Nietzsche and the Hygiene of Knowledge
Nietzsche advanced the idea of a "hygiene of knowledge" By the phrase he advanced the idea that there is a knowledge which we are capable of facing up to, even embracing and a knowledge, which we ought to avoid in the interest of self-preservation. In other words, there is a knowledge that will build us up on the one hand and a knowledge that will consume or destroy us on the other. Nietzsche taught that we must distinguish between those categories of knowledge. It seems that Nietzsche warned that some persons must have a primitive morality since a higher level of morality would be destructive to their existence. In short, these can't handle a higher morality.
Nietzsche and History
According to Nietzsche, the entirety of civilization is centered upon the tension, which exists between various groups and the will of these groups to control or overcome the weaker. For instance, humanity for Nietzsche has always consisted of the tension between the strong and the weak, the able and the unable, the intelligent and the stupid. This perpetual social tension has perpetually existed at the core of civilization. The positive product of this tension, according to Nietzsche, is found in the reality that it has created value.
Nietzsche and Eternal Recurrence
One of the most fascinating aspects of Nietzsche's work concerns his concept of "Eternal Recurrence" also known as "Eternal Return." Nietzsche underscored the conception of a world without beginning of end. He proposed that in this world things happen repeatedly in the way they always have. He introduced the idea as a test of the individual's capacity to affirm one's own life and the general character of the world. He later developed the doctrine to mean that all events might actually recur eternally in exactly the same sequence. He utilized the concept to present his perspective of history as non-linear. He intended to convey his conclusion that if the individual is sufficiently strong and resilient he will be capable of enduring and flourishing in the midst of this historical recurrence.
Nietzsche and Perspectival Knowledge
Nietzsche argued that "values" are always contingent. He rejected the idea that values are absolute, transcending all perspectives. Nietzsche, or so it appears to this writer, understood values as contextual. He suggested that the method for achieving knowledge consists of what he term fröhliche Wissenschaft or "The Cheerful Science" (the title of one of his works) and it proceeds by Nietzsche approaching the various issues of concern to him through an examination of the diverse perspectives on those matters.
