The Genealogy of Morals by Fredrick Nietzche - Term Paper Example

? THE GENEALOGY OF MORALS BY FREDRICK NIETZSCHE Introduction Nietzche’s Genealogy of Morals has been touted as on e of the most sustained critiques on morality ever written. Nietzsche puts forth such originality in the expression of ideas that leaves readers grappling for a basis on which to evaluate him. For a long time Nietzsche was considered by many scholars as a Nazi forbear, with some even terming his work sophomoric ranting. Today Nietzsche is considered by many as a one of the foremost seminal thinkers to ever emerge in post modernism. Nietzsche’s rise to prominence is due to his daring to confront long held ideas and to turn them on their head. His three essays of which the Genealogy of Morals is composed are among his most cohesive works. The three essays provide a progressive, critical analysis of Nietzsche’s basic concern: the origin, persistence and progressively negative impact of Christian morals on the Europe’s mental health. Discussion Essay one: Good and Bad Nietzsche contrasts himself with some English philosophers who he accuses of being misguided in explain altruistic facts as being considered good by those benefitting from them. Nietzsche considers this line of thought to be completely lacking in historical facts in assuming that altruism comes before value judgments. Nietzsche believes that value judgments arose from the natural aristocracy which imposed certain values upon the lower classes (Nietzsche, 2003, 9-14). Nietzsche claims are however unsubstantiated as he offers no historical record. While his claims are based on non provable historical models, his analysis still grabs our attention given his authority as a philologist and his audacity. Given our predilection to consider morality as a function of world religions, Nietzsche in his analysis is thus able to challenge our long held beliefs getting our attention. After attaining out attention and stirring our attitude towards the supremacy of the Greek culture, Nietzsche turns to the depiction of any supposed development and change from this culture to be a corruption of the golden age. He goes on to describe the loss of the grandeur of the Greek values of love and respect for nature and fellow man which has led to degeneration at the hands of systems which allow for uninformed decisions. Nietzsche asserts that the rise of the priest into aristocrats particularly in India and Palestine is what led to the decline of the golden age culture. The Jews having been slaves in Egypt overturn aristocratic model by creating a God who was inclined towards them, vanquished their enemies, and offered them divine inheritance. The rise of priestly class was also intended to make the value creators feel ashamed of themselves for being strong by terming them unclean (Nietzsche, 2003, 15-17). Nietzsche is most articulate in his portrayal of the struggle between the proud honest and strong aristocrat and the vengeful cunning and evil ascetic priest. Nietzsche’s argues against the concept of the priests claiming that strength and weakness are natural states. While the notion of original conflict of value systems may come across as fanciful such as concepts such as Utopia and the Garden of Eden, it still is very compelling in stimulating of alternative value systems. Nietzsche’s assertions make us to ask questions regarding the origin of value systems having rejected the idea of divine origin. An exploration of the modern effects of morality on mankind may also offer great insights on ancient man upon who morality was not an option in the modern sense of the word. Essay Two: Guilt Bad Conscience and the Like Having been successful in portraying the origin of values in Good and Bad, Nietzsche turns his attention to a psychological interpretation in the second essay. It is important for Nietzsche to mould the minds of his audience against their underlying understanding of conscience and their views regarding the motivations of compassion, humbleness and sympathy as portrayed by the ascetic priest. Nietzsche argues against the concept of conscience being inherent in man by referring to a period before contamination by the priests when man gloried in his animal nature. Nietzsche traces the origin of conscience to the first honorable man who felt obligated to fulfill his promises to equals. Drawing from etymology Nietzsche makes the assertion that the concept of ought to comes from the notion of owing from business relationships. The concept of punishment and subsequently justice emerged from this as compensation or punishment was required of promise breakers (Nietzsche 2003, 37-39). Reading Nietzsche one may get the notion that his ideal form of justice being unassociated from intellectual notions is more like the Darwinian notion of war of Every Man against Every Man. Nietzsche considers reference to intellectual standards to be a deviation from man’s true nature. Nietzsche however disassociates himself from Darwinism by asserting that man is inherently spontaneous and is not influenced by Biology or physiology in his decisions. The imposition of law upon the individual in the name of justice is thus a war against reactive feelings. The law is ultimately an attempt by the state to have control over people and to maintain a monopoly of force (Nietzsche 2003, 45). He asserts that the very notion that the law represents absolute good is unfounded since the essence of life consists in spontaneous activity. Nietzsche contends that punishment is liable to many changes which ultimately alter its original intended purpose rendering it ineffective. After a description and analysis of promises, the state, punishment, memory, obligation and conscience, the author shifts to the examination of the negative impact of conscience on man. Conscience which he many times refers to as bad conscience is an invention of the blonde beasts that by setting up the state made conscience possible. The blonde beasts refer to romantic heroes and historical heroes who had great strength and power. Nietzsche asserts that the quest for social structure inevitably leads to the quest state empires then universal empires, deities, suppression of the independent nobility and ultimately religion (Nietzsche 2003, 67-75). Nietzsche then offers an explanation for religious belief particularly Christianity. He asserts that religious belief leads to a debtor relationship between God and mankind with mankind unable to pay his debt. The realization of his incapacity to pay the debt leads man to feelings of guilt and ultimately rebellion. Man eventually finds a way out of this quagmire by asserting that the creditor God sacrifices himself in order to pay the debt for the debtor he loves so much. Man’s instincts lead him to destroy himself in the conflict between the devil and God. Nietzsche finishes by hoping for an antichrist coming to rebirth the once free nature of man. Essay Three: What is the Meaning of Ascetic Ideals? The third essay mainly focuses on the analysis of the ascetic priest, the notion of asceticism, asceticism and aesthetics and the negative impact of asceticism on humanity from a psychological perspective. Nietzsche asserts that asceticism must be exercise so as to enable a refinement and exercise of free will as the ultimate. In order to exemplify this Nietzsche analyzes the works of several philosophers who even while being deemed freethinkers were chained to morality and asceticism. Philosophers deem asceticism as a means of acquiring independence and intellectuality. Philosophers depicted themselves as the forbears of the traditions of the soothsayers, wizards and wise men so as to elicit fear and respect. The ascetic priest inherited this mentality as he became the epitome of the seriousness of the office which was portrayed by unrestricted demeaning of those who were healthy, strong, happy and powerful. The ascetic priest is interested in convincing people that life is a transition to the after life (Nietzsche 2003, 89-91). The ascetic philosophy is particularly similar to secular philosophy which calls for abandonment of reason and the perception of the abstract. According to Nietzsche the objectivity of philosophy is derived from asceticism as it require people to view things from an abstract point of view. Nietzsche believes that the wickedness of the ascetic priest is boundless. After leading the slave into revolting against the natural order by introducing bad conscience, they continuously train people to renounce wants, emotion and free will through religious practices. Nietzsche then turns his attention to the contemporary psychologists and intellectuals who temper everything with morality thereby promoting asceticism which ironically they abhor. Nietzsche’s main opposition to asceticism is that it constricts everything to a narrow interpretation which is not subject to any review. Modern belief and religion is inherently ascetic in that it encompasses the dogma that truth is divine. By asserting the divine, this paves the way for the ascetic to attain power which he does by invoking the divine (Nietzsche 2003, 123-122). The closing of the essay Nietzsche asserts the tendency of man to love suffering which leads him to provide himself a reason for suffering. Mankind would in essence prefer ascetic suffering rather than having nothing at all. Conclusion In the essay Genealogy of Morals makes an analysis of the notions of origin and genealogy. Nietzsche’s main intention is the effecting of a shift of the understanding of morality to genealogy from an origins model. The author tries to convince his audience that concepts of morality have always been fluid and have a genealogy as opposed to popular conception of them as having a particular origin. By postulating of the concept that good and evil are independent of personal will, Nietzsche postulates agency concerning morality. Nietzsche provides an explanation of the fluidity of morality by referring to the desire for power over all others though expressed differently. The fluidity of concepts means that morality is subject to differential conceptions according to context and background. Nietzsche’s conception of the universe is that made up of the will. The will of the human being is inherently spontaneous and is not constricted by issues of conscience. Conscience is a conception which like other conceptions arises from memory and practice as opposed from being innate. The ascetic ideal is based on the quest for power and domination; this is what leads to the condemnation of the strong and powerful and the condemnation of worldly pleasure and the exultation of the ultimate weak and unhappy ascetic priest. Bibliography Nietzsche, Friedrich. 2003. The Genealogy of Morals. New York: Dover Publications. Read More