"The fundamental belief of metaphysicians is the belief in the antitheses of values. It never occured even to the wariest of them to doubt here on the very threshold (where, doubt, however, was most necessary); though they had made a solemn vow, "de omnibus dubitandum." For it may be doubted, firstly, whether antitheses exist at all; and secondly, whether the popular variations and antitheses of value upon which metaphysicians have set their seal are not perhaps merely superficial estimates, merely provisional perspectives, besides being probably made from some corner, perhaps from below-"frog perspectives," as it were, to borrow an expression current among painters."
-Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil.
The "belief in the antitheses of values" juxtaposed with "de omnibus dubitandum" makes me wonder whether or not Nietzsche is reading Hegel right. Hegel isn't saying that all facts should be doubted at all; however, from context clues it seems that Nietzsche is referring to Hegel's dialectical method.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
An interesting passage to juxtopose with the introduction to the PhS. One can only doubt what one takes to be true (one can't be expected to doubt what has never occurred to one, for example). So far, Hegel hasn't encouraged us to take the "antithesis of values" as a true premise. If anything, it seems that the antithesis of values (if that is a way of talking about dialectic, which is itself seriously worth doubting) must be rooted in something more primary. So far, that looks like the nature or activity of consciousness. By the end, it might look like the beginning was something else entirely.
ReplyDelete