Nietzsche and the Crisis of Modernity | Highlights Ep. 47

In this Highlight from Hillsdale College’s FREE online course, “Introduction to Western Philosophy,” Dr. Nathan Schlueter explains how Friedrich Nietzsche criticized modern culture and argued that it inverts the natural order of values by celebrating weakness and servility over strength and courage.

Hillsdale College is an independent institution of higher learning founded in 1844 by men and women “grateful to God for the inestimable blessings” resulting from civil and religious liberty and “believing that the diffusion of learning is essential to the perpetuity of these blessings.” It pursues the stated object of the founders: “to furnish all persons who wish, irrespective of nation, color, or sex, a literary, scientific, [and] theological education” outstanding among American colleges “and to combine with this such moral and social instruction as will best develop the minds and improve the hearts of its pupils.” As a nonsectarian Christian institution, Hillsdale College maintains “by precept and example” the immemorial teachings and practices of the Christian faith.

The College also considers itself a trustee of our Western philosophical and theological inheritance tracing to Athens and Jerusalem, a heritage finding its clearest expression in the American experiment of self-government under law.

By training the young in the liberal arts, Hillsdale College prepares students to become leaders worthy of that legacy. By encouraging the scholarship of its faculty, it contributes to the preservation of that legacy for future generations. By publicly defending that legacy, it enlists the aid of other friends of free civilization and thus secures the conditions of its own survival and independence.

[carolwq]

These are brilliant words of wisdom. Thank you for sharing.

[NoShotEst]

This was very insightful. I can definitely identify the master and slave archetypes in todays society. And the perspective on suffering presented in this video is spot on.

[zofiamazur]

This is a great course to take for free online. I will go for it.

[cherryllcooper]

I’ve always found Nietzsche nearly incomprehensible (I am mostly self educated and was trying to broaden my understanding of Philosophy). Too many words, making too many loops. Maybe I needed more foundation information rather than jumping in where I did. This explanation untangled the language and made the concept decipherable. Thank You.

[turdferguson]

Just an algorithm boosting comment. Thanks Hillsdale for the great content as always!

[gregafuso]

From Buddha to Spinoza and the Quakers to Nietzsche: The dream of Enlightened Anarchy. If only humans weren't so human.

[BBBCanada]

One of my favorite philosophers: Nathan Schlueter.

[johnbabb_]

Hence why chronologies of postmodern thought, in which all claims to truth are relative, regularly begin with him.

[jimmyscircus]

I can't get enough of these. Hard part is actualization.

[JSomerled]

Outstanding…Do you have a more in depth course?

[grandlotus]

Nietzsche was an especially articulate adolescent.

[mohomarbaraki]

I’m puzzled by the decision to remove Friedrich Nietzsche’s entire video from Hillsdale College’s website.

[monicagarciarojas-ev]

Controversial! … about the new, the created and the lost, the destroyed. Everything is a cycle, reality is not invented, however it is created, so creation is innovation, but it doesn’t become reality until it is finished conceiving. Writing poetry is a stripping of souls and glances, from back to front between lights and shadows, ideas and sighs in unison, but until the work, the poem or the book is finished, it is not yet a reality. Sometimes some write it and others publish it as if it were theirs without having been born from their hands, what has been born from their hands is the economic, monetary power that materializes even the lie. So where is the new created with what was lost and destroyed really?! ... values, definitely values. The fear of God is what purifies human existence that in one way or another suffers when seeking the good and the will of God. Great topic as usual! 🙏🏻🙏🏻

[NajwaLaylah]

Sort of the opposite of the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs.

[ZenBen_the_Elder]

Replace 'democratic socialism' with 'neoliberal capitalism'.
There, I fixed it.

[joebrooks]

Classic Science Fiction confronted the concepts of "Modern Philosophy" that masquerade as reform and progress for years. Change was needed in the 17th century, but not for something far worse. My High School required readings of 1984, Animal Farm, and Brave New World. Those motivated more reading: Anarchaos (highly recommended, Westlake provides a list of "Modern Philosophy" transgressors*), The Weapon Shops Of Isher, The World of Null A, Starship Troopers, A Plague of Demons and many more History and Economics texts caused a look at "Modern Philosophy" from 1970 to 1980.

Conclusions then and now; "Modern Philosophy" appears to have been financed by old European wealthy and corporate monopolies who were losing their grip on power to Christianity and Western Civilization. These remarkably immoral, regressive, and childish philosophies seem to be designed to reestablish Kingdoms, Feudalism, Serfdom, and the British Economic Colonization system of free trade slavery. Thru Anarchy, Pessimism, Atheism, Nihilism, then Existentialism, etc. they hoped to produce a miseducated population (largely accomplished now). Preventing honest, benevolent education, reform, and rational philosophical thought. While creating historyless primitives and Sociopathic Nietzscheian "Higher" men who would do anything for money and power.

The Founding of the USA, with it's Constitutionally codified Laws and Rights, spurred even greater and more detailed attempts. Just looking at where these "philosophers" worked and who they were financed by and their complete absence of any moral authority indicates a lot. Many also had a history of mental illness.

Marxist (Politburo as Royalty) mass crime as government rapidly grew straight out of these deliberately confusing Dialectical misdirection, contradiction, and circular logic semantic exercises in "intellectual" depravity. "Political language... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind" - Orwell. The results of the morally ambiguous who utilized "Modern Philosophy" concepts as "intellectual revolutionaries" are plain to see. Kingdoms, Mass murder, Communism, Gulags, Rehabilitation camps, Hitler. Stalinism. Chairman Mao, Pol Pot, Castro.

The last 230 years of human history have seen unprecedented intentional mass murder in and out of peacetime, The French Revolution, 2 apocalyptic wars, 170 million people murdered by their Marxist/Fascist governments. Amoral, immoral, atheistic Modern Philosophy concepts contributed heavily by the perpetrators own words. The Modern Philosophy Religion is a disaster.

"I didn't know you read Kant? Can't read, you mean."- Keith Laumer

All research points to Nietzsche having been born with Syphilis. His father probably died from Syphilis.

Nietzsche would not just have had a brain riddled with Syphilis. He would also have been suffering from silver poisoning, the treatment used then. And whatever mental instabilities would arise from a lifetime of horrible illness. A hatred of the concept of God?

That anyone would choose a gospel (followers of Nietzsche and "Modern Philosophy") are using Nietzsche as Christ and a religion (just as Marxists use Marx and Marxism as religion), while knowing he was likely a raving madman and was locked away, is extremely bizarre.

So, what philosophy? I suggest very basic. Regardless of solipsism, virtual reality or whether or not you are file folder 427THX1138, we have to live in the real world with real world consequences: The Ten Commandments, The Golden Rule, and The Scientific Method/Isolation Troubleshooting problem solving. Most people do this naturally, anyway. You do not have to be religious to see that the Golden Rule and The Ten Commandments are beneficial Philosophies.

This Philosophy can be applied to any problem - Economic, Ethical, Scientific, Philosophical, Personal, etc., without moral ambiguities, and without much risk of some unwise unplanned catastrophic result.

*I would add Adam Smith, Hegel, Marx, Neitzsche, Kant, Camus, Bertrand Russell, Marcuse, Sartre, and any other "modern philosopher" who promotes the concepts that have contributed to massive death, destruction, and repression and will continue to do so in the future, to Westlake's list.

[jamesgarcia]

I keep my morality high you not make nor walk to bad morals…

[joe-yoy]

So, Dogs and Cats are master moralist?

[mtom]

They know every dog has his day on the Day of Judgment, so they’re okay with death.

[gavingleemonex]

Neitzchie got through many long and difficult nights by contemplating suicide.