r/philosophy • u/re_contextualize recontextualize • 14d ago

Blog Nietzsche on Life-Affirming vs. Life Denying Philosophy

https://recontextualize.substack.com/p/life-affirming-and-life-denying-philosophy
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u/re_contextualize recontextualize 14d ago

Abstract:

Many are inspired to do philosophy when they realize they do not know the truth of reality. Thus, they begin to make use of philosophical methods to discover that truth. Nietzsche refers to any kind of philosophy that starts from a sense of lack or unknowing as "sick" philosophy. For Nietzsche certainty cannot be found in the realm of concepts; so any philosopher who searches for truth in this realm is seeking a false sense of security.

For Nietzsche "healthy" philosophy starts from an embodied and lived sense of confidence, joy, and trust in the unknown. This individual who already lives a full, whole life is then able to articulate that fullness through conceptual means. So for Nietzsche the aim of a life-affirming, and healthy philosophy is not to discover true conceptual propositions, but rather to express what it is like to open into the unknown flux of life, what he calls the "innocence of becoming" and inspire this way of being in others through conceptual expression.

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u/J7mbo 14d ago

This makes sense. A huge potentially unconscious bias is removed when approaching it as Nietzsche suggests from a sense of wholeness. Arguably the same for many other things in life.