Nietzsche and Truth: Skepticism and the Free Spirit

Aline and I are free spirits who have taken Nietzsche’s “experimentalism” and used it to challenge our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to an extreme degree. Much of our insights and growth has come through experimenting with new ideas, while challenging our older ideas—older ideas which stem from past traumas, societal norms, biological factors, and childhood experiences. Being able to continually challenge and work through our old beliefs while remaining flexible enough to upgrade our new beliefs is the essence of truth seeking; it is a lifelong process and not a final destination. We highly encourage others to also employ experimentalism in their own lives, and to liberate their spirit and mind—to become free spirits.

While the vast majority of people are “bound spirits”, prisoners of beliefs that have been inculcated into them by their parents, governments, and religions, the free spirit is one who has liberated himself from these chains. “The term “free spirit” here is not to be understood in any other sense; it means a spirit that has become free, that has taken possession of itself.” ~Academy of Ideas

Employing the experimentalism advocated by Nietzsche involves becoming your own greatest critic, subjecting your cherished convictions to constant assessment, and attacking every so called “truth” you believe, in order to determine how strong its foundations really are. It involves actively seeking out and experimenting with new ideas, trying them on for size, so to speak, and continually updating and improving your judgments about the world. ~Academy of Ideas

About Nathan