The Origins of Good and Evil According to Nietzsche
The Origins of Good and Evil According to NietzscheIn his work On the Genealogy of Morality, Nietzsche intends to investigate not only the origin, but, more importantly, the value of morality. While Nietzsche does not specifically define morality, he speaks of the values of compassion, self-denial, and self-sacrifice (GM, Preface, S5). Nietzsche thinks that people have taken the worth of these values as something given, as beyond dispute. Until now, people have not doubted that good is of higher value (in other words, is of greater benefit to mankind) than evil, for instance. Nietzsche asks, "What if the opposite were true?" He suggests that maybe what we call good is actually a danger to mankind and what we call evil is of higher value (GM, Preface, S6). In the First Treatise, Nietzsche attempts to answer this question by showing how these terms have evolved to arrive at their present meanings. I will first explore Nietzsche's account and critique of these concepts, and will then give my own view of his account. The origin of good and evil starts with the transition from nomadic societies to permanent settlements. This transition could not have occurred without natural born leaders. These leaders, the nobility, co
Just as the origin of good and evil started with the transition from nomadic societies to permanent settlements, so did the origin of what Nietzsche calls bad conscience. In Section 14 of the First Treatise, Nietzsche spells out those values he identifies with Christianity: kindness, humility, obedience, patience, forgiveness, love of one's enemies, and the triumph of justice. The world today is made up of more than just masters and slaves. He says "the noble human being lives with himself in confidence and openness", whereas "the human being of resentment is neither sincere, nor naive, nor honest and frank with himself. Nietzsche believes that morality in general is an unhealthy idea since it is born from negative values, which hinder the development of mankind. He thinks the original idea of good was applied to people, not actions, and it was applied by the nobles who considered themselves to be good, in contrast to the base, common people. He cites the Jews as the greatest example of the priestly caste, who said "the miserable alone are the good. So, instead of seeking revenge, they simply resent the master morality and wait for the judgement of God (GM, First Treatise, S14). It would be a different creature all together (GM, First Treatise, S13). whereas you, you noble and powerful ones, you are in all eternity the evil. On the other hand, the original idea of evil was applied to these same nobles by whom they considered the common, base people and so, slave morality was born. It makes sense to question the value of morality to see whether what we consider good is actually good and a benefit to mankind. In other words, there is no subject or doer behind the deed.
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