Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Counterpart theory and Quant. Modal Logic', 'The Will to Power (notebooks)' and 'The Gay (Joyful) Science'

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3 ideas

11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 1. Knowledge
The strength of knowledge is not its truth, but its entrenchment in our culture [Nietzsche]
     Full Idea: The strength of knowledge does not depend on its degree of truth but on its age, on the degree to which it has been incoporated, in its character as a condition of life.
     From: Friedrich Nietzsche (The Gay (Joyful) Science [1882], §110)
     A reaction: This seems to be the rather modern idea (in Foucault, perhaps) of knowledge as a central component of culture, rather than as an eternal revelation of facts. Note that he is talking about its 'strength', not its veracity or degree of support.
We can't know whether there is knowledge if we don't know what it is [Nietzsche]
     Full Idea: If we do not know what knowledge is, we cannot possibly answer the question of whether there is knowledge.
     From: Friedrich Nietzsche (The Will to Power (notebooks) [1888], §530)
     A reaction: Obviously Nietzsche is pessimistic about the prospects here, but this is a motto for the whole modern analysis of knowledge, and (besides) we have lots of things (like a concept of identity) which we can't define.
11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 4. Belief / c. Aim of beliefs
Every belief is a considering-something-true [Nietzsche]
     Full Idea: Every belief is a considering-something-true.
     From: Friedrich Nietzsche (The Will to Power (notebooks) [1888], §015)
     A reaction: This is correct, I think, but a little perplexing coming from Nietzsche, who seems to deny objective truth. Presumably we should follow instinct, rather than 'belief'.