Person
Friedrich Nietzsche
Philosophy & Ethics
Writing & NarrativeWho is Friedrich Nietzsche in the Agency editorial?
Friedrich Nietzsche is the German philosopher the Agency editorial names, beside David Hume, as an author of profound philosophical investigations that are still very relevant for society. Writing.2 mentions him in its section on aphoristic writing.
In short
In Writing.2, Friedrich Nietzsche appears once, at the opening of the section Aphoristic Writing. The article says that philosophers like David Hume and Friedrich Nietzsche left a legacy of profound philosophical investigations, and that most philosophers write in an aphoristic style with numbered paragraphs. It does not quote him: the example that follows is taken from Hume. Outside the article, Nietzsche is known as one of the great writers of aphorisms in philosophy.
Key facts
- What does the article say about Nietzsche?
- That philosophers like David Hume and Friedrich Nietzsche left us a legacy of profound philosophical investigations that are still very relevant for society in the times we live in.
- Does the article quote Nietzsche?
- No. He is named once. The passage chosen to illustrate the aphoristic style comes from David Hume's An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding.
- Why is Nietzsche associated with aphorisms?
- Because several of his books are composed of short numbered sections and aphorisms. This is general knowledge about his work; the article only places him among the philosophers who write in that style.
Who is Friedrich Nietzsche?
In the Agency editorial, Friedrich Nietzsche is one of two philosophers named as examples of a legacy that still matters. The article gives no biography and no quotation. It uses his name, with Hume's, to introduce an observation about form: people who never read a philosophy book notice first that this kind of writing follows a very different structure when compared to fiction or other types of books.
How does Friedrich Nietzsche appear in the Agency editorial?
Writing.2 names Nietzsche in the first sentence of its section on aphoristic writing. The text then describes the aphoristic style, characterized by the use of concise statements to convey profound insights, philosophical principles or reflections, and says that philosophers, essayists and writers sometimes adopt it to present their ideas in a condensed and impactful manner.
The article does not develop his thought. The name stands for a tradition that the author then demonstrates with Hume and practices himself in the numbered paragraphs of The Condition of Nature.
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
Also from these editions: concepts
Also from these editions: terms
Related terms
- essayistnoun
- A writer of essays: short prose texts in which an author examines a subject from a personal point of view, without the aim of exhausting it.
Related concepts
- AphorismAn aphorism is a concise, memorable statement that expresses a general truth, ethical principle, or philosophical observation in very few words. Unlike casual sayings, it…
- Aphoristic StyleAphoristic style is a literary mode of writing composed of detached, numbered, or highly condensed statements that convey complex philosophical ideas with striking…
- David HumeDavid Hume was a Scottish philosopher, historian and economist, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in Western philosophy. In Writing.2, the article…