Perspectivism
Perspectivism (German: Perspektivismus) is the
term coined by Friedrich Nietzsche in developing the
philosophical view (touched upon as far back as Plato's
rendition of Protagoras) that all ideations take place
from particular perspectives. This means that there are
many possible conceptual schemes, or perspectives in
which judgment of truth or value can be made. This is
often taken to imply that no way of seeing the world can
be taken as denitively true, but does not necessarily
entail that all perspectives are equally valid.
1 View
Perspectivism rejects objective metaphysics as impos-
sible, claiming that no evaluation of objectivity can
transcend cultural formations or subjective designations.
Therefore, there are no objective facts, nor any knowl-
edge of a thing-in-itself. Truth is separated from any
particular vantage point, and so there are no ethical or
epistemological absolutes.[1] Rules (i.e., those of phi-
losophy, the scientic method, etc.) are constantly re-
assessed according to the circumstances of individual
perspectives.[2] Truth is thus created by integrating dif-
ferent vantage points together.
People always adopt perspectives by default whether
they are aware of it or not and the concepts of ones
existence are dened by the circumstances surround-
ing that individual. Truth is made by and for indi-
viduals and peoples.[3] This view diers from many
types of relativism which consider the truth of a partic-
ular proposition as something that altogether cannot be
evaluated with respect to an absolute truth, without tak-
ing into consideration culture and context.[4]
This view is outlined in an aphorism from Nietzsches
posthumously-assembled collection The Will to Power:
In so far as the word knowledge has
any meaning, the world is knowable; but it
is interpretable [emphasis in original] other-
wise, it has no meaning behind it, but countless
meanings."Perspectivism.
It is our needs that interpret the world; our
drives and their For and Against. [emphasis
added] Every drive is a kind of lust to rule;
each one has its perspective that it would like to
compel all the other drives to accept as a norm.
Friedrich Nietzsche; trans. Walter
Kaufmann, The Will to Power, 481 (1883
1
1888)[5]
1.1 Interpretation
Richard Schacht, in his interpretation of Nietzsches
thought, argues that this can be expanded into a revised
form of "objectivity" in relation to "subjectivity" as an
aggregate of singular viewpoints that illuminate, for ex-
ample, a particular idea in seemingly self-contradictory
ways but upon closer inspection would reveal a dier-
ence of contextuality and of rule by which such an idea
(e.g., that is fundamentally perspectival) can be validated.
Therefore, it can be said each perspective is subsumed
into and, taking account of its individuated context, adds
to the overall objective measure of a proposition under
examination. Nevertheless, perspectivism does not im-
plicate any method of inquiry nor a structural theory of
knowledge in general.[6]
2 See also
Anekantavada, a fundamental doctrine of Jainism
setting forth a pluralistic metaphysics
Conceptual framework
Consilience, the unity of knowledge
Constructivist epistemology
Eclecticism
Empathy
Fallibilism
Intersubjectivity
Metaphilosophy
Moral nihilism
Moral skepticism
Multiperspectivalism, a current in Calvinist episte-
mology
Philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche
Relativism
Rhizome (philosophy)
2 3 REFERENCES

"Subjectivity is Truth", a concept on subjectivity by

Sren Kierkegaard
Transcendental perspectivism

Value pluralism

3 References
Edwards, David (1979). The Mathematical Foun-
dations of Quantum Mechanics. Synthese. 42: 1
70.

[1] Mautner, Thomas, The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy,

2005, page 418

[2] Schacht, Richard, Nietzsche, 1993, page 61.

[3] Scott-Kakures, Dion, History of Philosophy, 1993, page

346

[4] Nietzsche, Friedrich (1878). Section 16. Human, All

Too Human.

[5] Original German: Soweit berhaupt das Wort Erkennt-

ni Sinn hat, ist die Welt erkennbar: aber sie ist anders
deutbar, sie hat keinen Sinn hinter sich, sondern unzhlige
Sinne. Perspektivismus. Unsere Bedrfnisse sind es,
die die Welt auslegen; unsere Triebe und deren Fr und
Wider. Jeder Trieb ist eine Art Herrschsucht, jeder hat
seine Perspektive, welche er als Norm allen brigen Trieben
aufzwingen mchte. (Wille zur Macht, Nr. 481.)

[6] Schacht, Richard, Nietzsche, 1993.

 3

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