Nietzsche’s Philosophy: Morality, Metaphysics, and Will to Power

Nihilism and the Loss of Values

Nihilism is the loss of values, a situation that is given by the loss of faith in God. There are two types:

  1. Positive or active: Destructive of religious force and creator of new values inspired by the will. It destroys to finish decadent values. “We must learn to be gods.”
  2. Negative or passive: A stage of confusion, resignation, passivity, and pessimism (denial of life).

Morality: The Genealogy of Morals

The Genealogy of Morals aims to discover the source of morality. The result of this research is that “good” and “bad” originally meant “noble” and “plebeian,” respectively. But what has moral significance? “Good” is the term with which many strong men (lovers of life) will feel identified. This division succeeds in all cultures. There will be a historical analysis, and an inversion will occur from the use of values. These values will be charged as unethical. This inversion is carried out by Judeo-Christian priests:

  • Good: Opposed not to “bad,” but to “evil” (weak).
  • Evil: Those who call themselves “good” (strong men under their own volition).

Judeo-Christian morality is a morality of resentment, which generates guilt for doing what God commands us (sin). In both cases, there is a will to power, to assert oneself, if any, including mastering. But not all use it. The nobles are those who have more will to power. Because there are two types of individuals, there are two kinds of morality:

  • Well-endowed: With more ability to remain.
  • Weak: Vulgar, without character. They have a universal instinct to remain in the herd.

With the arrival of Christianity, the weak come together. Now, they value not men but their actions:

  • A good man enjoys life.
  • Acts are bad, evil.

Religion is the creation, the spawn of the great instrument of the weak to submit to the strong. This religion creates resentment. They do not enjoy life because they are weak.

The creators of God have a whooping amount of intelligence to perform this conversion and turn themselves into good priests.

Nietzsche’s Critique of Philosophy

There are two main culprits: Socrates and Plato. Socrates’ serious mistake was trying to exalt reason versus instinct towards life, setting aside a characteristic of life. He only imposes the rational. Plato invents a different world, static, perfect, with value. He also invents the pure spirit, the soul. Except for Heraclitus and Hume, Nietzsche does not save any other philosopher. Hume denied the possibility of knowledge, all fruit of rational thought. He criticizes logic, science, and metaphysics.

Metaphysics

Nietzsche criticizes the existence of a reality different from the material, a reality that is credited with permanence, eternity, and perfection. It is also overrated. Heraclitus despises the only reality. Nietzsche criticizes this existence as metaphysical. He considers it hostile.

Logic

Concepts are focused on truth and error (false), sustained by logic. According to this, the opposition between truth and falsehood is radical, thus introducing the idea of absolute truth. Against this, Nietzsche maintains perspectivism (no absolute truth, but different perspectives, views, views…). “Ask not what the thing is, but how you see it.” Nothing is absolute; reality is material, constantly changing. You cannot study it in one form, but there are different perspectives.

Science

For Nietzsche, scientific knowledge is one possible interpretation of reality, not the only knowledge, as many people believe. The practical results of science help us understand reality. It has a concept inherited from Heraclitus (constant change).

Nietzsche’s Philosophical Contributions

Nietzsche’s philosophical contributions are not very clear. The key idea is the will to power:

  1. Life as will to power.

Nietzsche never defines what the will to power is. Life, man, and the world are will to power. It is not a human psychological trait.