In his process of drawing the distinction between a thing and its meaning, Friedrich Nietzsche approaches the long established concept of morality, among numerous other concepts, strictly with initial doubt. In doing so, he scrutinizes and, eventually, discredits them. In order to do that, he begins from the very basic things one would hold as an ideal and truthful way of life because they have a ‘time tested’ quality to them. These are precisely moral values. In order to analyze these concepts he believes that one must possess “knowledge of the conditions and circumstances in which they grew, under which they evolved and changed” (20). This evolution of morals is parallel to the evolution of humankind. If one is to know morality, one is to know oneself, but for that one needs a “critique of moral values.” Nietzsche criticizes the general human tendency to see things as having an ‘essence,’ or inherent meaning, because development of morality parallels human evolution. This lends itself to his irreverent critique of all absolutes, or ‘essences,’ that previous philosophers have prescribed to the human condition itself. Therefore, one may consider his philosophy as selfish, arrogant and pessimistic. However, the meaning behind these words is determined by the moral judgments which Nietzsche himself puts into question. Through the act of self overcoming and annihilation of ideals, one can establish their own beliefs through personal experiences as a way towards self affirmation.
             Nietzsche’s contempt for absolutes stems from his dislike of the philosophy of his contemporaries as well as his predecessors. He calls them “microscopists of the soul,” that have “trained themselves to sacrifice all desirability to truth” (25). “We are all afraid of truth,” especially one which is “harsh, ugly, repellent, unchristian, [and] immoral.&#...