Accounts Quote by Friedrich Nietzsche
“Since Copernicus, man seems to have got himself on an inclined plane-now he is slipping faster and faster away from the center into-what? into nothingness? into a 'penetrating sense of his nothingness?' ... all science, natural as well as unnatural-which is what I call the self-critique of knowledge-has at present the object of dissuading man from his former respect for himself, as if this had been but a piece of bizarre conceit.”
About This Quote
Source Philosophy: The Will to Power, 1883
Nietzsche warns that humanity’s growing knowledge leads to existential doubt, feeling detached from meaning and confronting emptiness.
In simple terms: Knowledge can cause existential emptiness.
Key Takeaway
Embrace humility in the face of uncertainty.
Themes
existentialism
knowledge
meaninglessness
humility
Mood
thoughtful
somber
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- academic research
- personal crisis
- spiritual seeking
- creative writing
- education
Key Concepts
philosophy
cosmology
self‑critique
Questions to Reflect On
- What gives life meaning beyond knowledge?
- Can doubt be a catalyst for growth?
A Different Perspective
Over‑intellectualization may paralyze action.
![“There is talk of a new astrologer [Nicolaus Copernicus] who wants to prove that the earth moves and goes around instead of the sky, the sun, the moon, just as if somebody were moving in a carriage or ship might hold that he was sitting still and at rest while the earth and the trees walked and…” quote by Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a0c/martin-luther-106_astronomy_there-is-talk-of-a-new-astrologer-nicola_561153.jpg)
