The second section of Twilight of the Idols
is titled Maxims and Arrows and it consists
of 44 aphorisms given us by Nietzsche.
Aphorisms are concise and memorable expressions
of some basic truth.
They are like proverbs.
Nietzsche calls these arrows and I think he
means them to be like a first volley of arrows
in the war he has announced in the preface.
Read all together I think these aphorisms
give us a sense of the nature and the tone
and some of the themes of Nietzsche's project
in this work.
So I suggest you read through these going
for the overall impression that they make
on you, not for precise understanding on one
or more particular points.
I'll note also that some of Nietzsche's most
famous quotes come in this section.
Among the themes in this section we find a
number of observations about women--Nietzsche
is generally negative about them--and about
the nature of conscience.
Nietzsche also is critical of the modern and
Christian idea of conscience guiding people's action.
He scores some insults against the English,
the Russians, and the Germans, and there are
two sections I would like to point out that
I think are philosophically significant.
In number 26 he speaks against constructing
philosophical systems,
thinking obviously here of Kant and Hegel,
his predecessors.
And in number 3 he takes up Aristotle's observation
that man is a social being and the man who
lives apart from society in isolation, the
hermit, must be either a beast or a god.
Nietzsche picks up this insight and adds his
own twist to it, saying, well he could be
both a beast and a god, that is, he could
be a philosopher.
And I think this is Nietzsche's way of suggesting
that his way of doing philosophy and his way
of being a philosopher will make him at once
both less than and more than an ordinary human being.
And that gives us an interesting prediction
or insight into what may be coming next, later
in the book.
That brings us to the end of the second section
of Twilight of the Idols.
We'll look at the third section next. Goodbye.
