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18 January 2017

Understanding the Madman

Here's the text of Nietzsche speaking about the madman from The Gay Science

I think the 'madman' of Nietzsche is actually a metaphor, a sort of blank slate someone without a background... in Nietzshian terms, one without a 'fatherland'.  Anyone else or everyone else has a background from which one is perceived.  Everything that we do or say is viewed by others on the basis of that background.  But a madman does not have any such background that is ascribed to him.  It is exactly because of this he is called a madman.  So will anyone be if one denounces ones foundation or one's 'prejudice'.

Furthermore, the lack of background is not the madman's concern, it is our ascription to him.  So honestly speaking it is not his 'problem'.  It is ours! 

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