsche hated Kant so much, he merely had to call him by his name

[Alan_Duval]

How am I only finding your channel now? This is frickin' great.

[ajk]

I just took an introductory class of Philosophy in college and my professor would just lecture and ramble. I don't remember one thing that I can say wow I learned that in that class. But literally in 20 seconds from 2:58 I've learned more than a whole semester worth.

[Vectivuss]

Ah my favorite content from you, anything Neitzsche. I think you'd cover Machiavelli well also

[Achrononmaster]

@4:00 Kant did not really say that, he said we cannot rightly claim to _perceive_ a clear black & white distinction, which is not to say there is none. It is a near trivial statement. Also, fuzzy sets and algorithmic complexity (impossibility of real time knowledge from empiricism) were not understood back then, and an awful lot of Continental philosophy bickering boils down to not acknowledging in the other guy is really invoking fuzzy sets or algorithmic complexity.

[lukefrombk]

Weltgeist I love your videos. Thank you very much for your many interesting uploads. Please keep up the great work you've been doing for our viewing pleasure 💪

[victorsauvage]

Great -- This is the most profound sort of philosophical education.

I suggest that any young person who wants to learn about philosophy ought to listen to this lecture once per day -- or even once per week for 3 months.