The Genelogy of Morals by Nietzsche - Research Paper Example

Nietzsche felt that morality in every culture was more of a ‘herd’ morality. An example would be during slavery times, slavery was considered legal. The majority of Southerners believed slavery was a moral practice. Of course, times changed and slavery was overturned. The American culture then thought slavery was immoral. Laws and social concepts are accepted and unquestioned in a culture.

In the USSR, gulags were legal and accepted during the communist era. Whether through religious pressure, fear, or promises of redemption, cultures do have a ‘herd’ mentality when it comes to morality. Individuals do not want to think for themselves, especially about morality. There are exceptions to the ‘herd’ mentality. Nietzsche was an exception. He questioned the morality of his and other cultures. Abolitionists were there to question the validity of slavery. Vladimir Lenin and his men questioned the authority of royalty over the peasants.

In more recent history, Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin questioned the communist regime. Sometimes a strong individual questions the morality of their culture. The results are a change in cultural morals. Throughout history, morals have changed due to leaders questioning authority.