“What then in the last resort are the truths of mankind? They are the irrefutable errors of mankind.”
- October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900
- Born in Germany
- Philosopher, poet, and classical philologist
- With works such as “Thus Spoke Zarathustra,” “Beyond Good and Evil,” and “The Genealogy of Morals,” he questioned traditional morality, religion, and truth, and had a major impact on modern philosophy.
Quote
“What then in the last resort are the truths of mankind? They are the irrefutable errors of mankind.”
Explanation
In this quote, Friedrich Nietzsche challenges the concept of truth by suggesting that what humans consider to be truths are, in reality, errors that have simply become undeniable or accepted over time. Nietzsche is critiquing the idea of absolute truth, arguing that the “truths” humanity holds to be self-evident or irrefutable are often merely conventions, beliefs, or assumptions that have been repeated and reinforced across generations, until they are accepted as truth. These so-called truths may not actually reflect the reality or the fundamental nature of existence, but instead, they are the collective mistakes or illusions of mankind that have gained so much power and influence that they can no longer be questioned or overturned. Nietzsche suggests that humanity’s ideas of truth are deeply tied to error—that truths, when closely examined, often reveal themselves to be misunderstandings or overgeneralizations.
Historically, Nietzsche’s philosophy often rejected the notion of objective or universal truths. He believed that truths were often culturally constructed and shaped by power dynamics, societal needs, and human limitations, rather than being absolute or eternal. For Nietzsche, many moral truths, religious doctrines, and philosophical systems were simply errors that had become ingrained in the human consciousness because they provided meaning or order in a chaotic world, not because they were verifiably accurate or reflective of the nature of existence. Nietzsche’s view reflects his broader stance on perspectivism—the idea that all knowledge is subjective and shaped by human experience, and that what we consider “truth” is a product of these limited, human perspectives.
In modern contexts, this quote can be applied to the way in which we treat certain cultural norms, scientific theories, or political ideologies as immutable truths, even though they may be deeply flawed or incomplete. Whether in the context of historical narratives, religious beliefs, or social constructs, Nietzsche’s words encourage us to question what we accept as truth and to recognize that much of what is considered “true” is shaped by human perception and context. It challenges us to embrace a more critical and flexible understanding of truth, one that acknowledges the possibility that many of the truths we hold may, in fact, be incomplete or misguided.
