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Freidrich Nietzsche's The Gay Science: An Analysis

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This essay will discuss Freidrich Nietzsche’s philosophy and offer an interpretation of the expression of the thought “Amor Fati” as it appears in The Gay Science. Before moving into the development of the interpretation it is necessary to first outline some of Nietzsche’s essential ideas to establish a philosophical context that can sustain a discussion of amor fati. The remaining focus of the essay is to analyze amor fati in light of two possible contradictions. Namely, that prospective “lovers of fate” are faced with two paradoxes: a) amor fati involves a contradiction between the nature of love and the intrinsically negative value of fate; b) amor fati requires us to love something which is difficult to value in relation to our needs and …show more content…

To love fate is to completely and uncompromisingly accept reality as it is. Amor fati describes an attitude in which one sees everything that happens in life, including suffering and loss as necessary. In overcoming nihilism, the life-affirming man apprehends the inherent suffering. From his first expression of the thought in The Gay Science, Nietzsche makes it clear that his “fate” is of necessity, not to be mistaken for …show more content…

There is no teleology in Nietzsche’s philosophy – the world does not orient itself to an end, but is caught in an incessant process. The continuous “becoming” of the universe leads to nothing in the end. Because life for most of us is goal directed and future oriented, such a futile acceptance of life would be “shattering” as Nietzsche puts it. However, rather than resenting the meaningless suffering expected in our fate, Nietzsche endorses a “healthy” positive outlook, amor fati. The idea of amor fati is that in loving one’s fate, meaningless suffering is transformed into a necessary process and thus we are enabled to achieve an affirmation of life. The matter then, is to assess whether Nietzsche’s amor fati is empirically valid or

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This can also be used as a response to Nagel’s statement that we are all fortunate to be born. Someone who is born with a disease that is incurable and leaves the subject in a constant state of pain, such as the Butterfly Disease, might feel as if they were not fortunate to be born. Death might also be seen as good because seen from an objective stance as in Nagel’s text, we all must die. Therefore, in a narrative view of life one could say that death is good because it is what we were born to

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Assuming everything exists as it seems, consider how many layers of truth there are. Nietzsche claims philosophy is a product of the philosopher ad greatly reflects their personal morality. This personal philosophy reflects the philosopher 's perceptions and prejudices, which are in turn guided by their experience. Nietzsche is encouraging skepticism of his work as it too is personal and not fact; further, he claims the points he lands on are not necessarily the truest ones, rather they are reflective of what he wants to reveal and conceal. He states,

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Early 1882 Nietzsche Publishes The Gay Science. The Gay Science is a piece of Nietzsche work I read. The Gay Science about merry-making after a long privation and powerlessness, the rejoicing of strength that is returning, of a reawakened faith in a tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, of a sudden sense and anticipation of a future, of impending adventures, of seas that are open again, of goals that are permitted again, believed again. From my perspective when I started to reading the gay science it made me feel and also look deeper into life,chooses,my thinking process etc..Existentialism make me think and question why to a lot of things in life and human eeste. Then early 1883 Nietzsche mood changed again when his heart hit bottom.

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