Nietzsche's Most Controversial Idea | Beyond Good and Evil

Summary

This video script explores Friedrich Nietzsche's radical critique of traditional morality, suggesting that concepts of good and evil are not only arbitrary but potentially harmful. Nietzsche's 'slave morality' is contrasted with 'master morality,' with the former being born out of resentment and leading to societal mediocrity. The script challenges viewers to question ingrained moral values and contemplate the implications of valuing weakness over strength, ultimately urging a reevaluation of our moral compass.

Takeaways

• 🧔 Friedrich Nietzsche challenged conventional moral values, suggesting that our understanding of good and evil might be fundamentally flawed.
• 📚 Nietzsche's critique of morality is rooted in his analysis of 'Master Morality' and 'Slave Morality', which he believed were the foundations of our current moral system.
• 👑 Master Morality, according to Nietzsche, was defined by the powerful, valuing traits like strength, competence, and the ability to dominate.
• 🤷‍♂️ Slave Morality emerged as a reaction to Master Morality, where the oppressed valued traits opposite to those of their oppressors, such as weakness and submission.
• 🕊️ Christianity, in Nietzsche's view, epitomizes Slave Morality, with its emphasis on values like selflessness, kindness, and humility.
• 💪 Nietzsche believed that the 'will to power' is a fundamental human instinct, and suppressing it through moral systems like Slave Morality leads to resentment and mediocrity.
• 😤 Resentment, a key driver of Slave Morality, can lead to self-destruction and a deep unhappiness as individuals deny their natural desires and aspirations.
• 🤔 Nietzsche's philosophy encourages questioning and re-evaluating our moral values, suggesting that they may not necessarily lead to a fulfilled and meaningful life.
• 👥 He criticized 'moral persons' for their hypocrisy, arguing that their expressions of moral superiority often mask a hidden will to power.
• 🛠️ Nietzsche's work invites us to consider creating new moral systems that embrace strength, will, and active engagement with the world, rather than passive submission.
• 🌟 Finally, Nietzsche's philosophy serves as a reminder of our freedom to choose our values and to critically examine the philosophical assumptions that underpin them.

Q & A

What radical thought did Friedrich Nietzsche propose about our moral system?

Friedrich Nietzsche proposed the radical thought that our conventional understanding of right, wrong, good, evil, just, and unjust might be not only arbitrary but also undesirable.

How does Nietzsche view the origin of our current moral system?

Nietzsche suggests that our current moral system originated from a resentful revolt by the subjugated, who slowly morphed societal values to invert the definitions of good and evil, favoring passivity and submission over strength and domination.

What is the concept of 'Master Morality' as described by Nietzsche?

'Master Morality' is a term Nietzsche uses to describe a moral system defined by the powerful and dominant, where good is associated with strength, competence, and the ability to dominate, and is essentially life-affirming and constructive.

What is 'Slave Morality' and how does it contrast with 'Master Morality'?

'Slave Morality' is the moral system of the oppressed, which inverts the values of 'Master Morality', deeming the qualities of the powerful as evil and valuing weakness, submission, and obedience. It is a reactive and resentful system born out of the desire to undermine the masters.

How does Nietzsche analyze the Christian values in the context of 'Slave Morality'?

Nietzsche sees Christian values, such as helping others, loving your enemies, and the idea of the meek inheriting the Earth, as the epitome of 'Slave Morality', aiming to demonize strength and promote passivity and submission.

What is the 'Will to Power' according to Nietzsche?

The 'Will to Power' is a fundamental instinct in humans to dominate others and their environment, to enforce their will on the universe, and to change and reshape the world according to their desires.

What are the potential consequences of embracing 'Slave Morality' according to Nietzsche?

Nietzsche argues that embracing 'Slave Morality' could lead to widespread mediocrity, self-destruction through resentment, and a life of frustration as individuals deny their 'Will to Power', ultimately leading to a society of unfulfilled and miserable individuals.

How does Nietzsche critique the idea of being a moral person?

Nietzsche critiques the idea of being a moral person by suggesting that such individuals often cloak their 'Will to Power' under the guise of moral righteousness, which he sees as fundamentally dishonest and limiting.

What is Nietzsche's view on the relationship between power and morality?

Nietzsche believes that power and morality are not inherently opposed; rather, he suggests that a morality that glorifies weakness and meekness does a disservice to its followers by making their lives worse and suppressing their potential for greatness.

What does Nietzsche encourage us to do with his analysis of morality?

Nietzsche encourages us to question and critically examine our fundamental concepts such as good and evil, truth and falsity, appearance and reality. He advocates for the freedom to choose our values and to create new systems that encourage a powerful, active, and life-affirming engagement with the world.

Which two key texts of Nietzsche are recommended for further exploration of his views on morality?

The two key texts recommended for further exploration of Nietzsche's views on morality are 'Beyond Good and Evil' and 'The Genealogy of Morals'.

Outlines

00:00

🧔 Nietzsche's Critique of Morality

This paragraph introduces the radical ideas of Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher known for challenging conventional moral values. Nietzsche critiqued the societal norms of right and wrong, good and evil, suggesting that they are arbitrary and potentially undesirable. He is often associated with 'edgy' teenage rebellion but his views on morality are deeply philosophical, arguing that our moral systems were created by the resentful, likening them to the character Salieri in the play 'Amadeus'. Nietzsche proposed two types of morality: 'Master morality', associated with the powerful and constructive, and 'Slave morality', which arises from the resentment of the subjugated and is characterized by values like meekness and submission. He saw the latter as life-denying and a source of widespread misery.

05:00

🌐 The Consequences of Slave Morality

The second paragraph delves into the consequences of adopting 'Slave morality' as a universal concept. Nietzsche warns that embracing values such as altruism and selflessness without questioning can lead to mediocrity and passivity. Using the character from Dostoevsky's 'Notes From The Underground', the paragraph illustrates the life of a man paralyzed by inaction due to his adherence to a morality that fears strength and power. Nietzsche argues that this fear suppresses the 'will to power', the instinct to dominate and shape one's environment, which is essential for achieving greatness. He suggests that societies that fully embrace 'Slave morality' may hinder the emergence of extraordinary individuals and stagnate societal progress.

10:01

🍇 The Fable of the Fox and the Grapes

This paragraph uses Aesop's Fable of the sour grapes to explain Nietzsche's concept of resentment and self-destruction within the framework of 'Slave morality'. It discusses how the inability to achieve what one desires leads to resentment and a denial of one's own will to power, which Nietzsche sees as a fundamental human instinct. This denial results in a life of frustration and self-loathing, as individuals suppress their aspirations for greatness and settle for mediocrity. Nietzsche criticizes the dishonesty of those who uphold moral standards without acknowledging their own will to power, suggesting that this hypocrisy limits personal growth and societal advancement.

15:02

🤔 Philosophical Freedom and Nietzsche's Hammer

The final paragraph reflects on Nietzsche's analysis of morality and what it implies for individuals and society. It emphasizes the importance of questioning fundamental concepts such as good and evil, and not taking them as immutable truths. Nietzsche encourages a reevaluation of values, suggesting that strength and power are not inherently negative and that a morality that glorifies weakness can be detrimental. The paragraph also highlights the need for skepticism towards those who claim moral superiority, as their actions may be driven by a hidden will to power. Ultimately, Nietzsche's philosophy calls for a new type of philosopher who can create life-affirming values that embrace strength, active engagement, and love for life.

Keywords

💡Friederick Nietzsche

Friederick Nietzsche was a German philosopher known for his radical critique of traditional morality and the concept of 'good' and 'evil'. In the video, Nietzsche is presented as challenging conventional moral values, suggesting that they are not only arbitrary but also undesirable. His ideas are central to the video's theme of reevaluating our understanding of morality.

💡Master Morality

Master Morality, as discussed in the video, refers to a system of values that Nietzsche believed was established by the powerful and dominant members of society. It is characterized by qualities such as strength, competence, and the ability to dominate. This concept is crucial to understanding Nietzsche's view on the origins of moral systems and how they are inherently tied to power dynamics.

💡Slave Morality

Slave Morality is a term used by Nietzsche to describe a contrasting system of values that arises from the subjugated or 'slaves' in society. It inverts the values of Master Morality, praising weakness, submission, and obedience, and is seen as a form of resentment against the powerful. The video uses this concept to explore how moral values can be a response to power structures and social hierarchies.

💡Resentment

Resentment is a key concept in the video, illustrating the emotional state of those who feel powerless and dominated. Nietzsche suggests that Slave Morality is born out of this resentment, as the oppressed turn the values of the powerful on their heads, defining what is 'good' in opposition to the masters' virtues. The video script uses the story of Salieri from 'Amadeus' to exemplify the destructive nature of resentment.

💡Will to Power

The 'Will to Power' is a central Nietzschean concept that refers to the innate drive within individuals to assert their influence and control over their environment. In the video, it is suggested that this will is both a creative and destructive force, and that societies built on Slave Morality may suppress this will, leading to mediocrity and unhappiness.

💡Mediocrity

Mediocrity in the video is discussed as a potential outcome of adhering strictly to Slave Morality. Nietzsche warns that by repressing the Will to Power, societies may produce individuals who lack the drive to achieve greatness, leading to a general state of mediocrity that stifles progress and innovation.

💡Genealogy of Morals

'Genealogy of Morals' is one of Nietzsche's key texts mentioned in the video, in which he explores the origins and development of moral values. The video uses insights from this work to discuss how moral systems have evolved and the implications of these developments on human behavior and societal structures.

💡Beyond Good and Evil

'Beyond Good and Evil' is another fundamental work by Nietzsche that challenges the traditional dichotomy of good and evil. The video references this text to support its discussion on the need to question and potentially redefine our moral values, moving beyond the constraints of conventional morality.

💡Moral Person

The 'Moral Person' in the video is portrayed as someone who upholds the values of their moral system, often to the point of imposing these values on others. Nietzsche critiques this figure, suggesting that their moral righteousness may mask a hidden Will to Power and a fundamental dishonesty about their motivations.

💡Selflessness

Selflessness is presented in the video as a moral value that Nietzsche questions. While it is typically seen as a virtue, Nietzsche argues that it may lead to self-destruction and unhappiness by denying individuals their Will to Power and the drive to achieve personal excellence.

💡Critique

Critique in the context of the video refers to Nietzsche's analytical approach to examining and questioning established moral values. The video emphasizes the importance of this critical perspective in understanding the potential shortcomings and consequences of our current moral systems.

Highlights

Friederick Nietzsche challenged the conventional understanding of morality, suggesting it may be arbitrary and undesirable.

Nietzsche's view on morality was radical, turning the world of philosophy upside down.

He critiqued Christian morals and the idea of being a 'good person' potentially leading to misery.

Nietzsche proposed that our moral system originated from the resentment of the 'slave' class towards the 'master' class.

Master morality is defined by strength, competence, and the ability to dominate, whereas slave morality values weakness and submission.

Nietzsche believed that slave morality, epitomized by Christianity, demonizes strength and promotes passivity.

He introduced the concept of 'will to power', suggesting it as a fundamental human instinct to dominate and shape the world.

Nietzsche argued that embracing slave morality could lead to societal stagnation and mediocrity.

He critiqued the fear of power, stating it hinders the rise of extraordinary individuals and societal progress.

Nietzsche warned that building a moral system on resentment leads to self-destruction and unhappiness.

He used 'Aesop's Fable of the Sour Grapes' to illustrate the misery that comes from denying one's desires under slave morality.

Nietzsche's analysis suggests that professing moral superiority can be a guise for the hidden will to power.

He encouraged questioning and reevaluating our fundamental concepts such as good, evil, truth, and reality.

Nietzsche's philosophy offers insights into the relationship between power and morality, and the potential consequences of each.

His work promotes a reevaluation of values, suggesting that strength and power are not inherently negative.

Nietzsche's perspective invites a critical examination of those who claim moral authority and their underlying motivations.

He proposed a new type of philosopher who engages with the world in a powerful, active, and life-affirming manner.

Transcripts

what if everything you knew about right

and wrong good and evil just and unjust

what if it was all wrong this was the

radical thought proposed by German

philosopher and reason I had a terrible

mustache for a year friederick ner he

was one of the first philosophers to

look at our moral system with its value

on sympathy kindness selflessness and

altruism and say that this is not only

arbitrary but actually undesirable it is

this that has earned him his reputation

as the philosopher par excelance for

edgy teenage boys rebelling against

their parents but rarely do we stop to

consider just how radical his view on

morality is and how it turned the world

of philosophy inside out in this video

we'll learn why Nicha hated Christian

morals how being a good person can make

you miserable and why so-called moral

people are secretly Liars but first

let's learn exactly how NE thought our

current moral system came about one ne's

history of Morality In The Peter shaer

play Amadeus the composer saleri

develops an obsession and an Envy of

Wolf Gang Amadeus Mozart where saleri

had to work hard to become a successful

composer Mozart writes far greater music

than he ever did seemingly with no

effort enraged and resentful saleri sets

out to ruin Mozart's tarnish his career

and eventually murder him with poison

since the plays premere saleri has

become a near Universal symbol of the

destructive power of resentment saleri

gains no joy in his Vengeance his

resentment ultimately destroys him just

as much as it destroys Mozart because it

was not aimed towards becoming better it

was aimed at bringing Mozart down to his

level his his life's mission was not the

betterment of himself but the constraint

of others on ne's view our entire moral

system was constructed by resentful

people just like saleri he paints a

picture of history that is somewhat

fictional but is meant to chart the

general course of the creation of a

moral system initially when man is just

beginning to form tribes and societies

the most powerful people rise to the top

and it is they who get to decide what is

good and they don't have a hard time

deciding they immediately Define good as

all the qualities that they possess that

is strength competence and the ability

to dominate nature is quick to emphasize

that this is not all crude

individualistic Hedonism with strength

and competence comes the ability to be

dependable and useful and with the

ability to dominate also comes the

ability to protect and provide both for

oneself and for one's fellows at this

point it is not selflessness or altruism

and certainly not weakness that is

desirable it is instead personal

Excellence this is what nature refers to

as Noble morality or Master morality for

nature the morality's defining

characteristic is that it is

constructive it starts by defining good

practically out of nothing it also has a

concept of bad but only in the sense of

a lack of the qualities that are

considered good it is almost like an

afterthought this is why n thought this

type of morality was life affirming it

gave people something to strive towards

it was active energetic and strengthened

people's Wills on a wider scale it led

to successful societies who were able to

conquer Rivals subjugating them and

ensuring the prosperity of their own

civilization but with conquering and the

will to dominate others in inevitably

emerges some form of cast system there

are the conquerors and the conquered the

powerful and the powerless or as nature

puts it the master and the slave and

just as there is Master morality over

time there will emerge slave morality

the subjugated class will not put up

with their treatment forever it will

cause them to resent their dominators as

a result anything the master morality

deems good the slave morality will

consider to be evil where the Aristocrat

values strength the surf will value

weakness where the master values a will

to dominate the slave will value

submission and obedience and where the

nobleman values the ability to do great

Deeds both for good and for ill the

servant will instead value harmlessness

NE thought that all of this was

perfectly understandable after all if

you've been dominated you know how

unpleasant it feels and you're going to

find it very difficult to Value

domination but n points out a

fundamental difference between this

slave morality and the former Master

morality where is the powerful defined

good out of nothing and only then moved

on to Define bad in opposition to that

the starting point of the moral ity of

the powerless is to demonize anything

that the powerful have there is no

aspiration here at all apart from to

weakness and incompetence at least

according to n and for n this slave

morality found its Pinnacle in

Christianity all the Christian values

helping others loving your enemies

praying for The Souls of your tormentors

the idea of the meek inheriting the

Earth all of it is aimed at demonizing

strength and domination in favor of

passivity and submission it is the

quintessential example of a slave

morality and N points out that it has

overcome the whole of Europe and Beyond

a key concept to introduce here is the

will to power nature thought that every

human had in them a will to dominate

other people and their environment to

enforce their will on the universe to

change things and reshape the world as

they would want it it is this will that

makes the powerful want to dominate the

powerless and it is the same Instinct

that makes the powerless take their

Revenge by slowly switching the values

of society so to recap nature thought

that our current moral system was

brought about in effect by a resentful

Revolt where the subjugated had their

revenge on their dominators by slowly

morphing the values of society so the

highest good was no longer defined by

the powerful but by the powerless it's a

strange picture to get your head round

now you might say but so what should we

not encourage altruism selflessness and

helping other people and Ne would say

this is a fair question but he says

there are huge problems with making

these our Universal moral Concepts and

that is what we shall move on to next

and if you want more on philosophy and

the art of learning subscribe to my

email list the link is in the

description two the consequences of

mediocrity in dov's Notes From The

Underground it tells the tale of a man

whose life has been torn apart by

passivity and mediocrity he makes

endless promises to himself about

everything from great Deeds he will

commit to evil acts he will undertake

what he actually wishes is besides the

point what's important is what happens

next which is nothing he does not act

and he does not attempt to change the

world in any way it would not matter

whether the man from the underground was

the evilest creature in history or the

kindest soul to walk the earth he is

ineffectual so it's simply does not

matter either way he has no will no

strength and no ability to make things

happen and this is what nature is

worried will happen to us if we throw

ourselves wholeheartedly into slave

morality according to Nature the two

factors that drive slave morality are

resentment and fear of strength we will

discuss resentment later but for now

let's focus on this intense fear of the

powerful and even of power itself nature

points out the profound and the obvious

that in order to achieve anything you

need to be powerful any person who has

done anything of significance by

necessity had to have extreme strength

or extreme competence or both unless

they changed the face of the World by

complete accident this is true for the

generous philanthropist who uses their

great resources to help others and the

imperialist general who uses the same

resources to subjugate Millions the

point for n is you cannot have one

without the other you cannot create

extraordinary men without creating

extraordinary monsters sometimes they

might even come in the same package

famously NE described Napoleon as a

great mix of monster and Superior man

ficha a fear of power is only going to

suppress those people who are able to

Rise Above the Rest and become

extraordinary if Napoleon had adopted

the belief that it was better to be

powerless and meek than powerful and

strong then he would have never changed

the face of Europe forever according to

n the moment we fear power we are

working against ourselves our societies

and the overall success of the species

at the beginning of the genealogy of

morals n says he is going to put aspects

of our morality to the test to see if

they promote greater utility and

prosperity both to the individual and to

the society they belong to for nature

the fear of power fails on both counts

in the case of the individual it means

that only those who have no vision will

end up happy or fulfilled and in the

case of society it means it will never

produce people able to make great leaps

forward for the sake of their

communities had Napoleon just been a bit

more skilled he might have conquered the

whole of Europe and I would be speaking

French right now n asks us whether

Napoleon would have succeeded had France

not been inculcated with centuries of

Christian values so n encourages us to

let go of our fear of power if we do not

then we are dooming both ourselves and

our societies to insignificance it is

only a matter of time but perhaps this

strikes you as a little bit speculative

I must say that it seems a bit of a

stretch to me at points outwardly

Christian societies have been some of

the most successful and Powerful in

history although NE would say that that

is only because they had not yet

completely embraced slave morality

however n makes a further critical

argument slave morality will make us

miserable three resentment

self-destruction and morality I talked a

little bit earlier about the idea of our

system of values coming from the

powerless resenting the powerful but for

building anything on a foundation of

resentment like this is complete

disaster this is because it alienates us

from the very thing we want to become

and makes us Miserable as a result this

is all a bit abstract so let's bring it

down to earth with a story often used to

illustrate this point eso's Fable of the

sour grapes ESOP tells of a fox who is

jumping to get some grapes that hang off

a nearby tree having failed to catch

them a number of times the fox gives up

and remarks that the grapes were

probably sour anyway this soothes the

fox in the moment but fundamentally it

Dooms him to never getting the grapes if

another Fox were to come along and

somehow manage to catch the grapes our

hero would become resentful he would on

the one hand still desire The Grapes but

on the other hand he is demonizing the

grapes as not worth having this

contradiction will eat him up inside as

long as he continues to deny his will to

grapes now replace grapes with something

much more significant like power or

achievement or influence these are

things nature thinks all people want to

a greater or lesser degree but they're

also the very things condemned by slave

morality the trouble is just saying

they're evil is not enough to get people

to stop wanting them for nature it is

basically impossible to stop wanting

them because they stem from the base

human instinct aligned at preserving and

bettering Our Lives the will to power

far from actually stemming the urge the

person living under slave morality is

told that a fundamental and unchangeable

part of themselves is evil and that they

are reprehensible for having it this may

stop them from following their will to

power but it will also torture them

inside it will create generations of

miserable self-hating people who have

had their aspirations to Greatness

crushed it condemns us both to Despair

and to mediocrity and when we are living

our mediocre lives we will look at those

whose Will To Power has not been

suppressed who are out in the world

achieving great things or just trying to

achieve great things and we will be

deeply resentful we will look at those

more powerful or successful than us and

tell ourselves that they must be evil or

that what they have is not worth our

time we will tell those struggling to

fulfill their potential as human beings

that they are wasting their lives and

that they will never get anywhere who

knows maybe in both cases we'll be right

but whether right or wrong we will

continue to say it because the

alternative is deeply painful that we

once had the potential to strive for

greater things in life but now this has

passed and we are condemned to live out

the same monotonous days until we die an

unfulfilled death for n a substantial

critique of our current moral system is

that it does not do what it proclaims to

do being good is meant to be useful and

life fulfilling but in n's analysis

being Meek mild passive and selfless

does none of those things all it does is

condemn us to a life of constant

frustration as we deny our Will To Power

it is in his view a deeply dishonest way

to live and that is exactly what we're

going to move on to next four the moral

man we all know someone who through

their moral system has become completely

insufferable the kind of person who will

lecture you over dinner and hold

everyone around them to Impossible moral

standards that they have not agreed to

they display no interest in constructing

their own novel ideas but are largely

occupied with condemning the people

around them for various sins especially

those who have more joyful lives than

they do this is n's idea of the moral

person who he invokes at various points

both in Beyond Good and Evil and the

genealogy of morals from one perspective

they're doing something perfectly

unobjectionable they're simply upholding

the values of their moral system but n

does not buy this story in the slightest

he charges the moral person with a

fundamental dishonesty about their

motivations righteous anger is a

familiar concept it's essentially when

someone gets angry and attempts to

change another person's Behavior but

from from a moral standpoint this sort

of anger has motivated everything from

the expansion of human rights to the

massacring of different religious

denominations looking at it as a

historical phenomenon n notes that it is

basically an amoral force it is simply

one group of people attempting to

enforce their morality on others in

other words it is the angry person's

expression of their Will To Power and it

is important to note that n doesn't see

anything inherently wrong with this he

thinks it is only natural to want to

assert your will against others he would

not judge any of these people for their

wish to change the world to better

themselves and people like them he

merely points out that far from being a

crusade for metaphysical truth or

Justice all it is is the will to power

with a good PR campaign but the trouble

with this dishonesty is that it

fundamentally limits the will to power

it means we can only assert our will

when we come up with some theoretical

justification for it and if we're stuck

in slave morality these constraints will

be very tight indeed again n points out

the stifling effect of morality on those

he considered exceptional the very thing

that made Napoleon great in the eyes of

n was his assertion of his will to power

despite having no moral justification

for wanting to conquer the whole of

Europe it was his ability to act Beyond

Good and Evil that set him apart from

the rest if he had instead spent his

time ringing his hands over whether he

was acting morally he would have never

made his mark on history and this is

part of what makes reading nature on

morality so difficult it is hard to

overstate just how radical a departure

this is from previous philosophical

analyses of good whereas Aristotle John

Stewart Mill and K all asked what good

was in and of itself nature treats

morality as a set of Concepts humans use

and simply describes it highlighting the

elements where it may work against us

rather than for us whereas philosophy

has tended to ask what is good NE asks

what is good for but there is one

question we must all now ask ourselves

what do we do with neer's analysis five

what next Nature's analysis of morality

is one of the most controversial thesis

in philosophy it is anti-democratic

anti-egalitarian and stands against

almost everything we intuitively

consider good and this is by Design but

what we do with this information are we

to abandon our old values and Forge new

ones that prioritize strength will and

domination well that is what some people

take from it but if you don't want to go

that far and not many people do there is

still brilliant insight to be found in

n's thoughts here firstly it shows how

strength and power do not need to be bad

things the ability to be a great

benefactor to humanity goes hand inhand

with the ability to do great harm a

morality that glorifies weakness and

meekness to the exclusion of self-

betterment and competence is doing a

disservice to its followers by actively

making their lives worse secondly it

suggests that we should perhaps be a

little more skeptical of those who build

their identity around being moral

Nature's observation that professions of

goodness can cloak a hidden Will To

Power is a wonderful piece of cynical

wisdom be wearing the person who wields

morality Like a Knife is pretty good

advice for our interpersonal lives and

lastly and most importantly it shows

that we should not take our fundamental

concepts for granted as if they were

above criticism good and evil truth and

falsity appearance and reality these are

not holy relics Beyond critique We can

question them interrogate them and see

if they're doing the job we want them to

do we don't have to outright abandon

them but we may want to alter them

slightly for the betterment of ourselves

and our societies ner more than any

other Western philosopher before him

reminds us of our freedom to choose our

values the subtitle of n's book Twilight

of the idols is how to philosophize with

a hammer and this sums up n's approach

wonderfully n is destroying the old

philosophical assumptions that goodness

and evil exist or even that goodness is

good and he makes way for a new type of

philosopher one that will brush away the

smashed fragments of these old systems

and create new ones ones that encourage

an engagement with the world that is

powerful active loving and above all

life affirming I do encourage you to

read n for yourself to get your own

insights here as I've had to skip over

much of the detail the two key texts to

pick up for this aspect of his

philosophy are Beyond Good and Evil and

the genealogy of morals and if he wants

a more constructive nian philosophy then

click here to learn about his radical

doctrine of loving one's fate no matter

what happens and stick around for more

on thinking to improve your life