The difficulty involved in grounding the claim just cited
might be great indeed – Schopenhauer himself came up famously short
in this regard. And anyone who has ever truly felt how inanely false and
sentimental this claim is in a world whose essence is will to power –,
they might recall that Schopenhauer, pessimism notwithstanding,
actually – played the flute . . . every day, after dinner.

Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche, trans by Judith Butler, aphorism 186

The outtakes from Thursday’s debate encounter between the Republican and the Democratic candidates for the Presidency linger in my mind.  Yesterday late in the day, the editorial board of the New York Times published a request that incumbent Biden withdraw his candidacy to make room for someone else. I agree. What we saw is what we will get. I do not think its going to be enough.

In a campaign appearance in North Carolina yesterday, Biden said, “I would not be running again if I didn’t believe with all my heart and soul I can do this job.”

A sincere, fervent belief often is a slippery slope to delusion. The editors of the New York Times are not in thrall to a misperception. 

Our future is drawn in the direction of a mad king, while the incumbent is satisfied that to “believe with all of one’s heart and soul” is more significant than performance under pressure.

A similar situation is referenced in the Europe of Nietzsche’s day. Otto von Bismark unified Germany in 1871 forming the German empire. Renowned philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer had published a book in 1839 describing the foundations of morals on the principles of reason. Nietzsche observes that Schopenhauer comes up famously short, inanely false and sentimental… Nietzsche notes the academic pretense, as sanctimonious nonsense. It parallels Schopenhauer’s reputation as a pessimist. The pessimist Schopenhauer plays the flute everyday after dinner. One who loves the flute can be no pessimist.

Bismarck’s practice of Realpolitik to unify Germany underlies Nietzsche’s conviction that morality is not grounded in reasoned principle, but is plainly the exercise of will to power. The world’s essence is will to power.

In like manner the Democratic candidate’s assertion that whole-hearted belief eclipses performance is absurd.

More of us must insist loudly and persistently “the emperor has no clothes.”