"On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense"

In On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense, Nietzsche argues that what we call "truth" is essentially a collection of metaphors, illusions, and conventions that humans have agreed upon to navigate reality. He describes language as a system of signs that do not correspond to any inherent or eternal truths but are instead useful fictions created for communication.

Nietzsche’s essay emphasizes a nonmoral perspective on truth. He challenges the common assumption that truth is inherently good or morally superior. Instead, he views truth as a pragmatic tool, detached from moral values. It is neither good nor bad but an invention that humans use to impose order and meaning.

The Internet Archive has both an online version and a downloadable version of the essay. Average reading time is around 30 minutes.

Articles I found online: “Nietzsche on Truth, Lies, the Power and Peril of Metaphor, and How We Use Language to Reveal and Conceal Reality,” The Marginalian; “A Simple Rhetorical Analysis: ‘On Truth and Lies…’,” The Poet’s Glass; and summaries of the essay from A Little Sense and Medium.

YouTube (of course) has lots of videos. And if you prefer to listen to the essay rather than read it, YouTube has a 40 minute audiobook for your listening pleasure.

We look forward to seeing you.