Jan e Kharabat
Established member
Well... considering that he was an admirer of Napolean... I am not so sure whether he will consider diogenes to be powerfull. From what I have understood from Thus spoke Zarathusthra, his focus on self realization is grounded in more of a western individualistic context. I am not a fan of this glorification of the "self", this egoism is perhaps the prime reason why the state of the world today is what it is.
As for overcoming the political differences, I do not see why I should embrace someone who supports exploitation and subjugation of others... but I am always open for discussion, even with a fascist! At the same time I also understand the problems with the reactionary tendencies within the left, and I spend more time criticizing that than criticizing the far right. The solution, however, is not to simply overcome political difference, not to simply subjectify everything and say there is no right and wrong. Exploitation and subjugation are not ok, you can take a very clear political position without resorting to mere reactionism.
The trouble is that one needs quite a broad perspective and in depth knowledge of (at least) recent history to have a nuanced understanding of things, and the average person cannot afford that! We all deal with things in our own capacity, we often seek simplistic narratives because that is all we can afford. We end up focusing too much on individuals, painting them as good or evil, overlooking the fact that individuals are just... individuals! products of their circumstances. For me, the way to overcome reactionism is to look away from the individual, to forgive the individual, to understand that the problem lies with the system, not with the individual, and that the individual simply tries to navigate through the system however they can. Hence, I would, for example, not waste my time trying to "punch a Nazi" unless it serves to destabilize the system I am opposed to. The opposition towards the individual can be meaningful or meaningless only in so far that it serves to affect the system. But yeah I am... diverting away from the topic may be...
As for the alpha/rational people, I would ask where do they come from? What shapes them to be so? the genes? the environment? or the very narrative of "alpha/rational people" itself? while we may not be able to conclusively answer these questions, looking into the history of these ideas can help us better understand where they are coming from (spoiler... there's a whole lot of colonial ideology buried in these terms!). Also, do we necessarily need such people to "lead" us? do we necessarily need "leaders"? Could it be that these "leaders" and the system which necessitates their role and existence is a part of the problem?
Nietzsche is all nice and good, but the way he is being reinvented and appropriated into the prevalent liberal ideology (by the likes of peterson and tate) is rather problematic. If you know about Zizek and his concept of "ideology", you'll get a hint of where I am coming from.
As for overcoming the political differences, I do not see why I should embrace someone who supports exploitation and subjugation of others... but I am always open for discussion, even with a fascist! At the same time I also understand the problems with the reactionary tendencies within the left, and I spend more time criticizing that than criticizing the far right. The solution, however, is not to simply overcome political difference, not to simply subjectify everything and say there is no right and wrong. Exploitation and subjugation are not ok, you can take a very clear political position without resorting to mere reactionism.
The trouble is that one needs quite a broad perspective and in depth knowledge of (at least) recent history to have a nuanced understanding of things, and the average person cannot afford that! We all deal with things in our own capacity, we often seek simplistic narratives because that is all we can afford. We end up focusing too much on individuals, painting them as good or evil, overlooking the fact that individuals are just... individuals! products of their circumstances. For me, the way to overcome reactionism is to look away from the individual, to forgive the individual, to understand that the problem lies with the system, not with the individual, and that the individual simply tries to navigate through the system however they can. Hence, I would, for example, not waste my time trying to "punch a Nazi" unless it serves to destabilize the system I am opposed to. The opposition towards the individual can be meaningful or meaningless only in so far that it serves to affect the system. But yeah I am... diverting away from the topic may be...
As for the alpha/rational people, I would ask where do they come from? What shapes them to be so? the genes? the environment? or the very narrative of "alpha/rational people" itself? while we may not be able to conclusively answer these questions, looking into the history of these ideas can help us better understand where they are coming from (spoiler... there's a whole lot of colonial ideology buried in these terms!). Also, do we necessarily need such people to "lead" us? do we necessarily need "leaders"? Could it be that these "leaders" and the system which necessitates their role and existence is a part of the problem?
Nietzsche is all nice and good, but the way he is being reinvented and appropriated into the prevalent liberal ideology (by the likes of peterson and tate) is rather problematic. If you know about Zizek and his concept of "ideology", you'll get a hint of where I am coming from.