HARKEN (AGAIN)! NIETZSCHE IS PIETZSCHE AND SMARTRE THAN SARTRE

 

HIKING IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

In my last blog post, HARKEN! NIETZSCHE IS PIETZSCHE, BUT SARTRE IS SMARTRE, I ended by confessing that I really did not if Sartre were smarter than Nietzsche, but now upon further reading and reflection I do know. As a follow-up to my last post, I can now declare that NIETZSCHE IS PIETZSCHE, AND SMARTRE THAN SARTRE, and my only reason for saying so is because NIETZSCHE believed that physical activity was crucial for intellectual vitality, whereas SARTRE did not!

NIETZSCHE believed that a well-functioning body was necessary for good health. Nietzsche was among those philosophers who were famous for taking longs walks. He considered his daily walks to be a vital activity to prompt clear thinking. Nietzsche valued physical exercise, as did most of the philosophers I briefly wrote about in my previous post.

SOCRATES believed the physical body to be deeply connected to the mind. In fact, Socrates was regarded as a macho figure, walking barefoot in wintertime and demonstrating prowess as a warrior in battle.

PLATO, the most famous student of Socrates, was a fitness addict. He stated that “lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being.”

ARISTOTLE wrote, “It’s a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”  Aristotle believed that too much or too little exercise was detrimental to one’s well-being, whereas a measured and proportioned amount was necessary for one’s ideal mental and physical health.

CONFUCIUS stressed the importance of a balance between the civil (scholarly) and martial (physical) arts. Confucius loved archery and driving chariots.

SARTRE was the only philosopher mentioned in my previous post who was not physically active. And unlike the others, never did he ever explicitly advocate any kind of physical fitness for enhancing mental health. Yes, NIETZSCHE was SMARTRE than SARTRE, and NIETZSCHE was PIETZSCHE for believing that physical activity would enhance everyone’s overall well-being.

 ‘Tis only fools who neglect the body in favor of the mind, or the mind in favor of the body. Yes. There is good reason why so many philosophers are famous for taking long walks. And yes, precisely the same reason why I love hiking. (See picture atop the blog post.)  

I shall close with yet another philosopher, BARUCH SPINOZA (1632-1677), a Portuguese-Jewish philosopher who was not mentioned in my last blog post. Spinoza said that the mind and body are the same thing, and for us to be complete as humans, we must concern ourselves with both. Spinoza insisted we should strive to be strong and smart. Yes. Strong and smart.

SPINOZA

This blog post I confess that I am but the wannabe spox expressing this NEILOGISM (neologism):

GET STRONG TO GET SMART – GET SMART TO GET STRONG.