Nietzsche: Rhetorical Analysis

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Sam Patton Dr. Curzer Phil-3304 March 12, 2024 Paper Two Nietzsche gives several famous sayings in the Gay Science that embody his philosophical beliefs on life, fate, and the general human condition. He supports his views through various rhetorical techniques, with the most prominent being vivid language. Through these quotes, he appeals to the individual's sense of autonomy and self-discovery, through which he offers advice on how to navigate the complexities of existence with resilience and purpose to find meaningful happiness. One of Nietzsche’s quotes, “Amor fati [love of fate]: let that be my love from now on!” (Nietzsche, 143) is meant to express his view of accepting and loving the necessary conditions of one's life and fate, including …show more content…
In other words, he is acknowledging the intrinsic nature of the events and circumstances that lead to one's fate and advocating for a shift in perspective towards embracing the inherent beauty and necessity found within life itself. This is further supported by his desire to “be only a Yes-sayer!” (Nietzsche, 143). The Yes-sayer is interpreted to be the affirmer of life and fate who fully embraces the events of life and chooses to affirm them rather than resent them. In a sense, Nietzsche's concept of amor fati provides a positive reorientation of one's attitude towards life which urges individuals to not only accept their fate but to actively love it. It is important to note that Nietzsche is not developing a fatalistic approach to one’s life. Through amor fati, he is not trying to convince others to develop a passive acceptance of their circumstances. Instead, Nietzsche advocates for an active engagement with life, where individuals take responsibility for their choices and actively shape and love their …show more content…
By embodying these traits, Nietzsche argues that these people will be able to transcend their limitations and experience life more deeply and intensely. They will be able to confront adversity with courage, exercise self-control in the face of temptation, and continuously strive to overcome their own weaknesses and obstacles. This quote is heavily related to Nietzsche's concept of the overman. An overman, to Nietzsche, is a rare being who is a creator: a person that transcends the conventional morality of society and authentically embraces their passionate desires for life itself. The Overman is portrayed by Nietzsche as a type of heroic being in some sense. They boldly embrace their individualistic desires and confront life head on, rather than live in conformity. These “preparatory human beings” that Nietzsche discusses, fully epitomize these values of courage, self-mastery, and