Single Idea 7131

[catalogued under 15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 1. Mind / b. Purpose of mind]

Full Idea

The intellect and the senses are, above all, a simplifying apparatus.

Gist of Idea

The intellect and senses are a simplifying apparatus

Source

Friedrich Nietzsche (Writings from Late Notebooks [1887], 34[46])

Book Reference

Nietzsche,Friedrich: 'Writings from the Late Notebooks', ed/tr. Bittner,Rüdiger [CUP 2003], p.2


A Reaction

This seems like a profound truth to me. The world, and our own bodies, are of almost infinite complexity, such that only a god could grasp it. In order to teach, we have to simplify even further. We choose a level of simplification for contexts.