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1958463 No.1958463 [Reply] [Original]

So... why do liberals like Nietzsche so much?

I don't get it. I've just finished up reading the Birth of Tragedy, which pretty much finishes my reading of all Nietzsche's works. Let's begin by saying I pretty much agree with his views on Christianity and the movements hatched from the same moral backing (egalitarianism, socialism, etc.).

But what I don't get is how do Liberals, who essentially believe in a worldview which is at its core totally altruistic and "gregarious" and admire a man who was so incredibly reactionary and accepting of cruelty?

Anyone want to explain this paradox?

>> No.1958468

>>1958463
Go back and read him again.

Nietzsche wasn't disgusted by socialism or progressive policies, he was disgusted by its oftentimes hypocritical posturing and rhetoric.

His own works are often rhetorical and use hyperbole as a tactic to get people to realize this.

>> No.1958477

>>1958468
i was gonna give an answer but this one is better

>> No.1958479

>>1958468

I don't know about that interpretation. But when he's advocating again and again against altruism and draws parallels between Socialism and Christian morality after having viciously attacked Christianity, you don't really get the sensation that he has a fondness for Socialism's core value of altruism.

>> No.1958487

Please don't use the term liberal to refer to socialists. It's offensive.

>> No.1958496

>>1958487
For that matter, he doesn't seem very fond of classical liberals either.

My apologies. But I'm referring more specifically to the tendency of Leftists to like Nietzsche a lot. It's kind of funny since he's attacking the core values of altruism and egalitarianism which Leftists tend to hold as the highest good and replacing it with a system of rampant, unrestrained individualism which is far more in line with classical liberal thought... not to say it's 100% in agreement with that. But it seems much more in line with libertarianism than leftist ideas.

>> No.1958776

Fairly certain it's edgy atheists who don't fully understand his works. Same goes for all the conservative Christians who like Ayn Rand because they've interpreted Atlas Shrugged to be nothing more than "FUCK DUH GUVMENT"

>> No.1959016

>>1958776

Yeah. I really don't see how you can take Nietzsche for supporting anything like modern society.

>> No.1959029

His perspectivism can be misread as relativism. Social liberals justify their nonsense on the idea that all cultures/people are equally valuable.

>> No.1959032

ITT - people who think nietzsche confirmed everything they'd always thought.

>> No.1959188

well i guess it's that you don't have to agree with all of a philosopher's ideas to be interested in him (you don't have to believe in the forms to like reading plato, you don't have to be a communist to think that marx's critique has some value), also while Nietzsche's philosophy is highly individualistic, it's not individualistic in the political sense. That being said, here are some things i could see might get liberals/left - leaning individuals to like Nietzsche,

- His perspectivism
- His anti religious stance, especially Christianity
- His critique of nationalism and anti semitism
- his idea of herd mentality, many leftists love the idea of rising above the sheep

>> No.1959342

>>1959188
Perfect examples. Seriously.

>> No.1959348

Liberals don't like Nietzsche if they're at all intelligent

you're conflating "liberals" and "the entire group of people which is politically, intellectually, or culturally of the left"

>> No.1959349

Because just because you like a philosopher doesn't mean you agree with him.

>> No.1959354

>>1959348
actually to amend this: its possible that liberals DO like nietzsche but not in a way that they agree with him. i would call myself a liberal (although some people would disagree, yadda yadda yadda) and i think nietzsche is valuable in that he's one of the thinkers who's best at challenging liberalism, at pointing out the flaws in liberal systems of thought. so i think he's tremendously useful in understanding the problems of liberalism if you want to fix him. i also think he's incredibly perceptive and a brilliant writer and thinker. so as a liberal i guess i LIKE him but i definitely don't AGREE with him.

>> No.1959361

There are points of Nietzsche worth learning for liberal thinking. In fact, I recommend reading Nietzsche and Thoreau together. Then you will really be able to get into the mind of a liberal.

>> No.1959361,1 [INTERNAL] 

>>1958776
>conservative Christians
>liking Ayn Rand
I'm getting the impression by lurking older /lit/ that /lit/ was never intelligent.