From the thinker’s innermost experience. – Nothing is more difficult for man than to apprehend a thing impersonally: I mean to see it as a thing, not as a person: one might question, indeed, whether it is at all possible for him to suspend the clockwork of his person-constructing, person-inventing drive even for a moment. He traffics even with ideas, though they be the most abstract, as if they were individuals with whom one has to struggle, to whom one has to ally oneself, whom one has to tend, protect and nourish.
CHATGPT
Nietzsche's passage here is dense and rich with ideas, as is typical of his writing. He's exploring the ways in which humans interact with ideas and the deep psychological and emotional attachments they form to them. Let's break down the main points:
1. **Personalizing Ideas**: Nietzsche begins by observing that humans find it difficult to approach ideas impersonally. We tend to anthropomorphize or personify concepts, treating them as entities with which we can ally, challenge, or nurture. This is an intrinsic aspect of human cognition, and Nietzsche questions whether we can ever truly escape it.
2. **Reaction to New Ideas**: When confronted with a new proposition, humans often evaluate it based on its emotional resonance or its perceived assertiveness. If it's autocratic or challenging, one might attempt to diminish its authority by qualifying it with terms like "perhaps" or "sometimes". If it's meek or submissive, one might feel an urge to strengthen or support it.
3. **Marrying Ideas**: Nietzsche describes how humans, when encountering two unrelated ideas, often feel an impulse to connect or "marry" them to produce a new idea or concept. This desire is rooted in our inclination to make sense of and organize information in meaningful ways.
4. **Elevation and Dethronement of Ideas**: If an idea resists either rejection or nurturing, humans may either elevate it to a high status or, if they later become suspicious of it, dethrone and replace it with an opposing idea. This cyclical process reflects our evolving relationship with our beliefs and concepts.
5. **Drive to Knowledge**: Nietzsche suggests that the pursuit of truth and knowledge isn't an innate human drive in itself. Instead, the preference for truth over falsehood arises from its utility and the social esteem it grants. In the realm of thought, establishing oneself on truth (or what is perceived as truth) offers stability and a sense of enduring accomplishment.
6. **Fear and Honour of Our Ideas**: Lastly, Nietzsche delves into the deep emotional connections we form with our ideas. We simultaneously fear and honour them, treating them as independent entities that can judge or praise us. This emotional relationship with our ideas gives rise to what Nietzsche calls the "intellectual conscience".
In summary, Nietzsche is exploring the deeply personal and emotional ways in which humans engage with ideas. He argues that our relationships with concepts are rooted in anthropomorphic tendencies, emotional resonances, the utility of truth, and the human need for stability and esteem.
