This week Noemi and Vanessa invite us to consider the legacy and applicability of some of the central ideas of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. The questions they ask are challenging. Give it your best shot!
Friedrich Nietzsche introduced many different and new philosophical themes in the 19th century, and he could be said to be one of the most influential modern philosophers. Ideas in his works outline different concepts that dealt with one’s individuality, morality, and religious beliefs. Nihilism is a term specifically associated with Nietzsche because of his belief in perspectivism (see Dr. Cleworth's In Brief). Nihilism, similar to pessimism, in the most extreme way, rejected religious and moral values which ultimately leads people and societies to adopt positions where life itself becomes meaningless. Some of Nietzsche's books which we would like you to consider this week are The Antichrist and Will To Power. Keep in consideration that some of his other works took on an endorsement of self-perfection in which he idealizes a new concept of an Übermensch (super-man/over-man), an individual who strives to exist beyond conventional categories of good and evil, master and slave. With that being said, let us provide some context to these works.
The Antichrist
The Antichrist begins by claiming that the only true moral is power, and weakness in the only true evil. Nietzsche believes that Christianity offers protection to the weak, while simultaneously allowing power to be allocated in an unnatural and purely deceiving way. Through the church leaders. He calls the spiritual a lie and says that those who allude to its systems are essentially “violating nature to obtain control of the weak and stupid”. There is no good or evil for Nietzsche; there is only what you can accomplish for yourself through any means, and what you cannot.
Will To Power
Nietzsche believes that humans are constantly imposing their will upon others, that every action being made is formed by the desire to have another individual in their power (we are, in a sense, operating in a sea of competing wills). The action can be many things, giving a gift or abusing someone (physically, mentally, or emotionally), to achieve the one goal of having power over the individual. This suggests that humans are by nature, egoistic which leads Nietzsche to believe that no selfless acts are real. Will to power is not limited; it is through perseverance and self-growth that the will that pushes individuals to reach their most successful points in their lives.
We would like you to respond to multiple ideas included in two of Nietzsche's great works, The Antichrist and Will To Power. We have provided a concise overview of both books, but it would be helpful to read parts of the actual text in order to tie your evidence into one or more of the following topics (they are linked in this paragraph):
Friedrich Nietzsche introduced many different and new philosophical themes in the 19th century, and he could be said to be one of the most influential modern philosophers. Ideas in his works outline different concepts that dealt with one’s individuality, morality, and religious beliefs. Nihilism is a term specifically associated with Nietzsche because of his belief in perspectivism (see Dr. Cleworth's In Brief). Nihilism, similar to pessimism, in the most extreme way, rejected religious and moral values which ultimately leads people and societies to adopt positions where life itself becomes meaningless. Some of Nietzsche's books which we would like you to consider this week are The Antichrist and Will To Power. Keep in consideration that some of his other works took on an endorsement of self-perfection in which he idealizes a new concept of an Übermensch (super-man/over-man), an individual who strives to exist beyond conventional categories of good and evil, master and slave. With that being said, let us provide some context to these works.
The Antichrist
The Antichrist begins by claiming that the only true moral is power, and weakness in the only true evil. Nietzsche believes that Christianity offers protection to the weak, while simultaneously allowing power to be allocated in an unnatural and purely deceiving way. Through the church leaders. He calls the spiritual a lie and says that those who allude to its systems are essentially “violating nature to obtain control of the weak and stupid”. There is no good or evil for Nietzsche; there is only what you can accomplish for yourself through any means, and what you cannot.
Will To Power
Nietzsche believes that humans are constantly imposing their will upon others, that every action being made is formed by the desire to have another individual in their power (we are, in a sense, operating in a sea of competing wills). The action can be many things, giving a gift or abusing someone (physically, mentally, or emotionally), to achieve the one goal of having power over the individual. This suggests that humans are by nature, egoistic which leads Nietzsche to believe that no selfless acts are real. Will to power is not limited; it is through perseverance and self-growth that the will that pushes individuals to reach their most successful points in their lives.
We would like you to respond to multiple ideas included in two of Nietzsche's great works, The Antichrist and Will To Power. We have provided a concise overview of both books, but it would be helpful to read parts of the actual text in order to tie your evidence into one or more of the following topics (they are linked in this paragraph):
- This topic is slightly related to a different blog post to which we have previously responded. Let us throw it back a bit and compare this great philosopher’s work to one of the greatest English writers, we are familiar with: Shakespeare. Remember The Merchant of Venice and its debatable antisemitic aspects? How is Nietzsche’s Antichrist comparable to some antisemitic views about Shylock? In other words, how can we see "power" and a contest of wills as a central theme in The Merchant of Venice?
- For our visual learners and movie lovers we would like you to watch a short clip of Baby Face and consider this quote from Nietzsche’s Will To Power, “All life, no matter how we idealize it, is nothing more nor less than exploitation.” How did Nietzsche ideas influence society as we see in Baby Face? Were its effect good or evil? Can we still see this influence taking place? Provide insight from Will To Power to support your response (feel free to Google "key quotes Will to Power" as a shortcut).
- Lastly, this topic has to do with Nietzsche’s ideas on the Übermensch, in other words, the ideal superior man of the future who could rise above to impose his own values. We hope that this sounds a bit familiar… Frankenstein perhaps? How does Mary Shelley's idea of an ideal being relate to that of Nietzsche’s? Is Frankenstein's or his monster a potential superman? What about cyborgs, robots, or humanoids we might think of today? Thinking back to Nietzsche’s strong belief in nihilism; the rejection and lack of all moral values, does nihilism play a role here in licensing Dr. Frankenstein's actions? The Antichrist is a helpful resource for this topic. (Pg.41-43) . Here are several other resources on the Übermensch: Encyclopedia Britannica entry on the Superman & The School of Life Video Essay on The Superman.
Neomi and Vanessa, thank you both for this weeks blog prompt! I will be addressing the third prompt that was asked.
ReplyDeleteThis prompt seems to have multiple parts to it, so let me begin by answering perhaps the most important question; is Frankenstein's monster an Ubermensch?
I think in terms of his composition, yes. Frankenstein's monster was composed of only the best parts which meant that he was tall, handsome, and muscular. His creator even commented that "his limbs were in proportions, and I had selected his features as beautiful" (Shelley, pg 35). Likewise, there are several scenes in the book where Frankenstein's monster's physical strength can be seen. For example, there is a scene in chapter sixteen which shows how strong the monster is. The creature becomes upset and strangles a young child with his bare hands in seconds (not the best strength test in my opinion, but it definitely shows he's powerful). Shelly also seems to highlight the monster's intellect throughout the book. Frankenstein's monster actually speaks in a way that is more proper and quick-witted than anyone else in the book. For example, in chapter ten the monster faces his creator and attempts to reason that he deserves happiness just like any other person. He states
"Remember, that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous" (Shelly, pg 69).
With all of these things being stated, it is clear that Frankenstein's monster became the text book definition of a nihilist due to his experiences. The monster had tried several times to connect with humanity ( the people in the cottage served as a prime example) and was always pushed away because of how he looked despite the fact that he started out gentle and compassionate.
In terms of Nietzsche's book, "Will To Power", I believe that Nietzsche's ideas tie into Frankenstein well. From the beginning of the book Frankenstein imposes his will onto his creation. Frankenstein never intended to create a reanimated being for the good of humanity. In fact, in chapter four Frankenstein thinks to himself "A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me" (Shelly, pg 32). This quote illustrates Nietzsche’s ideas due to the fact that Dr. Frankenstein only used "innovation" as a ploy. All of the doctor's loved ones, as made apparent by the many letters he replies to in the book, truly believed that he was out on an adventure for discovery. In reality, Dr. Frankenstein wanted nothing more than fame and power over another individual (which I would argue stemmed from his past) and was willing to put humanity at risk for his own gain.
To answer the last part of your prompt in terms of "cyborgs, robots, and humanoids", which I will call "synthetic life" for the sake of time, I believe that they have the potential to be much like Frankenstein. I think that any time we think of synthetic life we tend to assume that such life will be working for humans, because it would be created by humans. But look at any movie or T.V. show about robots, I guarantee you will see one or two scenarios. Either robots are serving humans, or robots are uprising because they have become free thinking and no longer want to serve humans. This, to me, has always been what has "put me off" about synthetic life. It would be impossible to tell what synthetic life could do if it were created like how it is portrayed in the movies. I think that if society ever began mass producing synthetic life we would have to be ready for what could happen if it became free thinking, because anything can happen even with technology. Let us, as a society, collectively learn from Frankenstein.
Josh, I really enjoy your thorough analysis of Frankenstein in comparison to Nietzsche's philosophy. I agree that Frankenstein seemed to be only pushed by the though of fame and glory, but the shock of what he had done brought him to reality. After that he felt nothing but disgust and anger, at both himself and the monster. It makes me wonder if humans will even get that far as to have a large population of synthetic life, or will we get too fearful and stop it before it gets too big. Take a look at the sentient robot, Sophia (https://twitter.com/RealSophiaRobot). I feel as if anytime Sophia becomes a little more human, everyone rushes to express their feelings of "we're going to die" and "please shut her down she's too powerful".
DeleteJosh, I would like to commend you on a very well-written post! You have touched upon some very salient points here. I totally see what you are saying about how Frankenstein's monster can be viewed as a nihilist. It goes back to what Dr. Cleworth told us about this notion of the grotesque and how we do not want to look at creatures/other people who are strikingly different than us because we do not want them to notice we are looking at them. In the case of Frankenstein's monster, he just wants to make friends, but because of his outer appearance everyone runs away. With this said, Bryson made an interesting point about synthetic life: even though it is not necessarily 'grotesque', it is still 'different' from us, and when it tries to be on our same level, we 'cry out' in fear (perhaps of the unknown). I too find the question of if synthetic life/artificial intelligence will ever escalate to the point of outperforming us an intriguing one to ponder. I really hope that robots do not take over in the future because that would yield to quite a dilemma!
DeleteI was curious to see what people would respond to this post and Josh , thank you for sharing with us your ideas and perspective about Frankenstein and an Ubermensch. I would've thought at first that a super man would be more of a heroic hero like we see in movies today but it turns out it's not always that great, right? With that being said, I liked that you described Frankenstein's power because it ties a lot into Nietzsche’s true belief of moral power and nihilism. You touched on some great points and I have to add that the way you describes Frankenstein's life as meaningless and the description of him being pushed away reminded me a lot of our conversation in class about Vincent van Gogh. Both characters tried their best to connect with humanity and never really succeeded at it. Maybe in a future version of Frankenstein we will see him painting starry night paintings and portraying his emotions through art.
DeleteFor this blog post, I chose to watch the clip from Baby Face and consider how Nietzsche’s ideas can be applied to it. First, it is interesting to make note of how the quote, “All life, no matter how we idealize it, is nothing more nor less than exploitation”, is used in context to the film. The concept of exploitation, more often than not, describes a situation where people take advantage of others in order to get what they want. In this particular film clip, however, where Cragg is telling Lily to “Exploit yourself! Go to some big city where you will find opportunities!”, a second definition of exploitation is revealed: the act of making use of and benefiting from resources. Now, it is important to acknowledge Lily’s hardships that got her to this point: her father is dead, she has no money or job, and she does not know how to take of herself. She got offered a job as a strip act, but did not take it, ultimately because stripping is the lowest and most degrading job for women especially. With this said, perhaps the biggest Nietzschean idea that influences society as we see in Baby Face is the idea of embracing envy. This yields a positive effect to Lily because in telling her to “Be strong, defiant!” in getting what she wants, Cragg gives her a sense of empowerment. He wants her to reach her full potential, and she can only do that if she acknowledges her envy for a better life. This connects to a quote from Nietzsche’s Will to Power that states, “The higher man is distinguished from the lower by his fearlessness and his readiness to challenge misfortune.” (no page number because this was not in the text; I got it from Goodreads). Lily can rise up from her adversity, but as Cragg tells her, she must prepare by deciding her direction in life.
ReplyDeleteAnother notion that Cragg touched upon in the clip was that since Lily is young and beautiful, she can get anything she wants in the world (this film did come out in 1933, after all). No matter how ‘sexist’ that may sound by today’s terms, though, Cragg has a point. People generally pay more attention to women when they are young and beautiful as opposed to when they are older. (Perhaps one of the only exceptions to this would be politics.) More attention means more power; in fact, power of the highest source, as claimed by Nietzsche: “Beauty therefore is, to the artist something which is above all orders of rank, because in beauty contrasts are overcome; the highest sign of power thus manifesting itself in the conquest of opposites…” (Nietzsche 245). Therefore, Nietzsche’s idea worked in Lily’s favor again in this instance.
To answer the second part of this question as to if we still see Nietzsche’s influence in society today, I would say yes, we do. People exploit others, situations, social status, and jobs for their own benefit quite often. One specific example that comes to mind is actors in television commercials. They use their power and ethos almost daily to get viewers to purchase things. If they did use such tactics to convince viewers, the company might not perform as well. Therefore, Nietzsche remains important to keep in mind in this day and age.
It's human nature to exploit others and sometimes we don't really notice that we're doing that. Like you mentioned how product makers need to use familiar and influential actors to help promote for whatever it is they're selling. There's no way to stop this chain, we need each other in order to get to where we want to be in life! I too feel that Nizetzche's idea will definitely continue to be important forever.
DeleteYasmine, I totally see what you mean about not even noticing that we're exploiting others! I feel like people sometimes say they have the best of intentions as a 'cover up', but deep down their main motive is really to take advantage of you. However, as you said, we do need each other to get where we want to be. Very rarely does anyone succeed in life without the help of others. So, I agree that exploitation (of others, of resources, etc. etc.) will continue to exist to some degree for a long time, if not forever.
DeleteThank you Lizzy for sharing with us your ideas on Baby Face and how Nietzsche's beliefs influenced society at the time and now. I think that you provided a great analysis of the context behind this scene in order to get to the overall point. Lily is being influenced by Nietzsche's words and uses power to get what she wants. The best part here, in my perspective is, that she is willing to do what she has to in order to get what she wants, or in other words conveying exploitation. This is exactly was Nietzsche is all about; POWER!
DeleteThe second prompt really hit home to me. I believe that Nizetzche's ideas have been influencing society. In the movie clip, Cragg was giving advice to Lily and he felt that she wasn't a fighter. He wanted to see her succeed even if she believed that women couldn't do much in life and advised her to "use men" and to "not let men use her". This idea can be seen in almost all walks of life, sometimes in life we have to use others to get ourselves into a better state. Take part time jobs and internships for an example; we use those to better our skills, and they're stepping stones to getting to where we may want to be. Although the word "use" is an elastic term, it could mean different things across the board. Something else to note is that although many people are unaware of Nizetzche's ideas, over time people have been passing his ideas down from generation to generation.
ReplyDeleteYasmine, I agree that Nizetzche's ideas have created an impact on society. I agree the word 'use' can have negative' connotation, but I believe in the Baby Face movie clip, Cragg is informing Lily to understand that people use each other for one reason or another. He wants Lily to know that she has more power than she realizes and wants her to use it.
DeleteYasmine, I think we both had the same feeling about the how this quote can be used in context. It's hard to consider that "using" and influence over someone can be seen as such a liberating thing, as we observe when watching the Baby Face clip. I find it interesting that dispute how often people fulfill the observations from the minds of those like Voltaire and Nizetzche, they're not even aware that they're doing it. It really goes to show how observant these people were about the world around them, and how predictable humans can be.
DeleteAs I stated in my blog post, I think the idea that Niezsche comes up with is extremely prevalent in today's society. I like the point you brought up about how ideas are passed down, and in some ways that's how all knowledge is transferred. That idea of using people and not letting people use you I think is reminiscent of preemptive action. It's a selfish but productive practice that allows for one to jump ahead with exploiting themselves just as our resources have explained for this weeks prompt. Nice post Yasmine!
DeleteThank you Yasmine for your insight. I also believe that Nietzsche's ideas have been passed down and are still presently seen today. This term of using people for one's own glory and power is definitely seen today and I think that the comparison that most accurately reflects that are famous artists that use writers to compose music for them; afterall who gets all the glory... well-known artist such as Drake.
DeleteNaomi and Vanessa, you both solicited interesting questions for this weeks blog post!
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was definitely Clark Kent taking off his glasses ready to fly off, but clearly we are not talking about The Superman. I believe Frankenstein could have reached a superman potential, but after creating his monster he regretted the how much power the monster truly had. I believe nihilism plays a role in Dr. Frankenstein's action. Any morally conscience person would have examined all of the risks involved in their creation. If HollyWood has taught us anything it's that things / people are better off staying dead.
I believe Shylock's strong will to be taken seriously and to get revenge is huge throughout the play. Shylock throughout his entire life has been treated poorly by the dominant society, leaving him to feel ultimately powerless. When given the chance to be the dominant one, Shylock takes hold of that opportunity to maintain his power against Antonio. Portia uses her power to manipulate the contract agreement and Shylock again loses his short-lived power.
Aryanna, you mentioned not only how Shylock tried to obtain power, but how Portia used her power to suppress what little he had. I wrote about Shylock in my original post as well, but I did not think to contrast these two powers. Shylock wanted to obtain power badly and Portia already had power. All he wanted was to feel some sort of power, but as soon as he was to have it, it was taken away. Portia had possessed more power than Shylock all along, yet she would not let him have any. If according to Nietzsche, in order to have happiness one has to obtain power, Shylock must never have been truly happy.
DeleteAryanna, tell me why I was thinking the same thing. I'm wondering now if The Superman has any comparison to Frankenstein.
DeleteAryanna, you brought up an extremely important argument that I wanted to address in my prompt. Sadly, I forgot about it in the rush of writing!
DeleteI think it is extremely important to note that Frankenstein's monster could have easily have been a "superman". Not only was he created with great physical strength, but he also was incredibly intelligent. I think that under better circumstances (maybe if the creature hadn't been rejected by society) he could have done amazing things with his life. It is so sad that such a caring and intelligent and being was in a way bred to do evil things.
I’m approaching your second topic which I thought was very interesting, so thank you Neomi and Vanessa for bringing this up.
ReplyDeleteI think that it was interesting that despite the time that that movie was released, Cragg was empowering Lily in a very modern way. The effect women have on men had been used in a sort of demeaning way for so long, and in this context, it was used to flip the script on men. By telling her that she basically held the world in her hand, the influence from Nietzsche is observed from how she was encouraged to use her influence over men, to exploit it. When I first read the quote from Nietzsche, it had a sinister appeal to it, as I had only known the action of exploitation in a negative context. Baby Face gave the quote, “All life, no matter how we idealize it, is nothing more nor less than exploitation” a new feeling to it. Within the context of Baby Face, this statement almost presents a sense of giving up, as if to say, we can’t avoid the exploitation of everyday life, and you can’t escape it.
A good modern exploitation is how companies approach selling and appealing to their customers. Weight loss companies exploit body issues, the beauty industry exploits the negative perception of oneself, and the athletic industry preys at those who are fearful of being weak. This isn’t some sort of evil scheme that hides behind a curtain, everyone is aware of it (at least to an extent). We, as consumers, are aware of the exploitative devices that companies expose us to, and we treat it as just “good” or “bad” advertising. I feel that in a way, any kind of exploitation is used to only better the original person, it can’t reach beyond that. By exploiting herself, Lily was able to further her life in a professional sense, but she left everyone else in the dust. Companies exploit for money, and only makes people feel better if they have the correct product. I believe that Nietzsche’s view on life and exploitation will forever be an effect of our lives, if we know about the German or not. He spoke it into the world, and we are constantly living within those boundaries now.
Bryson, great insight! I think this clip from Baby Face really is a powerful motivator for women and people who have decided they have nothing to contribute. What Nietzsche's ideology does for people, is it encourages them to look more at themselves and where they can find parts to exploit. He promotes individualism and the use of people's earned skills and aspects in order to grasp what you want. I agree wholeheartedly with you last statement of your post, "He spoke it into the world, and we are constantly living within those boundaries now."
DeleteI completely agree with you, Bryson, about companies and exploitation. Look at Instagram, where runway models and reality TV stars are promoting lollipops that make you forget to eat. They already have amazing bodies—likely from training with their personal trainer—and they are advertising a product that is a literal harm to health. With young people following these influencers and buying everything they promote, we can see how these Instagram stars are promoting harmful products for quick cash.
DeleteIn the short clip of Baby Face, the quote from Nietzsche’s Will To Power is used as a piece of advice for a young woman that was about to settle for less. When the older man quotes the book,“All life, no matter how we idealize it, is nothing more nor less than exploitation” he is basically saying to use all the qualities you have to make life beneficial to you. The effect that Nietzsche has on society is both good and evil. On one hand, this way of thinking really could take you to the top. On the other hand, is it what we would consider selfish to only think about your needs rather than others.
ReplyDeleteNohely, I agree it is hard to think of the idea of 'using' people. Although it might sound selfish, I tend to agree with what Cragg said. We apologize, not to make amends with the other person, but to subside our own guilt. We help people not for the sake of helping people, but instead how being kind makes us feel. I understand your point of view, but I believe we are inherently selfish.
DeleteFor my post I decided to go with the prompt you suggested containing Baby Face. In the society depicted in the short clip we watched, we see a predominantly male led society considering that this young woman's only supposed options are to strip or something similar for work. Then her father figure or whoever the mentor male is indicates that the woman should exploit herself to get what she wants. When considering this context, I don't think this ideology is either good nor evil, instead it is survival. In this time, women are not provided that access to certain jobs through the conventional way so in order for her to get what she wants, she needs to exploit herself and what she has in order to make the most of her life as a woman given the time.
ReplyDeleteIn modern day, I feel this quote is still an immense influence in people's lives. We are a vastly selfish society with bits and pieces of selflessness sprinkled in. Day to day, we think about ourselves and how to get through every day with what we have at our disposal. I think a quote from Will to Power that supports this notion of being self servant is as follows,
“Virtue is under certain circumstances merely an honorable form of stupidity: who could be ill-disposed toward it on that account? And this kind of virtue has not been outlived even today. A kind of sturdy peasant simplicity, which, however, is possible in all classes and can be encountered only with respect and a smile, believes even today that everything is in good hands, namely in the "hands of God"; and when it maintains this proportion with the same modest certainty as it would that two and two make four, we others certainly refrain from contradicting. Why disturb THIS pure foolishness? Why darken it with our worries about man, people, goal, future? And even if we wanted to do it, we could not. They project their own honorable stupidity and goodness into the heart of things (the old God, deus myops, still lives among them!); we others — we read something else into the heart of things: our own enigmatic nature, our contradictions, our deeper, more painful, more mistrustful wisdom.”
This quote promotes selfishness in order to sustain your garden as Voltaire indicated and I think that even though the Will to Power has Nihilistic similarities, it is neither good nor evil.
Ethan, I like how you related your prompt to the modern day. I agree that often it seems that selfishness is common today and often unavoidable. As evidenced in the clip from Baby Face, selfishness has been an issue for a long time. The advice the man gave to Lily to exploit herself and use men was indirectly telling her to only selfishly do what was best for herself. However, as you said, at the time women did not have the same job opportunities as men and this was merely a form of survival. Today, women have many more opportunities in the workforce, but selfishness is still evident in everyday life as it seems to be an inherent trait whether it is essential to survival or not.
DeleteEthan, you related your topic to the present world and I must agree, we are selfish creatures. In a way, Nietzsche's philosophy can be timeless.
DeleteThank you Noemi and Vanessa for this week's blog prompt! I chose to discuss the second option regarding "Will to Power".
ReplyDeleteI think Nietzche's quote, "All life, no matter how we idealize it, is nothing more nor less than exploitation" is an observation in response to the ideas of Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer, rather than a lesson or words to live by. Although it can be used to influence others, like in "Baby Face" (1993), I don't think it necessarily should be. That being said, I find nothing wrong in how the quote was used in "Baby Face". It is important for women to know their capabilities, especially in the workforce. Even though exploitation is a rather negative term and makes one think of the most horrible possibilities, in the context of the clip from this movie I think it simply means using one's resources to their benefit. Cragg is simply trying to encourage Lily to move and make a better life for herself after the death of her abusive father. Nietzche's words can be seen all over the world today. As he said in his book, "To have and to want to have more – growth, in one word – that is life itself". He explains that every living thing wants "to become more", and exploitation is how living things obtain this growth they seek.
Upon reflection, I'd like to take back one of my statements. I regret saying "I don't think it necessarily should be." in regards to using Nietzche's quote to influence others. Exploitation is extremely beneficial to the exploiter and can even be used in not so harming ways. I think what I meant is that exploitation has existed long before Nietzche's time and I think his words are simply an observation of it. I feel like capitalizing on certain situations for our benefit comes naturally to many, so it doesn't often need to be taught. Except, of course, in certain cases such as Lily's in Baby Face, where she doesn't know that she is capable of it.
DeleteI agree that the word "exploit" does sometimes have a negative connotation, but like you said, by the man telling Lilly this, it is important for him to do so because, she is unaware of her potential. I will say though that for a very impressionistic person who has never received advice like this, presentation is everything, and she might take his words a bit to literally, though I do realize this is in fact a film so it doesn't bother me too much.
DeleteI agree Jacey, Cragg's presentation to Lily about exploitation was rather aggressive and it's pace seemed similar to a speech given before a great battle. I find it interesting how although he was empowering her, he was still above her and had the low-angle shot, while she had the high-angle shot. In film, low-angle shots denote power and strength, while high-angle shots make the subject seem vulnerable. With him in power, along with his tone, his words have a more fearful meaning and can be interpreted in an evil way. It's not really a good thing to teach someone about exploitation in this evil sort of manner.
DeleteErica, I like that you took a different approach in regards to this prompt. I agree with you in that it is very important to define "exploitation". We tend to think of the word in a negative context, but in terms of Baby Face, what she did took something bad and made it, in a way, good. Most of the other responses I have read looked at what happened in Baby Face as negative, because in the grand scheme of things she was still being exploited by men. However, I liked that you turned the tables a bit and addressed that she was doing the exact same to them! In today's society we still might not favor what Baby Face did, but, I think it is important to understand that she was working with the little tools that she had during her time.
DeleteI chose to write about the first prompt that addresses how Nietzsche’s The Antichrist is comparable to The Merchant of Venice regarding power and a contest of wills. In the book The Antichrist, Nietzsche writes “What is happiness? the feeling that power increases that resistance is overcome. Not contentment, but more power; not peace at any price, but war; not virtue, but efficiency” (43). This concept is evident in The Merchant of Venice as well. Shylock is a Jew and he is looked down upon and disrespected by the Christians in Venice. The life he lives is not a happy one, daily being tormented for being a Jew. Shylock, a money lender, is approached by a man that has ill-treated him often. This man is Antonio, the merchant of Venice. Shylock sees an opportunity to gain power over an adversary. He decides to lend Antonio the money under one condition: if Antonio does not pay back Shylock in time, Shylock gets a pound of Antonio’s flesh.
ReplyDeleteAntonio is not able to pay back Shylock and though Antonio’s friend offers Shylock double the amount owed, he will not accept it. He is ready to take his pound of flesh. However, a technicality saves Antonio and Shylock ends up having to convert to Christianity and loses much of his wealth. This is a clash of the adversary and the powerless. Shylock did not want money. As Nietzsche said he wanted “the feeling that power increases that resistance is overcome” (43). It was more than being paid back to Shylock it was finally being the one that held the power. After being treated as powerless and unworthy, Shylock wanted to feel that he had power. No amount of riches would make him happy. He wanted to no longer be the one that has to take every harsh word and beating with no defenses. Shakespeare illustrates well what Nietzsche believed, that true contentment does not come from material things. Being satisfied with oneself is much more satisfying than having all the riches in the world.
Ashlynne, you establish some very good parallels between Nietzsche's The Antichrist and The Merchant of Venice! The notion that "true contentment does not come from material things" is a very important one to keep in mind. In retrospect, I think Shylock understood that very well, and I commend him for it. Thank you for shining light on this perspective! In addition, I believe Nietzsche's ideas of embracing envy and that all life is based off of exploitation apply to Shylock's situation as well. As we came to know, Shylock envied Antonio and the other Christians as they had the power in society, so he chose to exploit Antonio throughout the text up until the trial scene. In short, I believe the quote that I included in my original blog post, "The higher man is distinguished from the lower by his fearlessness and his readiness to challenge misfortune" perfectly sums up Shylock. Even though he ultimately did not win the trial, he made a very strong attempt to 'overcome' his hardship and mistreatment.
DeleteAshlynne, I was hoping that some one would bring that quote up because I truly believe that it was a powerful statement. Nietzsche makes it clear there that power dominates happiness, contentment, peace, and virtue and he really shows us here how much power is important to him.
DeleteI would also like to add that I think you made some great comparisons and connections. I liked that you reminded us a bit more of The Merchant of Venice and how some scenarios connected to The Antichrist. If we're not talking about money then we're definitely talking about power here.
Nietzsche didn’t believe in good or evil. He always brought up how one’s main purpose was to be powerful and his words, “All life, no matter how we idealize it, is nothing more nor less than exploitation” show that. All life is going to be used by others to go higher in status and gain power. In the clip of Baby Face, the older man told the young lady to do whatever she wanted because at the end of the day, she has the ability to have power over men even if that is seen as immoral by others. She will be on top, and everyone else below her. She had to use her skills (beauty, age, etc.) to get what she wanted because that was the power she had. The woman’s life can be explained by, “The higher man is distinguished from the lower by his fearlessness and his readiness to challenge misfortune.” (Nietzsche). Nietzsche may not have known it, but a lot of his philosophy was adopted by Nazi Germany. He may not have intended on his words to become fuel for fascism but that’s how they were taken (Scotty Hendricks).
ReplyDeleteWicks, Robert. “Nietzsche's Life and Works.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 8 May 2017, plato.stanford.edu/entries/nietzsche-life-works/.
It is interesting that you mentioned that scene in the movie and that the man basically say that being immoral is what gets some one to the top. This makes me start to wonder if having fame and being on top is worth it if one is not happy. I guess it could be if you have a loving family and healthy relations all around, but if not then, I can see it being challenging to ever find peace and contentment with one's life.
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ReplyDeleteI decided to choose the 1st prompt for this week's post. Throughout most of Nietzsche’s beliefs I could understand why he feels a certain way about the Christian faith, and in some cases he is not wrong about the scandals, and us being weak. However, as a Christian, I must say being weak at times, can actually benefit the soul just as effectively as being unmoral. Being weak at times, not all, allows you to broaden your ability to perceive what others might have to say, and can be a tool that humbles the mind, allowing it to grow with knowledge. The antisemitic mindset puts down jews viewing them as nobodies who will never live a meaningful life, because of the many many many people who have come before them. But as most people, I know plenty of successful and happy jews who've made an extraordinary impact on the world. Categorizing and judging a person by whom their great great great great great grandparents were is a juvenile way of perceiving one's character. The same can go for Christians, the term Christian it's self is so broad that labeling and assigning stereotypes is ineffective, because in reality everyone thinks differently no matter what they put their faith into. Power can be a flexible term and depends on how you use it. The idea of having power over a particular group of individuals, is a useless way to view others, because who you are associating them with is not a complete and full accurate interpretation of who they are truly. I, personally, believe that striving for power can be problem some, but striving for happiness and the spread of love will ultimately get you to reaching your fullest potential as a human.
ReplyDeleteJacey, you made great points and I agree with many of them. It's a terrible thing to judge someone solely based on their faith or even a single category they fall into. And you're definitely right about power being a flexible term, and I think you described his interpretation of it perfectly. In some of his other works, I understand power as meaning strength or ability, but in the context of The Anti-Christ, I see it as only domination over others. Nietzche writes, "The most spiritual men, as the strongest, find their happiness where others would find their destruction". I find it hard to understand Nietzche completely without reading his books in their entirety. There are many things I've read from him that I agree with and I can find understanding and even comfort in, but his harsh judgement in The Anti-Christ is definitely not something I can agree with.
DeleteI mean in a way, we are always fighting for who's a bigger person or who would have more power. In "The Merchant of Venice" there are times where Shakespeare seemed to put antisemitic messages in his story but overall he doesn't really mean it. However, I do think we can infer that there were some fighting between the main characters and seeing who would be on top. There was always a battle because Antonio was always rude to Shylock and made faces at him and spit on him. So he was trying to push Shylock down so that Antonio would be able to stay on top and make sure Shylock "knows his place". Then Shylock strikes a deal with Antonio and if Antonio broke it he would take one pound of his flesh. This shows how Shylock was trying to out smart Antonio and make sure he was on top. There was always a constant fight between the two characters.
ReplyDeleteIsac, you make a great point in your post. I did not take this into consideration before, but the fight for power and dominance is more apparent than I originally thought. In Shelly's Frankenstein, the doctor and his monster are in a constant battle for power throughout the whole book. This is important and relevant, even especially mentioned in other important works, such as "The Merchant of Venice". It is important to make these comparisons and connections as they are underlying themes in both stories that can help tie together and idea and strengthen our understanding altogether. Thank you again for the post!
DeleteFirst off, thank you to Noemi and Vanessa for the in depth prompt this week. I will be addressing the third prompt listed.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Mary Shelly's idea of the ideal being and Nietzsche's ideas strongly correlate and complement each other. I think Frankenstein's monster can be seen as a type of Ubermensch, as I believe that is what his ultimate goal in his experiments was. Altogether, Dr. Frankenstein got some things in his creation right, as the monster seemed to be abnormally strong, and extremely smart for something so young in my opinion. But, obviously, something went wrong in his creation, based on the events that transpire. It seems that in every single story that contains an attempt to create a stronger or more transcendent being, something goes wrong and drastically backfires. Even in today's modern stories of robots and cyborgs, there are still moral dilemmas that are apparent and very relatable to Nietzsche's concepts. In my opinion, this all ties in to Mary Shelly's ideas of Frankenstein very well, as she depicts an attempt for something that humanity is not prepared for or willing to handle. Addressing Nihilism, I do no think this belief necessarily warrants or licenses Dr. Frankenstein's actions, but it could very well be an explanation. The rejection of any religious path would lead to no moral values, resulting in Frankenstein's experiments with such large and weighted topics: life and death, and the ability to control it willingly. Nietzsche explores these concepts greatly in his works, and I believe his and Shelly's ideas ring together closely.
Wow! This blog post is so in depth this week guys, thanks for all your hard work! Now I'm nervous for my group's post next week, haha.
ReplyDeleteI've decided to answer prompt 2, as the clip from "Baby Face" struck my interest almost immediately. Going back to the dawn of time, men have constantly held power over women. And while today women can hold the same jobs as men and not stay stuck inside like a housewife (though, if a woman wants to be a housewife, good for her! It's her choice), men are still one step above women. In the clip from "Baby Face" (1933), Cragg gives Lily advice that will only put her at an advantage. By using her looks and her charm, Lily can get anything she wants from the likes of men. You almost have to do things this way, if you want to succeed in a male dominated society. Manipulation might be a strong word, but in a society where women are raped, assaulted, even murdered due to the power men hold over us, it doesn't seem all the bad in comparison. Another quote from "Will to Power" that corresponded to this that I found was: “The same causes which tend to promote the belittling of men, also force the stronger and rarer individuals upwards to greatness" (Nietzsche). In this instance, Lily would be the strong and rare individual, but only if she belittles men along the way.
Hannah I'm sure your blog post will be great! I'm looking forward to reading all about it.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, thank you for sharing your insight with us. I would like to say that I was intrigued by some of of your words and I loved the direction you took this topic in. I agree with many of the points you included in your post especially when you mentioned manipulation. Cragg is luring Lily to use others for her own contentment... let me rephrase that... for her own POWER. I think that in this scenario Nietzsche's words may have driven Lily to seek a better version of herself but do you think that there is a certain extent that makes Nietzsche's ideas okay?