With the German philosophers Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 – 1860) and Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900) (Oliver 6), the counter-Enlightenment came into its own after hiding for centuries under the drab rationalism of Descartes, Locke, Kant, and Hegel. Although this attack on the supremacy of reason began with the philosophy of Rousseau, it was not until Schopenhauer and Nietzsche that a full celebration of irrationality, the guiding force of the counter-Enlightenment, came into full flower (Oliver 117 – 121). The open atheism of Schopenhauer and Nietzsche was an acknowledgement of their belief in a chaotic and absurd universe that reason ultimately could not save. The advent of the death of God meant that these two philosophers had to find new meaning and purpose in living.
[...] Nietzsche idolized those who utilized this strength of Will to break free from dead traditions of the past, such as, Napoleon and Jesus Christ. Nietzsche saw himself as part of the evolution they had set in motion, forecasting the development of the overman as the ultimate meaning of the Earth. Nietzsche built on Schopenhauer's initial pessimism, shaping a masochist philosophy into an affirmation of life and in the process he became one of the founding fathers of both modernist and post-modernist) twentieth century thought. [...]
[...] great star, what would your happiness be had you not those for whom you shine?” (Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, 122) Nietzsche put on his old student's coat and torn hiking boots. With great showmanship, he threw his scratchy wool scarf around his neck. As he walked out the door, Nietzsche picked up his familiar walking stick and made his way down to the lake. For many hours, Nietzsche walked along the paths he had traveled before, stopping every now and then to catch his breath. [...]
[...] I will tell you Arthur, through an expression of our own freedom, of our Will to Power. Only this can overcoming menacing desires, and man itself.” Arthur sighed again. His bald head sunk between two worn shoulders. leave you Friedrich. You have found your way to overcome the Will, I have mine. One needs to utilize power to overcome oneself, but I hold that the struggle is ultimately meaningless outside of one's individual lifespan. Goodbye Friedrich, I see we shall come to no agreement, but rather a creative difference.” The ghostly figure soon disappeared into the fleeting darkness. [...]
[...] In looking at art we are freed from the Will and are given to will-less knowledge (Schopenhauer Nietzsche shook his head. “There can be no eternal ideas, especially for morality. For instance, you celebrate compassion, yet you cannot claim that compassion is an eternal idea; morality is merely an interpretation of phenomena (Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, 501). That which is open to interpretation cannot be eternal.” it is the only way to overcome the Schopenhauer interrupted Nietzsche. Nietzsche pointed to his right temple. [...]
[...] (Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Idea, it cannot Nietzsche stammered in disbelief. it the bald man said reply. “Schopenhauer! My old inspiration and a false idol at that one to Nietzsche whispered to himself. The old man looked down at the hapless Nietzsche and offered him his hand to help him up. Nietzsche grasped it and stood up. stranger to me is this wander,” he said to Friedrich. He continued, “Many years ago he passed this way. Nietzsche has changed, Nietzsche has become a child, Nietzsche is an awakened one. [...]
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