Single Idea 7153

[catalogued under 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 2. Realism]

Full Idea

One would have to know what being is in order to decide whether this or that is real - but we don't know that.

Gist of Idea

We can't be realists, because we don't know what being is

Source

Friedrich Nietzsche (Writings from Late Notebooks [1887], 02[87])

Book Reference

Nietzsche,Friedrich: 'Writings from the Late Notebooks', ed/tr. Bittner,Rüdiger [CUP 2003], p.76


A Reaction

Nietzsche is a genius - he puts his finger on something which has always bothered me about realism, even though I call myself a 'realist'. Being and existence are utterly indefinable, and even incomprehensible, so what do we realists believe in?