Socialism (ethical): * see EndNote<A>

political philosophy based on ethical & moral grounds rather than economic, egoistic or consumerist grounds, emphasising the need for a morally conscious economy based on altruism, cooperation & social justice & opposing possessive individualism.

 

“herd morale”:

an idea derived from Nietzsche’s Also sprach Zarathustra where he develops the Übermensch, one of his most powerful concepts.  The Übermensch or overman, appears after the “death of God” as a solution to Nihilism (a by-product of God’s demise).  The overman will abandon the morality of the common people (the herd) which favours mediocrity; instead he rises above good and evil.  He reflects a spiritual evolution of self-awareness, the overcoming of deeply rooted notions of God and Christianity which form traditional morality & justice.

 

Epicurus: * see EndNote<B>

his philosophy very much focused on the individual, the individuals happiness, not society or the world as a whole.

 

άπάθεια:

Greek, impassibility, incapable of suffering pain, suffering harm or emotion; impassive; insensibility, apathy of persons; a Stoic term meaning freedom from emotion,

 

Stoic:

see Chapter I, pages 9, 33, 36, Chapter III page 111, Chapter IV page 138

 

άδιάφορα:

Greek, that which is indistinguishable from each other; things whose form is indivisible from the point of view of sensory perception; indifferent things, neither good no evil.

 

Cynics:

school of Greek philosophy, holding that the purpose of life is to live in virtue, in agreement with nature.  As reasoning creatures, people can gain happiness by rigorous training & living a way which is natural for themselves, rejecting conventional desires for wealth, power, fame, instead leading a simple life free from all possessions.  First proposed by Antisthenes (446-366 BC), a pupil of Socrates; he was followed by Diogenes (412-323 BC), who took Cynicism to its logical extremes & lived in a ceramic jar on the streets of Athens & came to be seen as the archetypal Cynic philosopher.  He was followed by Crates of Thebes (365-285 BC), who gave away his large fortune to live a life of poverty in Athens.  After the 3rd century it declined but in the 1st century AD with the rise of the Roman Empire it revived.  Cynics were found begging & preaching in the cities of the empire, some of their ideas copied by early Christianity.

and see Chapter I page 45

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Nietzsche (Zarathustra):

Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883-85) chronicles the fictitious travels & speeches of Zarathustra (founder of Zoroastrianism).  Nietzsche is portraying a "new" Zarathustra, who turns traditional Christian morality on its head.  He is a prophet who preaches an alternative to repressive moral codes but who also works to avert "nihilism" in all of its varied forms.

 

Schopenhauer (denies will to live):

1788–1860,German philosopher; his The World as Will and Representation (1818) characterizes the phenomenal world as the product of a blind and insatiable metaphysical will.  He posits that the primary characteristic of all things (including man) was not rationality but Will.  Will is the wanting & craving, manifest in our appetite for food, water, sex, power, the will to live itself.  It is also the source of immense suffering in the world.  Because of this suffering he argues "better consciousness" could be attained by denying desires, denying Will.  Instead we need to think, practice asceticism, philosophize on who we really are, what we should do, and to study & appreciate great works of art, especially music, as a way of escaping pain.

and see Chapter I pages 7, 45, Chapter IX page 308

 

Nietzsche (affirms will to live):

will is a prominent concept in Nietzsche; he argues it is the main driving force in humans.  He was influenced by Schopenhauer who emphasised will and in particular the "will to live".  He argued that the universe & everything in it is driven by a primordial will to live, to avoid death & procreate.  In Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883) Nietzsche coined the phrase “Will to Power” & applied it not only to intelligent beings (man) but to all life forms.  There is will to power where there is life; even the strongest living things will risk their lives for more power.  Thus will to power is stronger than the will to survive.  The Will to Power can explain human behaviour, both ascetic, life-denying impulses (sacrifice) as well as strong, life-affirming impulses (love, procreation).  And it is a richer explanation than utilitarianism (all people want to be happy), or the Platonist notions (people want unity with Good)

and see Chapter I pages 11,24,28 Chapter VI, page 191, Chapter VII pages 241, 252, Chapter VIII pages 260, 291, Chapter IX pages 309, 315, 335

 

higher Faustian man (Will):

a being who feels & is aware of direction & Future, as directed by Will; the greatest Faustian men feel it intensely but it is found in all Faustian men (high and low) & in all Faustian deeds, great & small.