Nixia

Author: Liu Changyuan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: Democratic, equal, capitalism, and liberal ideas have gradually become a consensus among contemporary Westerners, but under these popular ideas or institutions, culture and human quality are also becoming increasingly vulgarized. Nietzsche's nihilism also contains this kind of disappointment in culture and human quality. Nietzsche wanted to reconstruct a culture that emphasizes the hierarchy of human spirit through critiquing modernity, hoping to rediscover noble virtues and affirmation of human value in the few high-ranking individuals. Therefore, he wanted to critique the various modern institutions or beliefs mentioned above. For those who do not want to give up these institutions or beliefs, the question is how to prevent them from continuing to lower the quality of culture and humanity. In terms of the influence on contemporary Western philosophy and culture, Nietzsche may be one of the most important philosophers since the 19th century. One of the main reasons Nietzsche is valued is that he predicted the coming of the age of nihilism. His entire philosophy can largely be seen as a response to negative nihilism, with the reassessment of traditional Western values being one of its fundamental tasks. The death of God means that we can no longer appeal to transcendental beings or metaphysical truth as the foundation for knowledge and value beliefs; only through the power of art can people both face the harsh truths of life and affirm the present world. With regard to values or beliefs such as truth, reason, morality, and Christianity, which are commonly accepted by people, Nietzsche has critiqued them one by one. Although we may not necessarily fully agree with his critique, if we want to have a deeper reflection on contemporary Western philosophy and culture, understanding his challenges is still necessary. While introductions to Nietzsche have long existed in the Chinese world, they are often not in-depth and fail to reflect the recent research achievements of Western scholars on Nietzsche. A more comprehensive introduction has yet to appear. The purpose of this book is to change this situation.