Cruz, Jean-Almae C. Prof.

Arthur Abulencia
II-14 AB/BSE Literature March 17, 2011 (4)

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Nietzsche on Truth and Knowledge

It has been universally acknowledged that what man deems to

be true should be known, and what is known by many is true. In the

chapter “The Free Spirit” of Beyond Good and Evil Nietzsche criticizes

the things or knowledge, man thinks to be true hence, truth and the

knowledge it supposed to exude.

As we read Beyond Good and Evil, it could be inferred that

knowledge comes with the truth; therefore, what is the difference

between knowledge and truth?

It was openly suggested bi Nietzsche that – “knowledge relies on

a simplification of the truth that makes truth expressible in language

and understandable to all.” With this alone it could be inferred that

one’s knowledge is based upon on how he understands truth. These

truths are the information or data perceived by a person, and different

people have different perception, and these truths are just of the

prejudice of an entity on a particular thing – how e sees it will be his

understanding. And so, our knowledge is based on the truth.

 These answer the difference between “truth” and “knowledge”.

Knowledge is what man gets from the truth and truth is what man

perceives on a particular subject for this reason; the truth is the basis

of knowledge.

I pointed out earlier that men have different perception; men

then are susceptible for mistakes because what may one acknowledge

as truth or rightful could be deemed as wrong by another. It is not we

have different levels of knowledge; we just have different kinds of it.

Truth and knowledge then is not synonymous but the truth is the

basis of the latter.