For any wondering: the Greek word at 30:30 is σωφροσύνη (“sophrosyne”); the word was written on the board at the lecture, but that can’t be seen in the video, so I felt it nice to provide it here.
This professor sounds like a bro. I cannot stress the importance of this enough. At least for me, it provides a human element to my classes. I don't feel like I'm being extruded through the mold of a degree.
For what it's worth, in response to some of the discussion here, I think laughter during a lecture on Nietzsche is perfectly appropriate. The lecture did not seem to veer into clownish territory, but damn it, Nietzsche has an undeniably funny side.
The whole of Zarathustra is darkly hilarious. In fact he insists Zarathustra's main characteristic or mode is laughter. Zarathustra is a dancer and in part a comedian. This is glorious and disturb ing at the same time. Tradition called Democritus (the hilarity is human folly) the laughing philosopher but if there ever really was one it was Nietzsche.
@lukedavis6711 no not the party type, I just live inside my mind to much, I want less fear more stepping into it and jumping off of cliffs and shit and like commanding my life instead of living in my house questioning the meaning of everything, don't get me wrong I like my mind at times and thinking of these things, I just want to more life affirming you know, because if I live in my house I will stay the last man I don't want to be the last man as that's who identify with the most currently. Also, Christian values I imbody it I don't like being that meek person amd im way to perfectionistic. Sorry, must be a lot to take in for my rant.
To me this lecture is like the holy grail for any teacher, in that it leads one to want to dig deeper into the subject. It could have been insanely boring, but I listened for the whole 71 minutes, and feel that I have a basic overview of Nietzsche's philosophy. Humour (sorry, English spelling....... damn, here I am with false humility ;-) ) is a great way to stimulate and maintain interest. Great lecture, loved it.
I always like to start a lecture and then be blessed with the thought '''This guy seems to like what he's talking about, perhaps I have something to learn from him''' and now it has become so rare in college, but not with Cecil. Thank you
While I agreed with the lecturer in regards to Thus Spoke Zarathustra being the most important Nietzsche book to read, it is a VERY difficult book to read (with the exception of the prologue, which narrates as a simple story...) because it is incredibly poetic with tons of aphorisms. Those that are just getting into Nietzsche, without a solid understanding of what Nietzsche is all about, will have a tough time reading it. It is a book "for all and none" as Nietzsche points out, and it's quite easy to belong to the "none." I suggest reading Twilight of the Idols, at least, before embarking on Zarathustra's journey.
I'm reading & hearing it from a space of being my own Zarathustra. As Nietzsche wrote it from a space of its own Zarathustra. And is just a comprehensible space wherefrom to understand eachother. In one easy way, one can say: I've met Nietzsche at a Zarathustra Place. 😊
Enjoyed this mainly because this professor delivered it in a simple yet informative manner. Clear understanding of the kind of world Nietzsche came into and how it may have formed him. Great perspective to consider.
Simple Guy I just started the video, but I’ve found that most philosophy lectures are BS and we can’t even trust the writings, especially the ones that have been translated
Simple Guy I mean, 2 minutes in and the guy bashes Napoleon really hard. I’m pretty sure Napoleon was trying to stop international bankers like Nathan Rothschild and lost... but then again he might have been in on it with them. But I heard that although he was a usurper, he also spent government money honestly, not with debt financing. This professor probably wont mention anything about that
So glad I found this channel. Dr. Wesley is one of those professors every student wishes he/she had and that applause at the end? How many professor's get applause at the end of their lecture? Not very many! Thoroughly enjoyed this lecture, I have "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" on my to-read list already! Thank you, Dr. Wesley!
Nietzsche fills me with joy. So neat how, if you try, you can see his ideas embedded in Jung ‘s work constantly. Jung’s work on the concept of the shadow and the first chapter of Beyond Good and Evil are so related it’s worth reading both at once.
Starting with your oldest lecture and working through them all. So much content I'm deeply interested in. Thanks for offering it all for free. The great humor and casualness of explanation really keeps it engaging. If anyone has done something similar, would appreciate any advice as to working through them all, what order to view them, etc.
Twice I have listened to this about Nietzsche now and I have listened to others, and this exactly how I got him when reading Nietzsche for years is why I found humor in Nietzsche. And Professor Wess you are brilliant as a few others, as also with my papa and my younger brother. ❤️ Get off the cross, we need the wood. Simple !!! You are correct on all points about Nietzsche. Thank you!!!! Bravo 👏 "Good luck with your life in the wilderness." Mmm Nietzsche's own sister? What a shame.
I am Baffled. The audio quality almost made me skip this lecture but after reading the comments I decided to give it a go and I had the chance to enjoy one of Nietzsche's most enjoyable and enthusiastic lectures ever made. Thank you so much for this. Did put many thinks into perspective. And made me wanna re-read some of his books
Professor Wes Cecil. I love your lectures. Laughter is the best medicine in philosophy, history, and sciences. Walter Kaufman's book, "The Portable Nietzsche," I love the best. That collection of Nietzsche's body of writings is beyond words. Has anyone been to the Mardi Gras in New Orleans? I have many times. Lol 😊
Zarathustra is not as Cecil claims in Three Parts (other than the Preface). There is an excellent Fourth Part which explains Nietzsche's stance on genuine science as opposed to the sickness of modern science. That Nietzsche is a philosopher only for 'arty types' is a grave popular error which Cecil does not address.
We also pay people to think for us... and many many other things. Ultimately, we, as individuals have to pick our battles, but we, as individuals, MUST engage life's struggles, lest we become cows in a pen. I love it! Thank you for downloading this. Battle on mien brethren.
The man himself, Nietzsche, I think, never received such a standing ovation, but it´s always that way, later coming people collects fruits, and pioneers who have pave the road for others, they die insane, without comfort and in deep pain...good lecture though.
I've been listening to this lecture repeatedly over the past few years. I finally got to write a paper on moral philosophy where this talk served me very well for understanding Hobbesian Contractarianism. Time to listen to it again before bed. Cheers!
In your enlightening Nietzsche WTP video, you make effective use of the adaptive root system metaphor of a tree as it grows stronger and increases its expanse confronting underground obstacles. Descriptive, vivid, and organic are a perfect use of this metaphor. The quote "...that which does not destroy you makes you stronger.. " always conveys a hard, militaristic tone to Nietzsche which is certainly warranted for this elite Navy Seal esque, Spartan warrior philosopher that fought his way to the top with front line focus and OODA loop strikes against the cream puff "Marxist" collectivism academics to find a home at the Olympian rung next to Plato, Schopenhauer, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Your root metaphor highlights the profound Emersonian influence of natural organic imagery that left a sublime impression on Nietzsche. Thank you for sharing your novel insights on this pioneer German philosopher leading us all away from the modern philosophic T.S. Eliot described wasteland. A wasteland terrain full of vapid, game show host like hollow men mixed in with the John Wick like assassins in the philosophy departments of the university tenure system where the truth goes to die as hollow men administrators pander to the lowest common denominator in the collective seal-like applause of virtue signaling and Orwellian levels of political correctness that have the universities and corporations fearing their own shadow. Nietzsche offers a way out of this wasteland to the leading edge with the best view of the vast horizons, blissful sunsets, and the pure austere air of the Swiss Alps. Up in the Alps where Nietzsche is found with his groundbreaking, paradigm-shifting writings, you also can experience the invigorating sensation of elite-level Navy Seal alpine mountain fighting. The mountain combat though is against Platonic shadows comprised of noisy self-confused ignorance, suffering, angst and forced fed propaganda faced in the shadows of our own mind that we all encounter on our own unique path and quest, propelled on by the relentless force of the will to power and illuminated by the brilliance of Nietzsche's light and profound truth instincts. As we take the philosophic Navy Seal hard path in our own internal root expansion, we will all find why this German savant philosopher, the heroic but "lonely" wanderer and his shadow, is fulfilling his "prophecy" in his writings reflective of the Rock of Ages prophets, to be as he foretold in these dark matrix times, "...the philosopher for the day after tomorrow."
Ideas to reflect upon 1.(Kant) There are no absolutes, in ideals/religions( can't be proven of disproved?) or reason (human capacity to perceive reality is physiologically proven to be skewed). Ultimate truth, if it exists, is inaccessible to us. 2.Dionysus/Mankind as organic creatures.We must be set free. To feel, to observe, to contemplate, to express. To just be as we are ( hopefully after some reflection) How can you create great works (of art) if half of you is dead? 3.Suffering and other states we try to deny are simply human - they should not be denied simply because of negative connotations. The only way out is through- we must process our internal states rather than live as false selves. 4.Our sense of morality has history and is not absolute. To have blind faith could lead and has already led to great and unnecessary loss. -Slave Mentality/Coping Mechanism -Question your Morality and its history. Why should you believe in it? 5.Sufrasnia?? ( to be edited ) The quality of self-awareness. To be without would be the greatest sin one could commit to himself and his community. 6.You have to liberate yourself.There is no morality that can save you. You have to suffer etc etc. There are no rules(poisonous to the mind- claiming to have an answer- the denial of ambiguity for the sake of relief? ) You are in the wilderness. Good luck and deal with it. 7.Aphoristic style- to avoild giving rules or steps. 8.Agon ( greeks ) Life is a struggle. Struggling made you whole. If you arn't suffering/trying/fight , you arn't living. Everybody competed their whole lives. Even if they knew loss was certain, they still willfully struggled. Accept that life is a struggle. We have to decide what we want to measure ourselves by/challenge our capacity. If you never face those challenges, you are simple left dim in a dim world. ( Herd people. Lost potential ) 9.thus spoke Zarathustra( spelling?) 10. Slow poison of the mind and soul Prevents great art Become immune to true sympathy for another human being ( just an abstract - label as evil - no rules/ license to abuse) 11. Judging the content of the human soul. Unless you are God, you cannot judge the quality of someone's character. ( means to power ) 12. Recommendations Aphorisms Human all to human Genealogy of morality( structured ) Thus spoke Zarathustra Summary 01:06:00
Professors mastery in art of teaching, educating is the gift which is grounded in so many aspects which uniquely are his. In regard to the word (sorfaraz/ sarfaraz) if I herd it correctly, I know this word in Farsy/ persian’s language. This word meaning, the act of achieving, accomplishing, succeeding, is followed with being SARFARAZ / SORFARAZ.
Somehow Hegel refuting Nietzsche’s discovery, however subtlety he did so, reminds me of the hate Marilyn Vos Savant got for being RIGHT when everyone else, to include literally hundreds of PhD professors from every school in the country said she was wrong about the Monty Hall problem.
Nietzsche, Hume and Berkeley. The three philosophers I read for fun. But especially Nietzsche. The most brilliant entertaining thought provoking writer in all of philosophy. Imo.
Holy shit this is amazing! This is EXACTLY what I need to hear at this moment. I've been into Nietzsche for a very, very long time but what this professor is saying is just brilliant.
Do you find Nietches views on Islam interesting ? Islam acknowledges animalistic sides (sex, eating, fighting, and so on) of human beings and puts them into their appropriate contexts. Islam combines justice and mercy beautifully, doesn't always promote turn the other cheek, except by your own choice. And when it comes to inheritance of the world, it says that the world will be inherited by the righteous people. The Arabic term is "saleeh" which means righteous, virtuous, constructive as opposed to destructive and corruptive.
wes cecil says Nietzsche was all about looking forward and not backwards yet Nietzsches thinking was influenced heavily by the past for example: greek, rome, napoleon, past philosophers etc..
How does the lecturer comes to groups with the evident fact that the master critic of ressentiment spent his entire life (as a writer, at least) resenting the resenters?
You know it’s going to be another EPIC Philosophical breakdown! When at 19 minutes Dr. W.C. Uses “ going to raves” as a reference point to describe Nietzsche’s perspective of the Dionysius follower fan base.
I can't express how much happy I am to have found this amazing professor, if I have my way I will buy you everything you need jus to have you around me everyday speak about these great insane consciousness, please speak on Buddha, George Gudjeff ,I think that last name is wrongly spell but he is a Russian mystic who taught about the fourth dimension, talk to us about D.H Lawrence, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Immanuel Kant, Dionysus and Pythagoras. Thanks you professor
Sophrosyne (Greek: σωφροσύνη) is a Greek philosophical term etymologically meaning healthy-mindedness and from there self-control or moderation guided by knowledge and balance.
"When we wish to correct with advantage and to show another that he errs, we must notice from what side he views the matter, for on that side it is usually true, and admit that truth to him, but reveal to him the side on which it is false. He is satisfied with that, for he sees that he was not mistaken and that he only failed to see all sides. Now, no one is offended at not seeing everything; but one does not like to be mistaken, and that perhaps arises from the fact that man naturally cannot
Nietzsche's characterisation of the Greek 'genius' and Greek philosophy - which emphasises the pre_Socratics and downplays Plato and Aristotle - and which of course suits his own agenda, is more German than Greek.
Nietszhe also admires 'slave morality' (beyond good and evil, as it were). It is not to his taste but he admires it as a species of cunning and self-knowledge that has made us deeper, more reflective and profound
Nietzsche hated systems.. His works are mainly to sharp ur mind. He doesnt preach, he make objective statements (aforisms) some of them he discard in his next book (in a dialectic manner) he wants his readers to think for themselves, use their own mind/life as a research topic, and see if your morals are from yourself, or did you learn them allong the way (which, afcourse, is mostly the case) and these so called 'values', are they holding you back as an human ? And he didnt had a system... ' A system is a lack of integrity'.. Best thing is to read Nietzsche yourself, All the books, in the order he wrote them (reading in the order he wrote them is very important !!!) Though he hasnt a system, he does has topics on which he elaborates, like: 'Dionysian and Appolonyism' 'Amor Fati' 'The eternal return of things' 'Reevaluation of all values' 'Good & evil' 'Übermensch' 'Will to power' 'Pré-socratic humans' 'Freedom' Etc But imo, best thing is to read,read, and read. If he keeps talking about a person, read those books too. For example Schopenhauer, Socrates, Goethe etc, he often mentions them, and he assumes the reader of his books know these writers or philosophers too. So it will take some time, but it will pay off on the long run, i can assure you !!! Peace ! (Excuse my english btw)
"[Anything which] is a living and not a dying body... will have to be an incarnate will to power, it will strive to grow, spread, seize, become predominant - not from any morality or immorality but because it is living and because life simply is will to power... 'Exploitation'... belongs to the essence of what lives, as a basic organic function; it is a consequence of the will to power, which is after all the will to life." -Freddy
Allan Lindsay No, that's your herd question. He was likely the sanest man in Europe in his time. A sane man surrounded by insanity, herds of morons who struggle each morning to pull their pants up properly. It isn't any wonder the man had a breakdown in Turin.
Frankie Panaia Hi FP - so he was likely the sanest man in Europe,- really? So you are intimately aware of everyone who lived in Europe during his lifetime? Well done! That being the case if he was the "sanest man In Europe" he would never have been able to be incarcerated into those insane asylums -, since they would have all been full to bursting and then some. In fact Europe would have been full of Insane Asylums. . . . .Herd question? I never posited a question.. .
... see everything, and that naturally he cannot err in the side he looks at, since the perceptions of our senses are always true. People are generally better persuaded by the reasons which they have themselves discovered than by those which have come into the mind of others.
Thank you Doctor. What a wonderful lecture. Nietzche's lessons were very profound on my own development. Without understanding the evil, you can't focus on the good.
Some comedians carry themselves via a tone in their voice, where everything they are about to say is going to be hysterical, and it works as if they ques you to laugh regardless of how funny the joke is. This is a great lecture, but his tone is as if everything he's saying is surprisingly amazing. Don't get me wrong he's great at giving a lecture, I guess that's the way to do it.
I wanted to post a similar comment, but thought why invite all the flaming replies that are sure to follow, lol, with most commenters here practically lining up to kiss the professor's ring. The professor has a very approachable, casual, down-to-earth, informal way of teaching and it's engrossing and interesting, especially for the segment of our population that has grown up on fast-moving sounds and images to keep their attention span alive. However, the point I want to make is that his intonation, on practically every sentence, where he is basically yelling: "Look how friggin' amazing this is!!!" can get very tedious and even stressful. After several minutes of listening to the lecture my stomach muscles, through no conscious effort of my own, are clenched so tight that I need to take a break. Otherwise, I really like his interpretation of Nietzsche's work. After all, there are no truths, only interpretations of it. :-)
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You have resurrected my faith in humanity. My praise is not for this post alone, but for your whole collection of scholarly pursuit. My god (I don't actually think you are my god)! Thank you. :) ;) ;p... and other cave paintings.
Reached this hilarious comment. I think the nick: "hammertapping" is more than adequate. Excellent choice and most fitting, almost as eloquent as the language used. What "hammertapping" does not realize, is that comments of the sort reflect more about the person making them, than the lecturer himself; -who, fortunately, doesn't take things as seriously, and adheres to the Greek thought of: "Learning should be fun!" Meanwhile 'sophrosyne', is advocated also on comments .. but not everyone abides.
As a grad student working on MA in Sociology, I must give you props for recognizing Nietzsche as a founder of Modern Sociology, else we're left with the over simplistic and dull Durkheim and ugh... Spencer. Oddly enough, there still seems to be resistance to allowing Nietzsche in, perhaps due to the resistance to thinkers he influenced such as Foucault and more so Derrida. Bataille is also not even recognized by the field despite his connection with Frankfurt School and College of Sociology.
The author merely mentions the that you have to seek a balance between the Appolonian and the Dionesian, but a poor job in what it means in terms of the Ubermensch and the last man. Personally, I prefer Rick Roderick's presentation on youtube more than this one in terms of understanding Nietzsche.
For any wondering: the Greek word at 30:30 is σωφροσύνη (“sophrosyne”); the word was written on the board at the lecture, but that can’t be seen in the video, so I felt it nice to provide it here.
Thanks!
Sige and vvvvvvvvvvvv
That's amazing for you to go that. Thanks so much!
This professor sounds like a bro. I cannot stress the importance of this enough. At least for me, it provides a human element to my classes. I don't feel like I'm being extruded through the mold of a degree.
Ethos?
A lot of babies like “omg if my teachers were bros I woulda been sumthin in life”
@@doitlive1279 What?
@@ItsCronk idk
Very true 👍
For what it's worth, in response to some of the discussion here, I think laughter during a lecture on Nietzsche is perfectly appropriate. The lecture did not seem to veer into clownish territory, but damn it, Nietzsche has an undeniably funny side.
I know! Just look at that molestach
The whole of Zarathustra is darkly hilarious. In fact he insists Zarathustra's main characteristic or mode is laughter. Zarathustra is a dancer and in part a comedian. This is glorious and disturb ing at the same time. Tradition called Democritus (the hilarity is human folly) the laughing philosopher but if there ever really was one it was Nietzsche.
😊😂
This is the best lecture on Nietzsche ever. I'm 36 now and have been reading and studying him since I was 18.
How's your life going? I'm wondering if I should study him some more because I feel like I killed the dionesian side in me
@@iforget6940 not great lol. Def suggest studying Nietzsche but youre def not going to become more of a fun party bro doing it if thats your purpose
@lukedavis6711 no not the party type, I just live inside my mind to much, I want less fear more stepping into it and jumping off of cliffs and shit and like commanding my life instead of living in my house questioning the meaning of everything, don't get me wrong I like my mind at times and thinking of these things, I just want to more life affirming you know, because if I live in my house I will stay the last man I don't want to be the last man as that's who identify with the most currently.
Also, Christian values I imbody it I don't like being that meek person amd im way to perfectionistic.
Sorry, must be a lot to take in for my rant.
@lukedavis6711 but why is it not great what was your experience
To me this lecture is like the holy grail for any teacher, in that it leads one to want to dig deeper into the subject. It could have been insanely boring, but I listened for the whole 71 minutes, and feel that I have a basic overview of Nietzsche's philosophy. Humour (sorry, English spelling....... damn, here I am with false humility ;-) ) is a great way to stimulate and maintain interest. Great lecture, loved it.
I always like to start a lecture and then be blessed with the thought
'''This guy seems to like what he's talking about, perhaps I have
something to learn from him''' and now it has become so rare in college, but
not with Cecil. Thank you
Nietzsche is undeniably one the most unique thinkers ever. His prose puts motivational speakers to shame!
While I agreed with the lecturer in regards to Thus Spoke Zarathustra being the most important Nietzsche book to read, it is a VERY difficult book to read (with the exception of the prologue, which narrates as a simple story...) because it is incredibly poetic with tons of aphorisms. Those that are just getting into Nietzsche, without a solid understanding of what Nietzsche is all about, will have a tough time reading it. It is a book "for all and none" as Nietzsche points out, and it's quite easy to belong to the "none." I suggest reading Twilight of the Idols, at least, before embarking on Zarathustra's journey.
+Enrique Caballero I concur.This is not the book with which a beginner should start.
I'm reading & hearing it from a space of being my own Zarathustra.
As Nietzsche wrote it from a space of its own Zarathustra. And is just a comprehensible space wherefrom to understand eachother.
In one easy way, one can say:
I've met Nietzsche at a Zarathustra Place. 😊
Enjoyed this mainly because this professor delivered it in a simple yet informative manner. Clear understanding of the kind of world Nietzsche came into and how it may have formed him. Great perspective to consider.
What a fantastically exciting, gratifying, amusing, empowering lecture -- thanks so much, Dr Cecil!!!!
What a great lecture
yupppp
nathonas It sucked.
@@HistoryChannel1776 what makes you think so?
Simple Guy I just started the video, but I’ve found that most philosophy lectures are BS and we can’t even trust the writings, especially the ones that have been translated
Simple Guy I mean, 2 minutes in and the guy bashes Napoleon really hard. I’m pretty sure Napoleon was trying to stop international bankers like Nathan Rothschild and lost... but then again he might have been in on it with them. But I heard that although he was a usurper, he also spent government money honestly, not with debt financing. This professor probably wont mention anything about that
Incredible that Nietzsche accurately predicted so many things so far removed
from his world.
it's not hard to predict terribel things, they allways happen and get worse;-)
It makes you think If his time was any different than now and if we have changed
So glad I found this channel. Dr. Wesley is one of those professors every student wishes he/she had and that applause at the end? How many professor's get applause at the end of their lecture? Not very many! Thoroughly enjoyed this lecture, I have "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" on my to-read list already! Thank you, Dr. Wesley!
Nietzsche fills me with joy. So neat how, if you try, you can see his ideas embedded in Jung ‘s work constantly. Jung’s work on the concept of the shadow and the first chapter of Beyond Good and Evil are so related it’s worth reading both at once.
Starting with your oldest lecture and working through them all. So much content I'm deeply interested in. Thanks for offering it all for free. The great humor and casualness of explanation really keeps it engaging.
If anyone has done something similar, would appreciate any advice as to working through them all, what order to view them, etc.
Twice I have listened to this about Nietzsche now and I have listened to others, and this exactly how I got him when reading Nietzsche for years is why I found humor in Nietzsche.
And Professor Wess you are brilliant as a few others, as also with my papa and my younger brother. ❤️
Get off the cross, we need the wood.
Simple !!!
You are correct on all points about Nietzsche. Thank you!!!!
Bravo 👏 "Good luck with your life in the wilderness." Mmm
Nietzsche's own sister? What a shame.
Perhaps the best lecture on Nietzsche I have ever heard.
What a splended lecture! I am returning to relisten, again.
I am Baffled. The audio quality almost made me skip this lecture but after reading the comments I decided to give it a go and I had the chance to enjoy one of Nietzsche's most enjoyable and enthusiastic lectures ever made. Thank you so much for this. Did put many thinks into perspective. And made me wanna re-read some of his books
Professor Wes Cecil. I love your lectures. Laughter is the best medicine in philosophy, history, and sciences.
Walter Kaufman's book, "The Portable Nietzsche," I love the best. That collection of Nietzsche's body of writings is beyond words.
Has anyone been to the Mardi Gras in New Orleans?
I have many times. Lol 😊
I discovered this many years ago. Still return every so often. An amazing introduction.
Zarathustra is not as Cecil claims in Three Parts (other than the Preface). There is an excellent Fourth Part which explains Nietzsche's stance on genuine science as opposed to the sickness of modern science. That Nietzsche is a philosopher only for 'arty types' is a grave popular error which Cecil does not address.
We also pay people to think for us... and many many other things. Ultimately, we, as individuals have to pick our battles, but we, as individuals, MUST engage life's struggles, lest we become cows in a pen.
I love it! Thank you for downloading this. Battle on mien brethren.
The man himself, Nietzsche, I think, never received such a standing ovation, but it´s always that way, later coming people collects fruits, and pioneers who have pave the road for others, they die insane, without comfort and in deep pain...good lecture though.
I've been listening to this lecture repeatedly over the past few years. I finally got to write a paper on moral philosophy where this talk served me very well for understanding Hobbesian Contractarianism.
Time to listen to it again before bed.
Cheers!
+Ryan G Care to share it with me? I'd like to read it...
ive been listening to this lecture at least once a week. There is just something in the way he tells the story that is so uplifting
I enjoyed this lecture. But then again.. i enjoy everything of and about nietzsche.
In your enlightening Nietzsche WTP video, you make effective use of the adaptive root system metaphor of a tree as it grows stronger and increases its expanse confronting underground obstacles. Descriptive, vivid, and organic are a perfect use of this metaphor. The quote "...that which does not destroy you makes you stronger.. " always conveys a hard, militaristic tone to Nietzsche which is certainly warranted for this elite Navy Seal esque, Spartan warrior philosopher that fought his way to the top with front line focus and OODA loop strikes against the cream puff "Marxist" collectivism academics to find a home at the Olympian rung next to Plato, Schopenhauer, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Your root metaphor highlights the profound Emersonian influence of natural organic imagery that left a sublime impression on Nietzsche.
Thank you for sharing your novel insights on this pioneer German philosopher leading us all away from the modern philosophic T.S. Eliot described wasteland. A wasteland terrain full of vapid, game show host like hollow men mixed in with the John Wick like assassins in the philosophy departments of the university tenure system where the truth goes to die as hollow men administrators pander to the lowest common denominator in the collective seal-like applause of virtue signaling and Orwellian levels of political correctness that have the universities and corporations fearing their own shadow.
Nietzsche offers a way out of this wasteland to the leading edge with the best view of the vast horizons, blissful sunsets, and the pure austere air of the Swiss Alps. Up in the Alps where Nietzsche is found with his groundbreaking, paradigm-shifting writings, you also can experience the invigorating sensation of elite-level Navy Seal alpine mountain fighting. The mountain combat though is against Platonic shadows comprised of noisy self-confused ignorance, suffering, angst and forced fed propaganda faced in the shadows of our own mind that we all encounter on our own unique path and quest, propelled on by the relentless force of the will to power and illuminated by the brilliance of Nietzsche's light and profound truth instincts. As we take the philosophic Navy Seal hard path in our own internal root expansion, we will all find why this German savant philosopher, the heroic but "lonely" wanderer and his shadow, is fulfilling his "prophecy" in his writings reflective of the Rock of Ages prophets, to be as he foretold in these dark matrix times, "...the philosopher for the day after tomorrow."
This is a phenomenal - clear, comprehensive - introduction to Nietzsche.
Ideas to reflect upon
1.(Kant) There are no absolutes, in ideals/religions( can't be proven of disproved?) or reason (human capacity to perceive reality is physiologically proven to be skewed). Ultimate truth, if it exists, is inaccessible to us.
2.Dionysus/Mankind as organic creatures.We must be set free. To feel, to observe, to contemplate, to express. To just be as we are ( hopefully after some reflection)
How can you create great works (of art) if half of you is dead?
3.Suffering and other states we try to deny are simply human - they should not be denied simply because of negative connotations. The only way out is through- we must process our internal states rather than live as false selves.
4.Our sense of morality has history and is not absolute. To have blind faith could lead and has already led to great and unnecessary loss.
-Slave Mentality/Coping Mechanism
-Question your Morality and its history. Why should you believe in it?
5.Sufrasnia?? ( to be edited )
The quality of self-awareness. To be without would be the greatest sin one could commit to himself and his community.
6.You have to liberate yourself.There is no morality that can save you. You have to suffer etc etc. There are no rules(poisonous to the mind- claiming to have an answer- the denial of ambiguity for the sake of relief? )
You are in the wilderness. Good luck and deal with it.
7.Aphoristic style- to avoild giving rules or steps.
8.Agon ( greeks )
Life is a struggle. Struggling made you whole. If you arn't suffering/trying/fight , you arn't living.
Everybody competed their whole lives. Even if they knew loss was certain, they still willfully struggled.
Accept that life is a struggle. We have to decide what we want to measure ourselves by/challenge our capacity.
If you never face those challenges, you are simple left dim in a dim world. ( Herd people. Lost potential )
9.thus spoke Zarathustra( spelling?)
10. Slow poison of the mind and soul
Prevents great art
Become immune to true sympathy for another human being ( just an abstract - label as evil - no rules/ license to abuse)
11. Judging the content of the human soul. Unless you are God, you cannot judge the quality of someone's character. ( means to power )
12. Recommendations
Aphorisms
Human all to human
Genealogy of morality( structured )
Thus spoke Zarathustra
Summary 01:06:00
Gotta love the herdly applause at the end.
Professors mastery in art of teaching, educating is the gift which is grounded in so many aspects which uniquely are his. In regard to the word (sorfaraz/ sarfaraz) if I herd it correctly, I know this word in Farsy/ persian’s language. This word meaning, the act of achieving, accomplishing, succeeding, is followed with being SARFARAZ / SORFARAZ.
Somehow Hegel refuting Nietzsche’s discovery, however subtlety he did so, reminds me of the hate Marilyn Vos Savant got for being RIGHT when everyone else, to include literally hundreds of PhD professors from every school in the country said she was wrong about the Monty Hall problem.
Thanks so much, Dr. Cecil. I love that your lecture dispels some of the myths around this great thinker.
Wes Cecil is a good philosopher!!!
Nietzsche, Hume and Berkeley. The three philosophers I read for fun. But especially Nietzsche. The most brilliant entertaining thought provoking writer in all of philosophy. Imo.
Holy shit this is amazing! This is EXACTLY what I need to hear at this moment. I've been into Nietzsche for a very, very long time but what this professor is saying is just brilliant.
Do you find Nietches views on Islam interesting ? Islam acknowledges animalistic sides (sex, eating, fighting, and so on) of human beings and puts them into their appropriate contexts. Islam combines justice and mercy beautifully, doesn't always promote turn the other cheek, except by your own choice. And when it comes to inheritance of the world, it says that the world will be inherited by the righteous people. The Arabic term is "saleeh" which means righteous, virtuous, constructive as opposed to destructive and corruptive.
wes cecil says Nietzsche was all about looking forward and not backwards yet Nietzsches thinking was influenced heavily by the past for example: greek, rome, napoleon, past philosophers etc..
Look forward armed with a proper understanding of the past. Come on, man….
Thank you for sharing your lectures via youtube! I love your sense of humor and the format in which you present. Keep up the excellent work.
Truly brilliant, insightful and delivered with such passion and humor. You did Nietzsche a great service!
This guy is really good at explaining difficult ideas. His lecture series is great
I can't express enough how much I am enjoying your lectures. It is also neat that you went to Fresno State. I am from Visalia.
5?!Karl Wenn ooo
This guys living what he teaches; amazing
How does the lecturer comes to groups with the evident fact that the master critic of ressentiment spent his entire life (as a writer, at least) resenting the resenters?
You know it’s going to be another EPIC Philosophical breakdown!
When at 19 minutes Dr. W.C. Uses “ going to raves” as a reference point to describe Nietzsche’s perspective of the Dionysius follower fan base.
Sophrosyne
THANK YOU!!!
Thank you!
Wes is so good at this, it's like I'm reading every book he summarizes smh. 👍 great job!
I can't express how much happy I am to have found this amazing professor, if I have my way I will buy you everything you need jus to have you around me everyday speak about these great insane consciousness, please speak on Buddha, George Gudjeff ,I think that last name is wrongly spell but he is a Russian mystic who taught about the fourth dimension, talk to us about D.H Lawrence, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Immanuel Kant, Dionysus and Pythagoras.
Thanks you professor
Thank you for uploading this! Such a passionate lecture!
Rebecca Way agreed this video was fucking beautiful.
I wrote a long winded response and edited it. He speaks well and truly.
it's good to read about Philosophers.
I think I've been listening to this for 5 years.
Hopefully now for 7 years ;)
@@avant-garde8602 Yup 🤣
Excellent lecture. I finally have a bit of a grasp on Nietzsche. Thanks!
Sophrosyne (Greek: σωφροσύνη) is a Greek philosophical term etymologically meaning healthy-mindedness and from there self-control or moderation guided by knowledge and balance.
"When we wish to correct with advantage and to show another that he errs, we must notice from what side he views the matter, for on that side it is usually true, and admit that truth to him, but reveal to him the side on which it is false. He is satisfied with that, for he sees that he was not mistaken and that he only failed to see all sides. Now, no one is offended at not seeing everything; but one does not like to be mistaken, and that perhaps arises from the fact that man naturally cannot
It would be really cool if you would do a lecture on Baudrillard or Deleuze
Great lecture and I appreciate you uploading it , Thank you.
@Wes Cecil, I think you want the word "Parrhesia" instead of "sophrosyne".
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophrosyne Yeah it looks like you're right.
well spotted
Great lecture. Wish I was there! Found a book by Helen North called Sophrosyne..
Thank you very much for sharing professor Cecil. Wish you all the best.
45:00 on - Opening scene of The Wire season 1.
great lecture .we need plenty more .
Nietzsche seems like cool guy. kudos to the speaker. He's fun to listen to.
Nietzsche's characterisation of the Greek 'genius' and Greek philosophy - which emphasises the pre_Socratics and downplays Plato and Aristotle - and which of course suits his own agenda, is more German than Greek.
Thank you for sharing the knowledge!
Nietszhe also admires 'slave morality' (beyond good and evil, as it were). It is not to his taste but he admires it as a species of cunning and self-knowledge that has made us deeper, more reflective and profound
An insightful lecture. Thank you for posting.
Nietzsche hated systems.. His works are mainly to sharp ur mind. He doesnt preach, he make objective statements (aforisms) some of them he discard in his next book (in a dialectic manner) he wants his readers to think for themselves, use their own mind/life as a research topic, and see if your morals are from yourself, or did you learn them allong the way (which, afcourse, is mostly the case) and these so called 'values', are they holding you back as an human ? And he didnt had a system... ' A system is a lack of integrity'..
Best thing is to read Nietzsche yourself, All the books, in the order he wrote them (reading in the order he wrote them is very important !!!)
Though he hasnt a system, he does has topics on which he elaborates, like:
'Dionysian and Appolonyism'
'Amor Fati'
'The eternal return of things'
'Reevaluation of all values'
'Good & evil'
'Übermensch'
'Will to power'
'Pré-socratic humans'
'Freedom'
Etc
But imo, best thing is to read,read, and read. If he keeps talking about a person, read those books too. For example Schopenhauer, Socrates, Goethe etc, he often mentions them, and he assumes the reader of his books know these writers or philosophers too. So it will take some time, but it will pay off on the long run, i can assure you !!!
Peace !
(Excuse my english btw)
If you were alone on a desert island, might you desire to walk a tightrope or something analogous? Is recognition by the other really secondary?
Thanks for posting - very interesting lecture
Wonderful lecture, thoroughly enjoyed (: Thank you!
"[Anything which] is a living and not a dying body... will have to be an incarnate will to power, it will strive to grow, spread, seize, become predominant - not from any morality or immorality but because it is living and because life simply is will to power... 'Exploitation'... belongs to the essence of what lives, as a basic organic function; it is a consequence of the will to power, which is after all the will to life."
-Freddy
Is it true that nietzsche went crazy in the end ??
Yes. The real question though was he crazy in the beginning , , , , , , ,.
Ive done a few videos on my thoughts on life and death etc, check them out if you or anyone want to. cheers
Allan Lindsay No, that's your herd question. He was likely the sanest man in Europe in his time.
A sane man surrounded by insanity, herds of morons who struggle each morning to pull their pants up properly. It isn't any wonder the man had a breakdown in Turin.
Frankie Panaia Hi FP - so he was likely the sanest man in Europe,- really? So you are intimately aware of everyone who lived in Europe during his lifetime? Well done! That being the case if he was the "sanest man In Europe" he would never have been able to be incarcerated into those insane asylums -, since they would have all been full to bursting and then some. In fact Europe would have been full of Insane Asylums. . . . .Herd question? I never posited a question.. .
Allan Lindsay Okay
... see everything, and that naturally he cannot err in the side he looks at, since the perceptions of our senses are always true.
People are generally better persuaded by the reasons which they have themselves discovered than by those which have come into the mind of others.
Thank you Doctor. What a wonderful lecture. Nietzche's lessons were very profound on my own development. Without understanding the evil, you can't focus on the good.
awesome lecture!!! amazing!
The world's first philosophy-centred stand-up.
Mr. FarFromEquilibrium. Your statement is dead on! Very true indeed.
This is a great lecture. :)
Great lecture. Thankyou!
Powerful lecture
Hats off
I am not going to read or re-read Nietzsche, and such lecture is not a bad substitute.
31:52 socrates' nose turned into a pickle, funniest thing
On Nietzsche Ishay Landa -- Nietzsche, the Chinese Worker's Friend.pdf (PDFy mirror) : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Some comedians carry themselves via a tone in their voice, where everything they are about to say is going to be hysterical, and it works as if they ques you to laugh regardless of how funny the joke is. This is a great lecture, but his tone is as if everything he's saying is surprisingly amazing. Don't get me wrong he's great at giving a lecture, I guess that's the way to do it.
Nothing is ever what you say but how you say it.
I wanted to post a similar comment, but thought why invite all the flaming replies that are sure to follow, lol, with most commenters here practically lining up to kiss the professor's ring. The professor has a very approachable, casual, down-to-earth, informal way of teaching and it's engrossing and interesting, especially for the segment of our population that has grown up on fast-moving sounds and images to keep their attention span alive.
However, the point I want to make is that his intonation, on practically every sentence, where he is basically yelling: "Look how friggin' amazing this is!!!" can get very tedious and even stressful. After several minutes of listening to the lecture my stomach muscles, through no conscious effort of my own, are clenched so tight that I need to take a break.
Otherwise, I really like his interpretation of Nietzsche's work. After all, there are no truths, only interpretations of it. :-)
Good lecture. Trying to reclaim my grade school Nietzche years. I would wager that Dr.Cecil has good relations with his female students...
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You have resurrected my faith in humanity. My praise is not for this post alone, but for your whole collection of scholarly pursuit. My god (I don't actually think you are my god)! Thank you. :) ;) ;p... and other cave paintings.
Thanks for this lecture, very entertaining!
Help, please. What is word Professor Wes Cecil mentions and the audience ask it? Around minutes 20 - 23. "soprosni?" 👀🙄
Sophrosyne
@@codymatthews7197 thank you for your kind help. 😊
thanks for uploading. I really enjoyed listening to it.
Reached this hilarious comment. I think the nick: "hammertapping" is more than adequate. Excellent choice and most fitting, almost as eloquent as the language used. What "hammertapping" does not realize, is that comments of the sort reflect more about the person making them, than the lecturer himself; -who, fortunately, doesn't take things as seriously, and adheres to the Greek thought of: "Learning should be fun!" Meanwhile 'sophrosyne', is advocated also on comments .. but not everyone abides.
Loved it! THANK YOU
Thanks for posting these great lectures :)
Brilliant lecturer
That was a wonderful lecture! Thank you
This was a really enjoyable lecture. Very funny.
Hey Wes Cecil - your Nietzsche lecture link doesn't work :(
As a grad student working on MA in Sociology, I must give you props for recognizing Nietzsche as a founder of Modern Sociology, else we're left with the over simplistic and dull Durkheim and ugh... Spencer. Oddly enough, there still seems to be resistance to allowing Nietzsche in, perhaps due to the resistance to thinkers he influenced such as Foucault and more so Derrida. Bataille is also not even recognized by the field despite his connection with Frankfurt School and College of Sociology.
Love it.
The author merely mentions the that you have to seek a balance between the Appolonian and the Dionesian, but a poor job in what it means in terms of the Ubermensch and the last man. Personally, I prefer Rick Roderick's presentation on youtube more than this one in terms of understanding Nietzsche.
“You can knock on a deaf man's door forever.”