SUBJECT: (PHILOSOPHY ETHICS) \"German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche asked us t
ID: 3467451 • Letter: S
Question
SUBJECT: (PHILOSOPHY ETHICS)
"German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche asked us to imagine what sort of life we would create for ourselves if we knew that it would be repeated over and over again for the rest of eternity. This is known as the theory of eternal recurrence. Nietzsche described it as follows:
What if, some day or night a demon were to . . . say to you: This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sign and everything unutterably small or great in your life will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence--even this spider and this moon light between the trees, and even this moment and I myself. The eternal hourglass of existence is turned upside down again and again, and you with it, speck of dust!
Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spoke thus? . . . Or how well disposed would you have to become to yourself and to life to crave nothing more fervently than this ultimate eternal confirmation and seal?
How would you answer Nietzsche's questions? Are you satisfied with the life you are now creating for yourself? (Why or why not?) If not, what could you do to make it a better life, one that you would want to repeat over and over?
Explanation / Answer
If this nightmarish situation were to become a reality, I would throw my choicest curses at the demon and perhaps at my self as well. As a young adult, I do believe that I have spent majority of my life thus far in preparation of a future. I am yet to reach a stage of life wherein I feel like I have achieved wisdom, competency and made meaningful contributions to the society. At this point, I have made but a few tiny steps in that direction and to have the possibility of achieving my goals taken away from me, I would be left shattered and hopeless.
However, this situation does bring me to reflect the importance of ensuring that my present moment is as fulfilling as what I hope my future would be. “It’s all about the journey, and not the destination” they say, and the future is a destination that never comes. Perhaps by creating daily goals that align with my larger vision would allow me to experience joy even through small victories.
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