Hi Brett, great essay. I have come late to this, but I have a couple of observations. Nietzsche distinguished between a pessimism of despair and a pessimism of strength. Understanding that our morals cannot be objectively grounded leads to despair - nihilism. But a pessimism of strength realizes that for this very reason (lack of objectivity) that we do not fail in any 'meaningful' sense. Failure in this sense can only be meaningful if such objective standards existed, but in the absence of such objective standards, failure to meet such standards does not make sense.
But it does make psychological sense. Hence Nietzsche's preoccupation with the psychology of strength and weakness. Hence Nietzsche's claim that 'philosophers always come late to culture', in times of cultural decadence.
Great Brett. Keep it up!
Thank you Paul, will do.
Hi Brett, great essay. I have come late to this, but I have a couple of observations. Nietzsche distinguished between a pessimism of despair and a pessimism of strength. Understanding that our morals cannot be objectively grounded leads to despair - nihilism. But a pessimism of strength realizes that for this very reason (lack of objectivity) that we do not fail in any 'meaningful' sense. Failure in this sense can only be meaningful if such objective standards existed, but in the absence of such objective standards, failure to meet such standards does not make sense.
But it does make psychological sense. Hence Nietzsche's preoccupation with the psychology of strength and weakness. Hence Nietzsche's claim that 'philosophers always come late to culture', in times of cultural decadence.