Recently, Coterie and TFM released videos which, though radically different, tap into the same sentiment. Coterie’s video is entitled “On Sith Philosophy, Metaphysical Naturalism and the Extrapolation of Individualism”. TFM’s video is entitled “Chaos is a Ladder.” I have linked to both videos in the description.
Now, TFM’s video showcases a clip from Game of Thrones accompanied by a quote from Nietzsche. When I read the quote and saw the association that TFM was making to the speech by Little Finger it suggested to me an implication that TFM’s interpretation of the Nietzsche quote corresponded appropriately to what Little Finger was talking about.
The quote from Nietzsche that TFM used was as follows:
“What is good? All that enhances the feeling of power, the will to power, and the power itself in man. What is bad? All that proceeds from weakness. What is happiness? The feeling that power is increasing – that resistance has been overcome. Not contentment, but more power; not peace at any price, but war; not virtue, but competence. The first principle of our humanism: The weak and the failures shall perish. They ought even to be helped to perish.”
I was not overly surprised that this interpretation of Nietzsche was what TFM had in mind. An interpretation of the strong crushing the weak. An interpretation of power in the common sense and the will to power interpreted as little more than a synonym for a similar expression: “a lust for power.” An interpretation that would fit well with the notion that some men lust for money, while others want power over money. Yet this interpretation is a half-truth.
What Little Finger is describing is not will to power; it is merely one manifestation of will to power. What Varis is talking about is another manifestation of will to power. Nietzsche was a curious philosopher. On one hand, he is very easy to read because he writes aphoristically. You can read one of his aphorisms and conclude that the interpretation is straight forward. On the other hand, Nietzsche is one of the most difficult philosophers to read as he is not at all systematic. In his work entitled “Ecce Homo”, Nietzsche states explicitly that his writings have been littered with interpretive traps.
Nietzsche intentionally wanted to lead astray those who he considered lazy readers – those who did not want to invest the considerable effort to understand his philosophy. He wanted to lead them astray because he looked at the lazy reader as weak and therefore, like in the quote TFM put up on screen, he wanted to help them fail. The last sentence of the quote: “They ought even to be helped to perish.” Is what Nietzsche is doing by laying these interpretive traps.
However, this is not to fault TFM but to point out that even philosophers you seemingly agree with can also play their own games with you. I have spent 6 years or so studying Nietzsche’s work. I have read all 12 of his published works in addition to the posthumous publication of his notes under the title “The Will to Power.” I have read many scholarly articles on interpreting Nietzsche as well as countless hours discussing Nietzsche’s philosophy with other philosophers.
When I first started my channel 2 years ago, no one was talking about Nietzsche’s work. Stardusk had brought Schopenhauer, to a limited extent, into the conversation but it was really through my efforts, that I believe that Nietzsche has entered the conversation in a more mainstay way within MGTOW. However, I knew that if this ever happened that I would face this exact interpretative challenge among those who wish to draw from Nietzsche. I think that Nietzsche’s philosophy has a lot to offer the MGTOW community. However, I also know of the grave dangers that come from reading Nietzsche badly.
Cotarie - On Sith Philosophy, Metaphysical Naturalism and the Extrapolation of Individualism
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTcc_...
Turd Flinging Monkey - Chaos is a ladder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m_G_...
Script
http://www.gftmom.com/portfolio-item/...
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