Friedrich Nietzsche - Essay Example

“Beyond Good and Evil” (1886) is a landmark work by Friedrich Nietzsche, which precedes the final, most intense period of his work, marked by summing up the philosophical outcome of the previous human history and the foresight of the major social and spiritual conflicts of the twentieth century. This landmark work allows to continue the development of the idea of superman using new form of sharpened analytical aphorisms, in which the author focuses sharp critique of modernity - its philosophy, science, art, politics and, the most importantly, morality.

Analyzing the work “Beyond Good and Evil” it is necessary to mention that it looks like prophetic work, where the subtitle “Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future” is no accident, because in his book a German thinker has predicted the coming collapse of European spirituality, and ‘mass uprising’ that followed by the reign of ‘the coming of boor’. He also has predicted leveling of identity under the banner of universal human equality, and epic struggle for world domination, and totalitarianism as a consequence democratization of Europe.

Thus, we see that Nietzsche believes that only a radical reassessment of all European ideals and European morality in general can avoid catastrophic processes of the future. Interpreting main ideas and theories presented in Nietzsche’s prominent work “Beyond Good and Evil” it is necessary to mention that in the understanding of the history of mankind, developed by Nietzsche, in Western culture unfortunate distinction between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ dominates, distinction, which was especially facilitated by a celebration of Christianity.

It is necessary to emphasize that the masses, incited by a burning hatred of aristocratic manners which they could not emulate, often with the support of religious leaders, gave themselves vengeful rejection of aristocracy. In the view of Nietzsche, ‘good’ in the distinction between the good-evil emphasis on equality, self-sacrifice, gentleness, humility, compassion, pity, and other qualities of weakness. Such ‘good’ punishes the noble, aristocratic qualities - assertiveness, daring creative originality, passion, thirst for victory, moreover, it (the ‘good’) calls the above mentioned characteristics as evil.

The predominance of such representations of evil, as Nietzsche claimed, is responsible for weakness and mediocrity of those who occupy a dominant position. They destroyed those qualities without which life can not be anything remarkable. According to Nietzsche, the decline of modern society suggests that for satisfying the needs of the superiority still too little is done. However, human existence does not necessarily end at this bleak note. Sometimes, considering himself a voice crying in the wilderness, Nietzsche, however, thought that human life is capable of self- expiation going beyond good and evil.

In this case it is possible to say that spirit of generosity - adoption of life, struggle and victory, a passionate desire to excel - these qualities have to be exalted. However, the purpose of Nietzsche is not doubling of the past, but a return of these essential qualities to modern life. Addressing to main Nietzsche’s arguments it seems that there is every reason to see in Nietzsche himself (using his own phrases) a trend to a personal ‘internalization of freedom’