MMW 15 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: The Human Instinct, Arthur Schopenhauer, Herd Mentality
12 Jun 2018
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Outline Lecture Four: The Human Instinct for War
Key Questions
1) Are humans naturally inclined towards aggression and violence?
2) If so, can war ever be avoided? And if avoidance is possible, then how?
I) The Crisis of Meaning in the West
Brought greater crisis
a) After the “Great War,” Western Liberalism’s debilitating sense of uncertainty
i) Growing doubt about the pillars of Western civilization and its narrative of progress
Human progress and rationality were natural aspects of civilization, but now it was
seen as much darker
After war, there was a more sadistic interpretation of human rationality/ inherent
nature
ii) The skeptical question “Why?” vs. the positivist question “How?”
After war, more pessimistic view of human nature than positive/optimistic
Ex. Why God? Instead of How is there a God?
II) Nietzsche: The Revolt of the Irrational Will
a) 19th century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
his ideas were a darker recognition of human nature
most ppl didn’t pay attention to him (seen as like a crackhead) at first but after war it
gained more traction and attention
i) Challenged the fundamental assumptions of Liberalism
(1) Openly anti-democratic
Saw rule of law and peace as sign of the demise of civilization
(a) “A society that definitely and instinctively gives up war and conquest is in
decline: it is ripe for democracy and the rule of shopkeepers—In most cases,
to be sure, assurances of peace are merely narcotics”
mocking tone of democracy
people who promise peace are trying to drug you of this false belief
(a) Celebrated “the will to power” as a creative force
Asserting one’s own will
Applying to groups or communities
Fascists found inspiration in Nietzsche’s “will to power”
ii) Rejected assumptions of progress in Enlightenment thought and evolution theory
Rejected notion of progress (which was at basis of enlightenment and Darwinian
theory)
(1) 1st proposition: Species evolution does not imply progress
complex species evolve and go extinct at far faster rate than single celled species
(2) 2nd proposition: Refined or complex culture as sign of instinctual degeneration
(a) The more “civilized,” the weaker the instincts
Complex culture is sign of instinctual degeneration
More civilized a culture is, the weaker the instincts (regarding survival)
b) Attacked “Meta-narratives” that have defined Western culture
Rejected historical/philosophical frameworks
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Outline lecture four: the human instinct for war. And if avoidance is possible, then how: the crisis of meaning in the west. Brought greater crisis: after the great war, western liberalism"s debilitating sense of uncertainty, growing doubt about the pillars of western civilization and its narrative of progress. Human progress and rationality were natural aspects of civilization, but now it was seen as much darker. After war, there was a more sadistic interpretation of human rationality/ inherent nature: the skeptical question why? vs. the positivist question how? . After war, more pessimistic view of human nature than positive/optimistic. Fascists found inspiration in nietzsche"s will to power : rejected assumptions of progress in enlightenment thought and evolution theory. More civilized a culture is, the weaker the instincts (regarding survival: attacked meta-narratives that have defined western culture. Rejected historical/philosophical frameworks: beauty in art (1) rejected the apollonian impulse; affirmed the dionysian .
