top of page
"VYD" magazine is a visual encyclopedia of graphic design, visual and communication, which allows readers to learn about waves of meaning, ideas and techniques.
The Concept of
Good and Evil
in Friedrich Nietzsche's Philosophy
The concept of good and evil in Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy is based on a re-evaluation of traditional moral values.
In his work "Beyond Good and Evil," Nietzsche rejects the common idea of absolute good and evil, instead viewing morality as a relative phenomenon that evolves according to cultural and historical conditions.
He critiques traditional morality, particularly Christian morality, for its emphasis on submission, humility, and compassion, which, in his view, suppress natural human instincts.
Nietzsche distinguishes between two main systems of morality: slave morality and master morality. Slave morality, he argues, arises from the weak and submissive, who proclaim humility, compassion, and modesty as higher virtues because they cannot achieve strength and greatness. This "good" is aimed at restraining desires and subduing one’s own will. Master morality, on the other hand, is an expression of strength, self-affirmation, and pride, which Nietzsche considered to be the true value. This morality is centered on the "will to power," allowing an individual to transcend mediocrity and aspire to greatness.
Simulacra
and the Illusion of Reality
The concept of simulacra, developed by philosopher Jean Baudrillard, describes phenomena that are copies of reality or even copies without an original, creating artificial worlds that replace the real. According to Baudrillard, a simulacrum is a sign or image that ceases to represent something real and instead becomes self-sufficient, forming a new, artificial reality. In modern society, dominated by media, technology, and consumerism, simulacra do not simply mirror the world—they create their own versions of the world, illusions that are perceived as truth.
Simulacra can be divided into several stages of development. On the first level, they reflect reality; on the second, they conceal or distort it; on the third, they pretend to be reality; and on the fourth, they lose all connection with any reality, becoming "hyperreality." In a world of hyperreality, simulacra function according to their own rules and replace genuine perception, imposing an artificial reality in which the line between truth and fiction nearly vanishes.
Through their capacity for manipulation, simulacra permeate areas such as culture, politics, economy, and social media, creating images and meanings that do not reflect the real but only construct an illusory world in which we live. Baudrillard called this the "desert of the real," where simulacra ultimately detach from reality and become self-contained, creating a universe where everything we know exists only as a copy.
Laws for the Internet Age
by Cory Doctorow
THE COPYRIGHT WARS are nothing new. Five hundred years ago, Europe was convulsed by a struggle to determine who could access the Bible and under what circumstances. Canterbury and Rome spent decades battling over whether the uncertain benefits of broad access to scripture were worth diminishing the undeniable majesty of their incumbent religious insti- tutions. A few hundred years later, at the turn of the twentieth century, composers were forced to defend their own turf—they called performers pirates, and insisted that recording music was aform oftheft. John Philip Sousa, the great American composer, thought the record player would make musicians extinct: “Today you hear these infernal machines going night and day,” he said in 1906, while testifying before Congress. “We will not have a vocal cord left. The vocal cords will be eliminated by a process ofevolution, aswas the tailofman when he came from the ape.”
Laws for the Internet Age by Cory Doctorow discusses the evolving legal landscape in response to the challenges posed by digital technology and the internet. Doctorow explores how traditional copyright laws and legal frameworks struggle to adapt to new realities, where digital content can be easily copied, shared, and manipulated. He often critiques legislation that favors restrictive measures, such as anti-circumvention laws, which prevent users from bypassing digital rights management (DRM) to access content.
Doctorow argues for laws that balance the interests of creators, consumers, and technology developers, advocating for reforms that promote digital freedom, fair use, and innovation. He often highlights how overzealous copyright enforcement can stifle creativity, competition, and the growth of the digital economy. His work emphasizes the importance of laws that keep pace with technological advances while safeguarding individual rights and promoting the free exchange of ideas.
Reflections on Nietzsche and Art: From Harmony to Radicalism
Nietzscheanism, as a philosophical movement, has significantly influenced art by offering a radically new approach to understanding beauty, creativity, and human existence. A central element of Nietzsche's philosophy is the will to power – the idea that art should go beyond conventional aesthetic canons and become a means of asserting individual strength and freedom. Contrary to traditional moral values, Nietzsche calls for a revaluation of all values, which in turn influenced many modernist and avant-garde artists who sought to break established norms and create new forms of expression. However, this approach often leads to elitism, as the idea of the Übermensch, who creates new laws of beauty, is unattainable for the majority.
Moreover, Nietzsche's concept of Apollonian and Dionysian art emphasizes the struggle between order and chaos, rationality and passion. This duality affects creators who strive to find a balance between harmonious form and expressive content. However, in the pursuit of absolute freedom in creativity, the social responsibility of art is often overlooked. Nietzschean glorification of chaos and suffering as an integral part of existence can sometimes justify the aestheticization of violence or nihilism, as reflected in the works of some 20th-century artists who rejected ethical constraints for the sake of self-expression.
Critics of Nietzscheanism also emphasize that the ideal of the Übermensch can lead to the alienation of art from its audience. If creativity becomes solely a means of self-assertion for the artist and a demonstration of their unique will to power, it may repel the audience, which cannot fully understand or accept such radicalism. In this context, Nietzscheanism often appears as a challenge to tradition, but also as a kind of closed loop, where art serves only itself, departing from its original social functions and leaving behind the search for true humanity.
Plato's Critique of Power: Wisdom Against Tyranny
Plato criticizes power concentrated in the hands of uneducated rulers, emphasizing that true power should belong to philosophers who seek truth and the common good. In his "Republic," he argues that most rulers act in their own interests rather than caring for the public welfare, leading to tyranny and corruption. Plato questions the ability of democratic systems to provide effective governance, as they are often susceptible to manipulation and populism. His critique highlights the need for a combination of wisdom and morality in power structures to avoid despotism and ensure justice.
Suprematism. The World as Non-Objectivity Kazimir Severinovich Malevich
Enslaved by the idea of practical realism, one wishes to make all of nature perfect for oneself. Thus, the entire subject matter, scientifically grounded, practical realism and all its culture belong to the idealist of never-fulfilled ideas. But there is nothing perfect in nature; in the formless, every concept of the ideal, good, perfection, etc., disappears. Idealists and materialists are dreamers; the object of ideal perfection eternally eludes them, like a nymph from a poet whom he wishes to embody, but she always remains only an image, captured in his poetry.
Thus, the object for another idealist, the materialist, always remains elusive from physical possession. On the other hand, the idealist tries to make the formless into something tangible; the formless eternally escapes his physical idealism, preserving its formlessness.
From this, the storm of anger, war, barbed wire, choking gases, suicides, weeping, grinding, sorrow, and longing of poets, artists, and technicians—materialists striving to capture the formless and confine it within their physical embraces—is entirely clear to me.
Suprematism, as an artistic movement, proclaims the idea of rejecting objectivity in art and emphasizes pure forms and colors. However, from a realist perspective, such a concept may seem detached from real life and practical human experience. Realism highlights the importance of depicting concrete objects and events, as this allows for a better understanding and feeling of the surrounding world. By focusing on non-objectivity, Suprematism may overlook the emotional and social context that gives depth and meaning to art. Instead of expanding the horizons of perception, Suprematism can evoke a sense of alienation from reality, offering a visual experience that is too abstract and disconnected from the everyday lives of people.
bottom of page