Skip to content

772 definitions

Karl JaspersNietzsche: An Introduction to the Understanding of His Philosophical ActivityDictionaryish

The book's index

Nietzsche: An Introduction to the Understanding of His Philosophical Activity

491 concepts · 772 definitions

A–D · 99 concepts · 145 definitions
Definition.com

Truth (n.) begins ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠with two: alone one is always in the wrong.

Definition.com

Truth (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the kind of error without which a particular species of living being could not live.

Definition.com

Truth (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠no force in itself: it must draw force to its side or join the powerful, or it perishes again and again.

Definition.com

Truth (n.) believed ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠to be simply there is one of the most seductive doctrines: it paralyzes testing and experiment, and laziness pleads its cause, since conforming is easier than testing.

Definition.com

Morality (n.) may ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠be a devil's invention to torture men with pride, and its loss a second devil's, to make them suffer from self-contempt.

Definition.com

Morality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a sign language of the feelings, and a bungling one, by which certain physiological facts get communicated.

Definition.com

Morality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a special case of immorality: nobody becomes moral because he is moral, and every means of making mankind moral was immoral.

Definition.com

Morality (n.) has ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠its antipodes too: the moral earth is round, and the evil, the unfortunate and the exceptional also deserve their philosophy and their place in the sun.

Definition.com

Eternal recurrence (n.) works ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠as an imperative with no content: live so that you must wish to live again, measuring every act by whether you could will it countless times.

Definition.com

Eternal recurrence (n.) is, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠at bottom, a symbol: if the moment is a revelation of being, it is already eternity, and recurrence only names it.

Definition.com

Eternal recurrence (n.) first ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠strikes as disgust: not only the greatest men are too small, but the smallest man returns eternally too.

Definition.com

Eternal recurrence (n.) came ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠to Nietzsche in August 1881, by a great pyramid-shaped rock near Surlei on Lake Silvaplana; the moment he conceived it, he said, made recurrence bearable.

Definition.com

Philosophy (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠always a foreground: every philosophy hides another philosophy, every cave a deeper cave, and behind every ground lurks the groundless.

Definition.com

Philosophy (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the art of transfiguration: a thinker who passes through many states of health passes through as many philosophies.

Definition.com

Philosophy (n.) should ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠be able to concentrate a man, Nietzsche required, and at present none can.

Definition.com

Philosophy (n.) that ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠is truly one's own may no longer be printable: Nietzsche called his the thing that maltreated him down to the roots of his being.

Definition.com

God (n.) died ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠of his pity for men: he saw man's depths and hidden ugliness, and man cannot bear to let such a witness live.

Definition.com

God (n.) who ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠saw everything, suffered everything and willed nothing, a universal sensorium, would be the strongest objection to existence.

Definition.com

God (n.) may ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠prove to be only our most persistent lie, once nothing turns out divine but error, blindness and falsehood.

Definition.com

God (n.) as ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠Nietzsche wanted him is liberation from morality: all life's contrasts compressed in one being, redeemed in divine agony, beyond good and evil.

Definition.com

Error (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not removed by being recognized: life is the condition of knowledge, error the condition of life, and so we must love error as the womb of knowledge.

Definition.com

Error (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠cowardice: we come near the truth exactly as far as our courage carries us forward.

Definition.com

Error (n.) made ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠us human: without false moral assumptions, Nietzsche holds, man would have stayed a beast, since the beast in us wants to be lied to.

Definition.com

Error (n.) can ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠be magnificent and fruitful: just as light exists for us only because of darkness, we find truth only by fighting the error that corresponds to it.

Definition.com

Justice (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not what the just fight for, Zarathustra tells them: they fight to make their own picture of man win.

Definition.com

Justice (n.) that ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠is cold is not enough for Zarathustra: he asks where to find a justice that loves with seeing eyes.

Definition.com

Justice (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the enemy of convictions: it wants to give everything, living or dead, real or imagined, its due, and in the end concedes even to blind conviction what belongs to it.

Definition.com

Justice (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠first set up by the ruler, who measures things by his own measure; giving everyone his due would be to will justice and get chaos.

Definition.com

Love (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠unknown to anyone who has not despised precisely what he loved.

Definition.com

Love (n.) that ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠has nothing left to love should simply pass by.

Definition.com

Love (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠one's own creation must be followed, Nietzsche says, by opposing it: whatever I create and however I love it, soon I must turn against it and my love.

Definition.com

Love (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠duller than justice, and for that very reason pleasanter to everyone: it falls as impartially as the rain.

Definition.com

Nihilism (n.) in ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠its most extreme form is existence without meaning or goal, yet returning forever with no finale into nothing: senselessness for eternity.

Definition.com

Nihilism (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the weak is belief in unbelief to the point of martyrdom, and it always first betrays the need for a belief, a backbone, a prop.

Definition.com

Nihilism (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠Christianity's own truthfulness turned against it: trained by two thousand years of Christian honesty, the sense of truth sickens at the falseness of the Christian world-picture.

Definition.com

Nihilism (n.) follows ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the disappointment of looking for a meaning in becoming: whatever the goal, moral order or happiness or even nothingness, nothing turns out to be achieved.

Definition.com

Death (n.) deserves ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠to be reinterpreted as reconciliation: returning to dead nature, we finally become wholly true.

Definition.com

Death (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠close enough to keep us from fearing life; what comes after it is no concern of ours.

Definition.com

Death (n.) comes ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠readily to those who live most fully: the more energetically one lives, the sooner one is ready to give life up for a single good experience.

Definition.com

Death (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the greatest banality among men, viewed from outside; Nietzsche thought Christianity had made a miserable comedy of the hour of dying.