Nietzsche’s Philosophy: Resentment, Nihilism, and the Superman
Nietzsche’s Key Concepts
Resentment and Bad Conscience
Resentment plays a crucial role in the genesis of morality. It is a bottled-up negativity associated with moral valuation, giving rise to the concept of an enemy. Bad conscience, or guilt, is a product of this moral valuation, a mechanism of self-torture arising from suppressed natural freedom. Instincts, unable to find external outlets, turn inward, leading to self-denial and cruelty.
The Role of Priests and Asceticism
Nietzsche sees the priest as the embodiment of a desire to be otherworldly. The priest creates ideals that devalue this life and the natural world, positing true life as existing elsewhere.
Nihilism and the Death of God
Nihilism, in Nietzsche’s view, arises when the will to power weakens. Western culture’s established values are seen as false, negating reality and life. Nietzsche contrasts this passive nihilism with an active nihilism, a destruction of false values to pave the way for the creation of life-affirming values. The Death of God signifies the loss of absolute reference points, leaving humanity to determine its own fate.
Will to Power and Eternal Return
Nietzsche believes that embracing nihilism’s consequences leads to an affirmation of this world as the only reality. The concept of eternal return becomes an imperative, a way to give existence a new center of gravity. It is a call to love destiny and affirm life’s totality.
The Superman
The Superman is Nietzsche’s ideal, representing a departure from mediocrity and conformity. This individual embodies a new table of values, going beyond good and evil. The Superman is the result of three transformations: the camel (bearing duty), the lion (conquering freedom), and the child (creating new values). This individual affirms life with childlike innocence.
Transvaluation of Values
The transvaluation of values is a call to return to life-affirming values and restore original innocence. It involves a reversal of traditional moral valuations, where what was once considered good may now be seen as evil.