Beyond Good and Evil :: Illuminating What is Noble? (Part 1)

Given how dense this chapter is dense in ideas it seems prudent to tl;dr it into more manageable thematic chunks.

Nietzsches general point throughout this chapter is that life itself is an appropriation and injury to others such that a conscientious objection negates life. To believe the Utopic dream that a different life is possible is to belief in a life that has no organic functions. For my existence to continue I must appropriate and subjugate other forms of life. This has implications in terms of the interactions we have with others.

For example that which is great in man has arisen from an inherent inequality and gradation in rank. That some individuals are meant to be scaffolding to elevate other truly great men. Without such scaffolding there would be no Shakespeare, no Einstein no Dostoyevsky. For those that accept this, however, there exists a risk that great men may fall prey to a corruption of the instincts and sacrifice their elevation on the alter of moral sentiments.

Nietzsche also introduces the idea of master morality and slave morality. The former creates values and embraces suffering; affirming what he recognises of himself in others. The latter rejects the suffering of his condition and accepts a value base that eases the burden of living in unfavourable conditions. An individual, society and culture may consist of variations of master and slave morality. Yet latterly with the rise of democracy we have seen a mixing of blood between the higher and lower races and classes.

Nietzsche asserts that one cannot erase his ancestors from himself with education [although he can deceive himself and others to this effect]. He carrys the values and Morals that have been handed down for generations. With the mixing of races and class so the master needs to think good of himself and consequently corrupts his instincts. This is the rise and fall of many nations throughout history.

Ignobleness then has arisen because man needs to cooperate to survive. That it may be more favourable to the fertility and proliferation of life, where comfortable and favourable conditions are found. As such those races willing to work towards happiness and comfort tend to proliferate. Yet Nietzsche asserts such conditions are not conducive to the establishment of anything more than a weak and mediocre race. For Nietzsche a species are made strong by suffering and learning to survive the intolerable conditions of life.