Single Idea 20379

[catalogued under 2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 7. Status of Reason]

Full Idea

Reason is a support organ that slowly develops itself, ...and emancipates itself slowly to equal rights with the organic drives - so that reason (belief and knowledge) fights with the drives, as itself a new drive, very late come to preponderance.

Gist of Idea

Reason is just another organic drive, developing late, and fighting for equality

Source

Friedrich Nietzsche (Works (refs to 8 vol Colli and Montinari) [1885], 9/11[243]), quoted by John Richardson - Nietzsche's System 4.3.2 n55

Book Reference

Richardson,John: 'Nietzsche's System' [OUP 2002], p.243


A Reaction

A very powerful and fascinating idea. There is a silly post-modern tendency to think that Nietzsche denegrates and trivialises reason because of remarks like this, but he takes ranking the drives to be the supreme activity. I rank reason high.