Friedrich Nietzsche; On the Genealogy of Morals, Beyond Good & Evil, and The Gay Science

Along with Kierkegaard, Nietzsche was a prominent figure of the movement of Existentialism in the 19th century. "Become who you are" - Friedrich Nietzsche

Nietzsche describes a ‘slave-revolt in morality’ that originates from Judaism and Christianity that succeeded in reversing what was meant by being good, beautiful, and beloved by God. The master morality could be equated with Aristotle’s Virtuous man; someone who is independent and self-sufficient. It is constantly "yea-saying" and creates values from examining "good" and "bad." The slave morality is connected to subservience, hatred, weakness, and dependency. The slave morality upholds mediocrity and all things that are ‘good’ are things that do not diminish suffering because suffering and other qualities of the weak are what is considered ‘good.’ It condemns actions of the master-morality by referring to them as ‘evil’ rather than ‘bad,’ the difference being ‘evil’ inspires fear and is derived from hatred. “The slave-revolt in morality begins with resentment itself becomes creative and gives birth to values-the resentment of creatures to whom a genuine reaction, that of deeds, is denied, and who can compensate themselves through imaginary revenge.” (pg.255 trans. Robinson). To Nietzsche, morality is a self-deception since it is from hatred and resentment which stems from their weakness towards the ‘master,’ they hate and resent all those who are strong, healthy, and powerful. These two moralities cannot co-exist because the slave imposes their morality as universal. “Do not kill,” “Do not steal,” and “Do not cheat,” can be classified as ‘prohibitions,’ Judeo-Christian morality is a function to protect the weakest of our society because those are the class of individuals who benefit from them.

       “Then the moral epoch of humanity, one sacrificed to one’s God the strongest instincts one possessed, one’s ‘nature.” (pg.258 Robinson). By ‘sacrificing our nature,’ morality is built on condemning natural behavior. According to Nietzsche, all living things exert will to power, a metaphysical worldview, which is not a drive to constant satisfaction, but a release of expansive energy. Some wills operate to be dominating, exploitative, and reject the weak. The will struggles to exist through competition, for humans it is a way to feel superior among each other. “In other words, the slave wants the unconditioned, he understands only the tyrannical, even in morals, he loves as he hates, with nuance, right down to the depths, that hurts him, that makes him sick-his great concealed suffering rebels against the noble taste that seems to deny suffering.”(pg.257 Robinson). Morality is adapted to the social role and not a universal application; what counts as an appropriate action determines upon which class one is designated. Some wills are accepted to subservient roles and other wills are equated to dominating roles which depends on whether one is weak (subservient) or whether one is strong (dominating). Nietzsche would suggest one needs to look no further than the French Revolution to see the difference in morality between the weak and the strong.

The madman proclaims “I’m looking for God!” only to be ridiculed by the people in the market-place.  “Where is God gone?....We have killed him. You and I..” (pg.259 trans. Timothy A. Robinson). During the time of this writing, God was being replaced by other means, mostly through the use of science, art, politics and ideologies (-isms, Existentialism, Utilitarianism, Marxism, Darwinism, Nihilism, Impressionism, etc.) that considered Him irrelevant or obsolete; they were trying to focus more energy on the world that exists rather than to opiate themselves with other-worlds that may or may not exist. European culture was separating itself from the Christian God which once defined it. Although this separation leaves a void, “In fact, at the news that ‘the old God is dead,’ we philosophers and ‘free spirits’ feel illuminated by a new dawn…perhaps there never was such an ‘open sea,” (pg.260-1, Robinson), it is perhaps an opportunity to discover and create without culture being oppressed by morality which is only an illusion constructed for the weak to consolidate power. 

Kids in the Hall, God is Dead
Ricky Gervais - Hitler and Nietzsche - “It would be inappropriate to make him responsible for misdeeds of men who understood him superficially.”  -  Bertrand Russell, Wisdom of the West.

Leopold and Loeb "Crime of the Century"





So what does this account for Nietzsche view of Religion? Is morality nothing more than a struggle between these two classes of society? Do you think Religion asserts will to power (such as in the Crusades, Spanish Inquisition, Witch trials) as part of its struggle for existence?