Truth and Perspective

Truth and Perspective

• Nietzsche considers the French Revolution, and the common interpretation of the event as a progressive step away from the tyrannical monarchy

• But isn't this just an interpretation which helps us to believe that humanity is developing?

• Really, we are projecting our feelings onto the revolution to such an extent that 'the text has disappeared underneath the interpretation'

• But once we recognise this as simply another falsification, can't we just stop interpreting history in this way?!

• Furthermore, his description of the revolution as a 'superfluous farce' implies that it was pointless, perhaps because, inevitably, the divide between the ruling class and the common people will always be re-established.

• Once again, Nietzsche points out that all our knowledge stems from 'falsification' and 'simplification' of the world – a will to ignorance.

• Without such a basis, we would not enjoy life – if we could see the world without our 'filters', we would see is very different

• The world we think we live in is not the world we actually live in. Example: the sun appears to orbit the earth, but it's actually the other way around.

• Many philosophers are naïve in this sense – assume things can be investigated without acknowledging their tendency to be deceived. But even the thought processes which lead to doubt our perceptions can be deceptive.

• The true philosopher therefore needs to be distrustful and suspicious, to develop a 'bad character'

• Nietzsche renews his attack on the faith in antithetical values (in this case…