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Nietzsche's Moral Reordering

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Nietzsche says that humans are inextricably linked to their will. In their relations to others, people desire power because it secures them with comfort and safety, which allows them to feel control over their environment. Over time, the development of societal groups, and distinctions between classes emerged. Once the noble class was significantly superior, the other classes were left feeling weak and powerless. In order to rise above the physically triumphant aristocratic-nobles, the priestly caste utilized religion to gain more control. The difference between the moral values of the noble class from those of the priestly caste can be understood by comparing both approaches to violence and cognition. However, with the technological advancements …show more content…

The “relationship between the creditor and debtor” has existed since classical times as legal rights (51). In this relationship, it is assumed that actions are taken by each party in regards to the other in order to maintain equality (50). If you are subject to wrongful acts, you have the right to inflict pain on the other in order to get even. The traditional manner was to cut off body parts (50), or inflict some kind of physical pain on the other. The problem with this method of justice is that it favors those who are physically stronger, which leaves the weak feeling like they cannot get justice served at the same caliber as their societal counterparts. But once Christianity transformed the moral values, there was a “taming” of the creditors and as states grew larger, with more stability and wealth, creditors had less desire to be as harsh with punishments (69). “Mankind did not use to be ashamed of cruelty” (53), but as the priestly caste grew larger in numbers, violence began to be seen as shameful. As a result of the transformation of moral values, the dynamic of the “equivalence” principle (50) became more complex, because it no longer only relied on the natural-physical relationships of people, but involved a long list of moral rules designed to keep peace (70). Instead of being solely based on the infliction of physical pain, such as the removal of a limb, punishments were …show more content…

Because we are so keen on learning, we are disengaged from our experiences, and therefore are not in the right place to understand ourselves (3). The words that are used to define any given concept are not to be taken at face value since the judgment of our moral values depends on their respective time periods and cultural influences, which are subject to change as everything else does. In other words, they are products of the moral projections of people’s values, which often have a multitude of dimensions that surpass the shallow fields of initial interpretation. Consequently, we need to look beyond the surface interpretation of these words by re-interpreting their meanings many times to be able to judge what we believe. As we change with time, our interpretations are subject to change, and our value systems evolve, both preventing us from establishing absolute meaning regarding anything. As a result, we cannot truly understand concepts unless we remove several historical layers from them. Many times throughout his polemic, Nietzsche hints at the necessity of asking a question from “various perspectives” (41). “Understanding the demonstrated purpose or utility of a thing, its form, its organization” is not

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