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Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Who is a philosopher? (Nietzsche)

I've been reading Beyond Good & Evil (Kaufmann) and decided to gather some quotes regarding who Nietzsche recognizes as "philosopher". I'll keep adding to this as I get a better idea of Nietzsche's answer to the question.
Perhaps hardness and cunning furnish more favorable conditions for the origin of the strong, independent spirit and philosopher than that gentle, fine, conciliatory good-naturedness and art of taking things lightly which people prize, and prize rightly, in a scholar. Assuming first of all that the concept "philosopher" is not restricted to the philsopher who writes books--or makes books of his philosophy. -Part II Section 39

Are these coming philosophers new friends of "truth"? That is probable enough, for all philosophers so far have loved their truths. But they will certainly not be dogmatists. It must offend their pride, also their taste, if their truth is supposed to be a truth for everyman --which has so far been the secret wish and hidden meaning of all dogmatic aspirations. "My judgement is my judgment": no one else is easily entitled to it--that is what such a philospher of the future may perhaps say of himself. -Part II Section 43

Section 44 gets more into his idea of who the "philosophers of the future" will be.