FREE ESSAY ON NIETZSCHE

NIETZSCHE

Nietzche -The Man 
Nietzche Nietzsche on Religion: Rhetorical Devices In Twilight of the Idols Nietzsche
discusses his views on Christianity, other philosophers, and authors of his time.
Nietzsche's main focus, however, is on Christianity and how its actions and views are
means to an end. He uses eloquent diction that sometimes loses the reader (he makes up
for his articulate word usage with elementary sentences which describe his views very
efficiently) along with syntax which is very informal - for the time - to describe his
views on subjects quite exquisitely. His logic is the logic which is always right; he
never contradicts himself or makes a statement without support. Nietzsche's use of
rhetorical strategies [i.e. diction, syntax, and figures of speech] helps him to make his
points and support them in a style which help him attain his underlying goal: to make the
reader think. Nietzsche uses an elevated level of diction to help him achieve his
purpose, he uses Latin in many passages to make the reader look to the bottom of the page
and thus think about what he is proposing. His combination of elevated diction along with
deductive reasoning can sometimes lose the reader, but just as fast as the reader is lost
Nietzsche offers forth a formula which helps the reader follow his thinking. Nietzsche
believes that a person's virtue is the consequence of happiness, or that a person's
emotions are the product of their beliefs. Nietzsche's uses consequence to mean something
more like cause than effect. He interchanges monosyllabic and polysyllabic - in the form
of metaphors - words in connotation to sometimes differ the reader from the beaten track
of thinking. He believes in a set course that he became ill, that he failed to resist the
illness, for humans and that they cannot deter from it (this is very far left in a time
of conservative Europeans, late 19th century). Even in his formulas Nietzsche's meaning
is not as straight forward as it seems. It seems that he believes that individuals
genetically are means to an end, but this is more of a metaphor for humanity, or that
humanity is their own means to an end. Nietzsche use interesting syntax to evoke thought
from his reader. His dependent clauses (in this excerpt, but not in others) relate back
to the main clauses causing the reader to re-read the sentence or begin to formulate
their own ideas (based upon what they just read). Everything good... relates perfectly to
his previously mentioned view that the church and morality are forcing people to think
and react in a certain way. He writes in a deductive, repetitious way that helps the
reader to slowly understand what he is saying. He starts with a general statement The
most general formula... which goes into his idea that the church and religion kills
instinct and ends the piece with Everything good is instinct... which shows Nietzsche
repeating his beginning formula [although there is one more sentence after this beginning
with Effort is an objection, the sentence is foreshadowing the next section about what
people can do to retain their individuality). He uses repetition only to build emphasis
that he sees the losing of instinct as the evil religion has done to humanity and that
humanity without religion would be instinctual. Nietzsche also uses parallel structure,
in the form of italics, to make his point ring clear. He believes himself to be the only
'German with intelligence' and proves himself with My restored reason:... which shows he
is arrogant and self righteous. The fact that he was arrogant doesn't do much to defer
from his point, although it does add some irony to his words. Nietzsche uses antithesis
as his basis for writing. He heavily contrasts any point he makes with the 'flaws' of
Christianity. He makes points that refute the divinity of Christianity by pointing out
The Church and morality say:... and then My restored reason:... which heavily shows
contrast between his reasoning and the church's. Nietzsche further uses non-traditional
figures of speech to get his reader to formulate ideas based on his writing. Nietzsche
employs analogies, which are sometimes hard to follow, to help his views to impress the
reader over his opposition. Such is the case in His friends say:... and I say:... which
is an analogy about human existence. He means that the church is killing mankind because
it is taking away man's instinct and because of that man won't survive. In the passage
Nietzsche equally states his opponents views with his own which has an effect of making
the reader think that he is trying to be equal. For every view he presents he offers the
church's version then offers his view and why he think that way. Every morality... comes
after a statement of what religion's paradigm is (he refutes with equal exposure for both
his position and the opposition). Nietzsche uses oxymoron to show how religion is
actually hurting the people it thinks is doing good. He points out that the church isn't
necessarily suppressing its members, but moreover it is slowly weakening its members
instinct. Nietzsche points out that the party will ruin itself... and means that is
religion's paradigm of the atheist. Nietzsche doesn't necessarily try to make the reader
think that his way is right, as pointed out in the introduction. His goal is to make the
reader think, even if it's against his views. Nietzsche is successful in making his
reader think, any reader would agree. He meets his goal most successfully because he was
an outstanding author who could make his points in a very effective way.