Nietzsche's "On the Genealogy of Morality"

Nietzsche 1875 Photo by F. Hartmann in Basel

I have difficulty granting credibility to anyone who delivers his or her argument in the format of an emotional rant as I find that extremely passionate people tend to see things through a very narrow lens. I'm not saying that passionate speakers are always wrong (especially if I myself feel passionately about something), but a treatise delivered in this manner typically raises my rational defenses rather than bringing me on board with their intensity.

I do however have a weakness for arguments based on linguistics: "The German word "schlecht" [bad] itself: which is identical with "schlicht" [plain, simple] - compare "schlechtweg", "schlechterdings" [simply or downright]" (4.17-20) to demonstrate the negative association with the common people

First Treatise: "Good and Evil," "Good and Bad"

1) The commentary regarding "English psychologists" is interesting as a modern audience would look back at the Viennese Freud and Swiss Jung as the hotbed of psychoanalysis at the time. Even as Nietzsche does not appear to approve of them, he applauds their investigation into the darkness of the soul in order to find "truth".

2) The historical assumption regarding the "origin and judgment of good'" is an example of philosopher's inept stabs at revisionist history. Psychologists and philosophers claim that the concept of good came from the morally superior, when in fact Nietzsche claims it comes from the socially superior in order to value judge class structure and link high morals with high social stature (and conversely low morals with low social stature)

4) This theory is supported by linguistics (as noted in para. 2 above)

5) Establishes credibility.  Calls this "our problem", positioning himself with the reader, speaking for the reader. Calls the nobility "them", reinforcing that he speaks for the majority.  References multiple foreign and ancient cultures to show that he is educated.

6) Introduces priesthood as the group who refined the concept of "good" and "bad" to include "pure" and "impure", and focusses on abstinence as changing the concept of good and bad, giving them moral depth ("superiority of soul" in contrast to the aristocrat's social understanding of the concepts.  The priests development of morals caused man to become "an interesting animal"  as this understanding of the human soul allows for "evil".

7) Priests make the "most evil enemies" because they are powerless, a situation which fosters hate (and foreshadows the power that the powerless majority has).  Particular emphasis on the power and the powerless of the Jews.

8) Defines the 2000 year "slave revolt in morality" (7) sees Christianity as the crowning jewel in the Jewish fight; Jesus as the embodiment of Jewish values.

9) Notes that Christianity is an uprising of the common people. This revolution has been successful, there is no longer a need for organised religion.

10) All noble morality grows out of triumphant yes-saying to oneself, slave morality comes from "ressentiment", saying "no". Slave morality always needs an opposition to exist; it is essentially a reaction to oppression .

11) Seen through the lens of "ressentiment", the "good" (nobility) are actually the "evil enemies" as they are the haves and the majority is the have nots.  This includes all non-European nobility, who he scathingly deems "blonde beasts" and "tame men", stating that we need opposition to thrive and develop.

12) Nihilism = we are tired of man. "Precisely here lives Europe's doom - with the fear of man we have also forfeited the love of him, the reverence toward him, the hope for him, indeed the will to him."

13) Essentially challenges the masses to rise, saying that the masses are working under a delusion that their weakness (passiveness due to good morals as defined by the noble class) is freedom.

14) Impassioned speech again, signals that argument will be weak. Sarcastic dialogue underlining points made in 13.  States that masses are weak now due to the manipulation of the church promising that they will all be kings in heaven.

15) Again calling the masses weak, but more strongly linking weakness to Christianity.  Dispels power of church, quotes Thomas Aquinas.

17) So what?

Works Cited:

Nietzsche, Friedrich. On the Genealogy of Morality. Trans. Maude Marie Clark and Alan J. Swensen. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1998. Print.