Relating Addict: Nietzsche on Knowledge and Ignorance

Nietzsche on Knowledge and Ignorance

Nietzsche (1886) writes that we humans live in a simplified and falsified world and that we make everything around us seem clear, easy, and simple. To enjoy life we indulge in superficiality and our thoughts play wanton pranks.

From this passage, Nietzsche (1886) believed that knowledge is built on the foundation of ignorance. We want to know things, but we also want to stay ignorant. We want to be free, thoughtless, and happy.

Nietzsche argues that we need both knowledge and ignorance to live a full life. Language should not limit our thinking. Language often forces us to think in terms of opposites,when there are many gradations between them (Nietzsche 1886).

Again, Nietzsche argues that morality can limit our thinking by telling us that we should be truthful and avoid making mistakes, but sometimes mistakes are necessary for us to enjoy life.

Nietzsche's theories on knowledge and ignorance are very thought-provoking:

His views force us to juxtapose truths and things that are not true.
His views also challenge us to embrace the complexity of life and to understand that knowledge and ignorance are both necessary to fully enjoy life and get the most out of it.

Here are some additional thoughts on Nietzsche's views on knowledge and ignorance:

Our thoughts and language create our own reality and they also can limit it.
We simplify and falsify the world to make it comfortable and manageable
Knowledge can sometimes be dangerous leading to rigidity and rendering some people to believe that their truths are always truths regardless of the evidence. This can lead to suppression of creativity and spontaneity.

Should we be wary of people who claim to know everything? Are such people only motivated by power and control?

Do uncertainty and ambiguity fuel our creativity and growth?

When we answer these questions honestly and weigh the evidence they open us up to a unique perspective on the relationship between reality's nature and the role that knowledge plays in our lives.

Nietzsche's views on knowledge and ignorance are very complex, and this blog post is a good start for anyone interested in learning about Nietzche.

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