Nietzsche argues that Christian morality is a revenge by the weak against the powerful masters.
Nietzsche challenges conventional notions of truth and guilt, suggesting the possibility of a new moral self-determination.
Deep dives
The Birth of Slave Morality and the Noble Ideal
Nietzsche explores the birth of slave morality and contrasts it with the noble ideal. He argues that noble morality, represented by the powerful 'blonde beasts,' values strength, power, and self-interest. In contrast, slave morality is a reaction to the noble values and focuses on restraint, self-control, and compassion for the weak. Nietzsche sees Christian morality as a manifestation of the slave revolt, gaining revenge against the masters. He also discusses the concept of guilt and how it is used as a price for living in society. Nietzsche's work is a polemic, challenging traditional moral values and questioning the relationship between civilization and the individual.
Nietzsche's Background and Intellectual Development
Nietzsche's journey as a philosopher is shaped by his early educational path and his family background. He was born into a Lutheran family and initially studied philology and theology. However, he quickly dropped theology and focused on philology, which led him to a career as a professor. Despite his success in academia, Nietzsche faced personal struggles and health issues, eventually resigning from his professorship and becoming an independent scholar. He explores themes such as the death of God, the crisis of faith, and the tension between Christianity and reason.
The Conflict between the Ascetic Ideal and Life
Nietzsche discusses the ascetic ideal, a moral code that arose as a response to the noble values represented by the masters. The ascetic ideal, present in Christianity, promotes self-restraint, humility, and denial of basic desires. Nietzsche criticizes this ideal, arguing that it is life-denying and leads to a negative view of existence. He further examines how the ascetic ideal manifests in various aspects of society, including art, science, and philosophy. Nietzsche expresses both criticism and ambivalence towards these cultural practices, highlighting their connection to the slave revolt and the moral values originating from it.
Reevaluating Truth and Guilt
Nietzsche challenges conventional notions of truth and guilt. He criticizes the traditional understanding of punishment as a means to make individuals morally better and argues that it often leads to hardening and alienation instead. Nietzsche also explores how guilt is used to manage the fear of suffering and gives meaning to it. He sees the search for truth as a potentially life-denying endeavor, especially when it detaches from the empirical world. However, Nietzsche also suggests the possibility of a new moral self-determination that transcends guilt and embraces life in a different way.
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Nietzsche's On The Genealogy of Morality - A Polemic, which he published in 1887 towards the end of his working life and in which he considered the price humans have paid, and were still paying, to become civilised. In three essays, he argued that having a guilty conscience was the price of living in society with other humans. He suggested that Christian morality, with its consideration for others, grew as an act of revenge by the weak against their masters, 'the blond beasts of prey', as he calls them, and the price for that slaves' revolt was endless self-loathing. These and other ideas were picked up by later thinkers, perhaps most significantly by Sigmund Freud who further explored the tensions between civilisation and the individual.
With
Stephen Mulhall
Professor of Philosophy and a Fellow and Tutor at New College, University of Oxford
Fiona Hughes
Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Essex
And
Keith Ansell-Pearson
Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick
Producer: Simon Tillotson.
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