Chapter 16: The Anti-Philosopher: Friedrich Nietzsche Flashcards
What did contemporary philosophers think about Nietzsche?
a. They disagree about whether he was a philosopher at all.
b. They all claim that he is not actually doing philosophy.
c. They reject his metaphysics and ethics.
d. They have no doubt about Nietzsche’s brilliance.
a. They disagree about whether he was a philosopher at all.
What does Nietzsche reject of modern European culture?
a. Rationality, objective truth, and faith in science
b. Artistic self-expression and creativity
c. The integration of ancient Greek philosophy
d. The use of metaphors in philosophical arguments
a. Rationality, objective truth, and faith in science
As a child, what did Nietzsche want to be when he grew up?
a. Professor
b. Philosopher
c. Lawyer
d. Lutheran minister
d. Lutheran minister
What gave Nietzsche something to hold on to in college when he was depressed by his loss of his faith but did not want to party like the other boys?
a. He was influenced by Kantian ideals of universal principles.
b. He began reading Heraclitus, who believed that we cannot step in the same river twice.
c. He came upon Schopenhauer, a pessimist who thought that the ultimate will is the will to live.
d. He read Hume for the first time and noticed his rejection of God.
c. He came upon Schopenhauer, a pessimist who thought that the ultimate will is the will to live.
What sort of privilege that “happens absolutely never” was Nietzsche afforded in the academy?
a. He had unlimited access to research funds to pursue his own interests.
b. He was conferred a doctorate without an examination and became a professor.
c. His education was paid for all the way through his doctorate.
d. Because he was so bright, he never had to turn in any work; the teachers passed him based on his brilliance.
b. He was conferred a doctorate without an examination and became a professor.
How did Nietzsche transform Schopenhaur’s pessimism?
a. By understanding that the world has great meaning, and thus we must fight for that meaning
b. By overcoming pessimism—he created a theory of tragic optimism.
c. By conceding pessimism and surviving at any cost during the war
d. By denying pessimism in favor of opting for a weak-willed and decadent lifestyle
b. By overcoming pessimism—he created a theory of tragic optimism.
What did Nietzsche mean by doing philosophy with a hammer?
a. He would metaphorically tap on the statues of great idols in the history of philosophy and smash to bits any that are hollow.
b. He wanted to chisel away at philosophical misunderstandings to reveal deeper truths.
c. He wanted to blend different philosophical traditions into a cohesive whole.
d. He aimed to deconstruct and analyze philosophical arguments in detail, determining which were sound and smashing any that were not.
a. He would metaphorically tap on the statues of great idols in the history of philosophy and smash to bits any that are hollow.
What is an anti-philosopher?
a. An anti-philosopher is someone who is not a lover of wisdom.
b. An anti-philosopher is someone whose ideas follow the historical methods of philosophy in modernity.
c. An anti-philosopher is someone who inherits their beliefs from other people. They refuse to critically think for themselves and want others to tell them exactly what to do.
d. An anti-philosopher is someone who critiques the way science and philosophy are conducted. They reject objectivity, universality, and absolute authority of reason.
d. An anti-philosopher is someone who critiques the way science and philosophy are conducted. They reject objectivity, universality, and absolute authority of reason.
What is Nietzsche’s “will to power”?
a. It is the idea that you must power through life with a strong will and desire for life.
b. It is a universal desire to control and have power over other people.
c. It is finding your own power in yourself, harnessing it, and actualizing.
d. It is the search for objectivity, truth, and wisdom.
b. It is a universal desire to control and have power over other people.
What did Nietzsche think was the cause of the “cultural sickening” in modernity?
a. Unwarranted beliefs in Christianity, science, and philosophy
b. The spread of atheism
c. Rampant immorality in younger generations
d. World War II
a. Unwarranted beliefs in Christianity, science, and philosophy
Where do we get meaning in our lives according to Nietzsche?
a. From ourselves
b. From God
c. From science and philosophy
d. From our religions
a. From ourselves
Why does Nietzsche think “God is dead” and we killed him?
a. Nietzsche thought that the decline of monarchy had removed the divine right of kings, thereby diminishing God’s influence.
b. Nietzsche thought that the rise of atheism in academia had eradicated belief in God.
c. Nietzsche thinks this because our true faith is in scientific and technological progress. We replaced God with mediocre notions of progress and optimism.
d. Nietzsche claimed that decades of religious wars had decimated populations and land, destroying people’s faith in God.
c. Nietzsche thinks this because our true faith is in scientific and technological progress. We replaced God with mediocre notions of progress and optimism.
What does the death of God mean for the future?
a. Nihilism
b. Acceptance of Darwinism
c. Hope
d. A leap of faith
a. Nihilism
According to Nietzsche, once people realize that religious values are empty and science has no meaning or purpose to offer, where will our morals come from, or our aesthetic values, or any sort of meaning in life?
a. Economic success and material wealth would become the new foundation for morals and values.
b. Democratic political systems would be the new source of morals and values.
c. Absolute truths and objective moral standards would follow from human reasoning.
d. You or your group’s subjective opinions
d. You or your group’s subjective opinions
Which of the following best describes Nietzsche’s conception of the “overman”?
a. An individual who achieves moral perfection by adhering strictly to societal norms and religious commandments, thereby becoming a paragon of virtue and righteousness
b. A sort of superman who is more than a human being because they will master their weaknesses and talents
c. A master who will lord his superiority over the masses
d. An improved product of natural selection
b. A sort of superman who is more than a human being because they will master their weaknesses and talents
In what ways has Nietzsche’s conception of the overman been used throughout history?
a. Nietzsche was appropriated by anti-Semitic German nationalists including the Nazis.
b. The ideologies were appropriated and used as a catalyst for the Partition in India.
c. Nietzsche’s idea of the overman was used to justify the transatlantic slave trade.
d. The idea of the overman was appropriated and used to start the Armenian Genocide.
a. Nietzsche was appropriated by anti-Semitic German nationalists including the Nazis.
How does Nietzsche view the character traits of humility, passivity, and dependency?
a. He says that they are synonymous with love of domination, delighting in one’s own talents, and fearlessness.
b. He thinks these are the virtues that we must cultivate and habituate.
c. He reveals how they create power, purpose, and identity.
d. He believes this is a “slave morality,” a value system based on fear and guilt.
d. He believes this is a “slave morality,” a value system based on fear and guilt.
What is the “master morality,” according to Nietzsche?
a. According to Nietzsche, master morality involves the belief that people should always act in the best interest of the community.
b. Nietzsche’s master morality emphasizes humility and modesty as the highest virtues.
c. It is an aesthetic-heroic code of honor based on the overman, a man in the ancient world who held people with a slave morality in contempt.
d. Master morality, as Nietzsche describes, advocates for the submission to societal norms and the collective will of the people.
c. It is an aesthetic-heroic code of honor based on the overman, a man in the ancient world who held people with a slave morality in contempt.
According to Nietzsche, what is the origin of slave morality?
a. A triumphant affirmation of oneself
b. A desire for power and self-affirmation
c. An inherent sense of superiority
d. A deep form of psychically polluting resentment
d. A deep form of psychically polluting resentment
In Nietzsche’s view, what does ressentiment give birth to?
a. Self-affirmation
b. Peace
c. Values
d. Happiness
c. Values
What does Nietzsche mean by “imaginary revenge” in the context of slave morality?
a. Seeking vengeance in the afterlife
b. Forgiving enemies
c. Pursuing justice through legal means
d. Physically retaliating against oppressors
a. Seeking vengeance in the afterlife
What does Nietzsche suggest about the relationship between slave morality and individual authenticity?
a. Slave morality enhances individual authenticity.
b. Slave morality promotes self-creation.
c. Slave morality is neutral toward individual authenticity.
d. Slave morality stifles individual authenticity.
d. Slave morality stifles individual authenticity.
Imagine multiple things going wrong in your life—flat tire, no money for food, recently dumped by the love of your life. If you are to take Nietzsche seriously, how should you react to these bad events?
a. You should seek sympathy and validation from others to feel better about your situation.
b. You should embrace humility and see these events as a sign to lower your ambitions and accept a simpler, more modest life.
c. Delight in the way that everything is as and what it is.
d. You should blame society and others for your misfortunes and seek revenge against those who have wronged you.
c. Delight in the way that everything is as and what it is.
According to Nietzsche, what must we do in the absence of God?
a. Seek comfort in religious rituals
b. Redeem ourselves with the sacred Yes to life expressed through amor fati
c. Find purpose through societal values
d. Pursue scientific understanding above all else
b. Redeem ourselves with the sacred Yes to life expressed through amor fati
