Friedrich Nietzsche: Master and Slave Morality
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What I expect to learn:
In this chapter, I expect to learn about what master and slavery morality are..
Quote:
“The essential thing, however, in a good and healthy aristocracy is that it should not regard itself as a fuction either of the kingship or the commonwealth, but as the significance and highest justification”
Review:
In this chapter, Nietzsche talks about master and slave morality. First, master morality, this morality states that the noble man, the powerful one’s are the good ones and the bad ones are the despicable. In other words, master morality creates its own values and stands beyond good and evil. They are the creator of values. This means that what is right for them must be right for others. They honor whatever they recognize in themselves, such morality is self glorification. Also in master morality, the noble man helps the unfortunate not because of pity or grace but because they have so much that they can’t help it but share. For them they must have a hard heart. On the other hand, slave morality values kindness, humility, and sympathy. Slave morality is essentially the morality of utility. When I was reading some articles about Nietzsche, I found this: Nietzsche’s dual morality reflects the same supposed division. The masters are those who understand themselves within the context of a symbiotic unity. They understand they are the whole. As such, they write their own rules. What’s the risk? They are “one with God.” Slaves follow the rules set by others, and they confuse this with the universal. But the point is that all people do both at all times. There are no “masters” or “slaves,” there is only us – because we are this unity, this symbiotic entity called “reality.”…yes, in reality, I believe that sometimes we became the master of ourselves, we follow what we want but sometimes we also follow other people’s choice. Not all the time we are the masters of ourselves. We have our own weaknesses and limitations. We can’t solve everything on our own.
What I have learned:
I’ve learned in this chapter that it is really a matter of choice, there are times that we need to listen to others too, yes, we may be the kings and queens of ourselves but we don’t know everything and we really need the help of other people.
Integrative questions:
- What is master morality?
- What is slave morality?
- What is a good and healthy society?
