Es ist immer von Gnaden der Natur, wenn man etwas weiß
"It is always by the grace of nature when one knows something."
(L. Wittgenstein, Über Gewißheit, 505)
In a world where certainty is absent (Nihilism), we need hinges to ground our "certainties." These hinges enable us to accept reality as true. Some of these hinges might take the form of naiveté. Naiveté is an original disposition, rooted in instinct—something corporeal rather than intellectual or bound to rationality.
Naiveté serves as one of these hinges. Like other pivots, it is a fulcrum—a necessary reliance on "something" that prevents us from being eroded by the abyss of nothingness, which threatens to dissolve every form of communication and understanding, leaving us to collapse within the confines of the saeculum's horizon.
This is precisely the vision of Nihilism: to cancel out any possibility of communication and understanding within this horizon, excluding any form of transcendence.
One proposition of naiveté through language might be, for example, "I believe my father to be the best man in the world." Without relying on this hinge—an instinct that is natural before it becomes articulated in language—the world of my childhood would disintegrate, leaving me without any foothold (hinge) to foster growth or trust in the goodness of the world around me.
I must believe that my father is the best man in the world to access the hope that the world can be reliable because there are people like my father.
Meine Urteile selbst charakterisieren die Art und Weise, wie ich urteile, das Wesen des Urteilens
"My judgments themselves characterize how I judge, the essence of judging."
(L. Wittgenstein, Über Gewißheit, 149)
Thus, "Father as the best man in the world" and "goodness" are two hinges—two forms of naiveté—necessary for growing up and developing confidence in the world.
This state of "hinging upon naiveté" also represents the condition of a "dreaming spirit."
The end of this state (a dreaming spirit) is not always negative. Often, it has the positive effect of awakening dormant consciousnesses, especially when naiveté is an induced form of "hinging upon" (a perspective aligned with our rejection of philosophical neutrality, i.e. devoid of external aims, influences or biases).
Kierkegaard, however, rightly observes: "Man, as spirit, must awaken [from naiveté], and he awakens through anxiety."
Tension or anxiety becomes a powerful tool for bridging the gap from naiveté to creativity.
An artist, a true creator, exists in this state of a dreaming spirit. Naiveté is thus positive because it does not preclude one from questioning and growing out of imposed naiveté, which is essential for creative freedom.
In art, the state of a dreaming spirit forms the bedrock—a powerful pivot where foundational beliefs give rise to consequential beliefs that follow.
Here, Wittgenstein's words are apt, even if intended for a different context, as they aptly describe any fundamental bedrock:
Am Grunde des begründeten Glaubens liegt der unbegründete Glaube
"At the foundation of justified belief lies unjustified belief."
(L. Wittgenstein, Über Gewißheit, 253)
Wittgenstein's view here reflects a nihilism that becomes unconditional: there is nothing to believe behind what we believe. If God is dead, we need a ground capable of generating sense independently if we wish to avoid an infinite regress of nihilism.
Contemporary nihilism, often bordering on Satanism, offers an extensive network of induced hinges (propaganda) designed to make us believe that "If I think p, p will follow".
This phenomenon—propaganda—constitutes a series of imposed bedrocks or naiveté, or perhaps more accurately, ignorance.
Yet, the end of this state of being a dreaming spirit, having relied on an induced form of naiveté, terminates any further possibility of relying on naiveté/ignorance, which, paradoxically, can also be a profound source of creativity when it is natural and not induced.
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[...] aus „ich weiß p“ „p“ folgt
(L. Wittgenstein, Über Gewißheit, 415)
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