|  | Posted by Koncept on 11/01/06 19:44 
In article <3GW1h.401$q06.166@newsfe04.lga>, Steve <no.one@example.com>wrote:
 
 > | "The snake that cannot shed its skin perishes. So do the spirits who are
 > | prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be a
 > pirit."  -Nietzsche
 >
 > | *Answer*
 > | If the apple were capable of formulating opinion in the first place,
 > | then to lose such a noble quality would certainly make the apple less
 > | distinguished amongst its peers;
 >
 > in what ways would it be less distinguished? doesn't this presuppose as a
 > foregone conclusion that to *be* an apple, it must emote opinion?
 >
 > | however, considering that the apple
 > | never had such talent, it will simply continue to maintain its status
 > | as an object neither capable of opinion, nor of spiritual nature.
 >
 > others may take your dismissal of the possible spirituality of nature - even
 > that of an apple - as a terribly imprompto assumption. either way, being
 > prevented from changing an opinion does not change the nature of the apple
 > itself were it able to formulate them. so, a snake may very well die if it
 > fails to shed its skin; it does not necessitate logically that a spirit not
 > able to, or prevented from, doing something/anything part of its nature
 > somehow removes the natural component altogether. the spirit remains a
 > spirit...as the apple is still an apple.
 >
 > perhaps it is the fault of the translator rather than an illogical oversight
 > of neitzsche. where neitzsche consistent in his analogy and compared the
 > *death* of the spirit to the *perishing* of a snake, it would not be
 > illogical as it would be comparing two kinds of death - the first, literal;
 > the second, a deminished quality of life. as it is, he is comparing the
 > literal death of a snake to the alteration of the nature of a spirit
 > (assumably who MUST emote opinion) into some other form of being.
 >
 > simply put...if a human is defined as such because of his ability to see,
 > can i take his eyes and make him non-human. or, if he must be social yet i
 > exile him to a desserted island...is he not still human? to be human is
 > merely to be engineered as such. neitzsche has engineered a spirit that can
 > hold opinion, but has sadly killed it off when no such requirement was
 > warranted.
 >
 > | Truth be told, I'd still eat it regardless!
 >
 > me too ;^)
 >
 >
 
 Steve. I've got to say that I dig your style!  I'm contemplating
 changing my NG name to "spiritual apple" now.
 
 --
 Koncept <<
 "The snake that cannot shed its skin perishes. So do the spirits who are
 prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be a spirit."  -Nietzsche
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