“From where in the human head did logic arise? Certainly from the illogical, whose domain must originally have been tremendous.” (Guignon/Pereboom, pp. 136). In the first sentences of Nietzsche’s aphorism “source of the logical” Nietzsche establishes his original style of writing as he introduces the topic of discussion. The commencement has a sort of elegance to it mainly due to the contradictory connotations implied. Nietzsche’s unique way of writing leaves plenty of room for personal interpretations and, as a result, a few key concepts arise. Is Nietzsche referencing an evolutionary perspective? Stating that the logical part of the brain developed through natural selection out of a large illogical part. Or is he questioning whether
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He says the way our human ancestors came to conclusions was based on their ability to categorize things and react quickly. This quick thinking mentality was a significant factor for their survival and also created the foundation for modern human logic. The reason Nietzsche is saying that logic arose from the illogical is because the foundation for what logic is built on is flawed. Our ability to act and classify quickly may have helped us survive 60000 years ago, but is not very useful, and may in some instances be a crutch, in modern society. There are many instances in human history where the fundamental flaw in human thinking Nietzsche discusses becomes apparent. A good example could include instances of racism or sexism. Racism is caused by mass generalizations by the majority based on quick assumptions and also can formulate from another Nietzschean concept known as the ‘herd mentality’. Cases of oppression due to race have occurred throughout all of human history and have caused many instances of violence and conflict. Is it logical to judge a large minority based on their skin colour, gender orientation, religious beliefs, or by the acts of a few very specific people within a minority? The answer is clearly false since biologically all races and genders are fundamentally human, and for many instances where stereotypes may be true …show more content…
The point being made eventually goes beyond proving people are inherently illogical and Nietzsche displays how this flaw in logic has affected many different worldviews today. In the aphorism, Nietzsche claims that, “the flow of logical thoughts and conclusions in our brain today reflects the process of a battle among drives which themselves are very illogical and unfair.” (Guignon/Pereboom, pp. 136). This can relate to Nietzsche’s other existential ideas around understanding why a philosopher adopts a certain type of philosophy, otherwise known as ‘perpectivism’. The quote connects to this idea by telling us how an individual’s desires and drives affect their personal outlook. This leads to multiple interpretations of similar texts and events, which results in religious schisms and a variety of disciplines and philosophies. Therefore, a wide array of subjective thought is created – whose origins are founded on a flawed illogical thought process developed through an extended period of human adaptation – and a lack of universal truths
He says the way our human ancestors came to conclusions was based on their ability to categorize things and react quickly. This quick thinking mentality was a significant factor for their survival and also created the foundation for modern human logic. The reason Nietzsche is saying that logic arose from the illogical is because the foundation for what logic is built on is flawed. Our ability to act and classify quickly may have helped us survive 60000 years ago, but is not very useful, and may in some instances be a crutch, in modern society. There are many instances in human history where the fundamental flaw in human thinking Nietzsche discusses becomes apparent. A good example could include instances of racism or sexism. Racism is caused by mass generalizations by the majority based on quick assumptions and also can formulate from another Nietzschean concept known as the ‘herd mentality’. Cases of oppression due to race have occurred throughout all of human history and have caused many instances of violence and conflict. Is it logical to judge a large minority based on their skin colour, gender orientation, religious beliefs, or by the acts of a few very specific people within a minority? The answer is clearly false since biologically all races and genders are fundamentally human, and for many instances where stereotypes may be true …show more content…
The point being made eventually goes beyond proving people are inherently illogical and Nietzsche displays how this flaw in logic has affected many different worldviews today. In the aphorism, Nietzsche claims that, “the flow of logical thoughts and conclusions in our brain today reflects the process of a battle among drives which themselves are very illogical and unfair.” (Guignon/Pereboom, pp. 136). This can relate to Nietzsche’s other existential ideas around understanding why a philosopher adopts a certain type of philosophy, otherwise known as ‘perpectivism’. The quote connects to this idea by telling us how an individual’s desires and drives affect their personal outlook. This leads to multiple interpretations of similar texts and events, which results in religious schisms and a variety of disciplines and philosophies. Therefore, a wide array of subjective thought is created – whose origins are founded on a flawed illogical thought process developed through an extended period of human adaptation – and a lack of universal truths