Some thoughts on “Thus Spoke Zarathustra” Part One — Of the Despisers of the Body
This discourse is related to Nietzsche’s view on philosophy of mind. He believes that Body is the whole intelligence, if the soul exists it is also a part of the body.
But the awakened, the enlightened man says: I am body entirely, and nothing beside; and soul is only a word for something in the body. The body is a great intelligence, a multiplicity with one sense, a war and a peace, a herd and a herdsman.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. Thus Spoke Zarathustra (p. 61). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.
He also elaborates our hidden wills by using psychological analysis.
What is Body?
Body is like a container in which there are Sense, Spirit, Self and Ego. Here is the characteristics:
Sense & Spirit
They are just instruments of the body, only tools for Self to use.
Sense and spirit are instruments and toys: behind them still lies the Self. The Self seeks with the eyes of the sense, it listens too with the ears of the spirit.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. Thus Spoke Zarathustra (p. 62). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.
Self
Self is the core part of the body, It makes use of Sense and Spirit in order to form commands to Ego. Nietzsche describes it as an “unknown sage” because we cannot understand it directly, it is similar to the concept of subconsciousness.
The Self is always listening and seeking: it compares, subdues, conquers, destroys. It rules and is also the Ego’s ruler. Behind your thoughts and feelings, my brother, stands a mighty commander, an unknown sage — he is called Self. He lives in your body, he is your body.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. Thus Spoke Zarathustra (p. 62). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.
Ego
Ego is like our consciousness with which we understand what we are thinking, but it receives and processes intentions from Self. Its outcomes might not clearly reflect the will of our body.
Your Self laughs at your Ego and its proud leapings. ‘What are these leapings and flights of thought to me?’ it says to itself. ‘A by-way to my goal. I am the Ego’s leading-string and I prompt its conceptions.’
Nietzsche, Friedrich. Thus Spoke Zarathustra (p. 62). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.
Self vs Ego
Nietzsche elaborates how Self commands Ego. These commands are the reasons of what Ego thinks.
The Self says to the Ego: ‘Feel pain!’ Thereupon it suffers and gives thought how to end its suffering — and it is meant to think for just that purpose. The Self says to the Ego: ‘Feel joy!’ Thereupon it rejoices and gives thought how it may often rejoice — and it is meant to think for just that purpose.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. Thus Spoke Zarathustra (p. 62). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.
Then Nietzsche further asks what makes the dualism or despisers of the body to form their theory, if we treat it as Ego’s thoughts, there must be a command behind.
I want to say a word to the despisers of the body. It is their esteem that produces this disesteem. What is it that created esteem and disesteem and value and will?
Nietzsche, Friedrich. Thus Spoke Zarathustra (p. 62). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.
A dying Self
Nietzsche posits that the command from Self is “longing for death”, that is possible if we think about the above examples of “Feel pain!” and “Feel joy!”.
Even in your folly and contempt, you despisers of the body, you serve your Self. I tell you: your Self itself wants to die and turn away from life. Your Self can no longer perform that act which it most desires to perform: to create beyond itself. That is what it most wishes to do, that is its whole ardour.
Nietzsche, Friedrich. Thus Spoke Zarathustra (pp. 62–63). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.
My thoughts
Once I related the longing for the afterlife to the longing for death, I was scared because it also means it is a waste of the precious lifetime. To cherish our one and only chance to live, would it be better to exhibit our longing for living by fighting against the unacceptable?
As a programmer I like to think of concepts with programming, here are some lines of code that helps me understand “Body”.