Formerly it was said of every form of morality, "Ye shall know them by
their fruits." I say of every form of morality: "It is a fruit, and
from it I learn the _Soil_ out of which it grew." 214
My leading doctrine is this: _there are no moral phenomena, but only a
moral interpretation of phenomena. The origin of this interpretation
itself lies beyond the pale of morality._ 214
The whole of morality of Europe is based upon the values _which are
useful to the herd._ 228
The herd regards the _exception,_ whether it be above or beneath its
general level, as something which is antagonistic and dangerous to
itself. Their trick in dealing with the exceptions above them, the
strong, the mighty, the wise, and the fruitful, is to persuade them to
become guardians, herdsmen, and watchmen--in fact, to become their
_head-servants:_ thus they convert a danger into a thing which is
useful. 231
My teaching is this, that the herd seeks to maintain and preserve one
type of man, and that it defends itself on two sides--that is to say,
against those which are decadents from its ranks (criminals, etc.), and
against those who rise superior to its dead level. 236
My philosophy aims at a new _order of rank: not_ at an individualistic
morality. The spirit of the herd should rule within the herd--but not
beyond it: the leaders of the herd require a fundamentally different
valuation for their actions. 237
Conscience condemns an action because that action has been condemned
for a long period of time: all conscience does is to imitate: it
does not create values. That which first led to the condemnation of
certain actions, was _not_ conscience: but the knowledge of (or the
prejudice against) its consequences.... The approbation of conscience,
the feeling of well-being, of "inner peace," is of the same order of
emotions as the artist's joy over his work--it proves nothing. 242
_By what means does a virtue attain to power?_--With precisely the same
means as a political party: slander, suspicion, the undermining of
opposing virtues that happen to be already in power, the changing of
their names, systematic persecution and scorn; in short, _by means of
acts of general "immorality."_ 252
Cruelty has become transformed and elevated into tragic pity, so that
we no longer recognise it as such. The same has happened to the love
of the sexes which has become amour-passion; the slavish attitude of
mind appears as Christian obedience; wretchedness becomes humility; the
disease of the _nervus sympathicus,_ for instance, is eulogised as
Pessimism, Pascalism, or Carlylism, etc. 253
The qualities which constitute the strength of an _opposing race_ or
class are declared to be the most evil and pernicious things it has:
for by means of them it may be harmful to us. 255
I recognise virtue in that: (1) it does not insist upon being
recognised; (2) it does not presuppose the existence of virtue
everywhere, but precisely something else; (3) it does _not suffer_
from the absence of virtue, but regards it rather as a relation of
perspective which throws virtue into relief: it does not proclaim
itself; (4) it makes no propaganda; (5) it allows no one to pose as
judge because it is always a personal virtue; (6) it does precisely
what is generally _forbidden:_ virtue as I understand it is the actual
_vetitum_ within all gregarious legislation; (7) in short, I recognise
virtue in that it is in the Renaissance style--_virtu_--free from all
moralic acid. 258
Lust of property, lust of power, laziness, simplicity, fear; all these
things are interested in virtue; that is why it stands so securely. 261
Vice is a somewhat arbitrary epitome of certain effects resulting
from physiological degeneracy. A general proposition such as that
which Christianity teaches, namely, "Man is evil," would be justified
provided one were justified in regarding a given type of degenerate
man as normal. But this may be an exaggeration. Of course, wherever
Christianity prospers and prevails, the proposition holds good: for
then the existence of an unhealthy soil--of a degenerate territory--is
demonstrated. 269
It is difficult to have sufficient respect for man, when one sees how
he understands the art of fighting his way, of enduring, of turning
circumstances to his own advantage, and of overthrowing opponents; but
when he is seen in the light of his _desires,_ he is the most absurd of
all animals. 269
As to the whole socialistic ideal: it is nothing but a blockheaded
misunderstanding of the Christian moral ideal. 275
An ideal which is striving to prevail or to assert itself endeavours to
further its purpose (a) by laying claim to a _spurious_ origin; (b) by
assuming a relationship between itself and the powerful ideals already
existing; (c) by means of the thrill produced by mystery, as though an
unquestionable power were manifesting itself; (d) by the slander of
its opponents' ideals; (e) by a lying teaching of the advantages which
follow in its wake, for instance: happiness, spiritual peace, general
peace, or even the assistance of a mighty God. 278
My view: all the forces and instincts which are the source of life
are lying beneath the _ban of morality:_ morality is the life-denying
instinct. Morality must be annihilated if life is to be emancipated. 278
Every one's desire is that there should be no other teaching and
valuation of things than those by means of which he himself succeeds.
Thus the _fundamental tendency_ of the _weak_ and _mediocre_ of all
times, has been to _enfeeble the strong and to reduce them to the
level of the weak: their chief weapon in this process_ was the _moral
principle._ The attitude of the strong towards the weak is branded as
evil; the highest states of the strong become bad bywords. 279
Every small community (or individual), finding itself involved in
a struggle, strives to convince itself of this: "Good taste, good
judgment, and virtue are ours." War urges people to this exaggerated
self-esteem. 281
Whatever kind of eccentric ideal one may have (whether as a
"Christian," a "free-spirit," an "immoralist," or a German
Imperialist), one should try to avoid insisting upon its being _the_
ideal; for, by so doing, it is deprived of all its privileged nature.
One should have an ideal as a distinction; one should not propagate it,
and thus level one's self down to the rest of mankind. 281
Real heroism consists, _not_ in fighting under the banner of
self-sacrifice, submission and disinterestedness, but in _not fighting
at all_.... "I am thus: I will be thus--and you can go to the devil!"
282
Modest, industrious, benevolent, and temperate: thus you would that
men were?--that _good men_ were? But such men I can only conceive as
slaves, the slaves of the future. 289
Industry, modesty, benevolence, temperance, are just so many
_obstacles_ in the way of _sovereign sentiments,_ of great _ingenuity,_
of an heroic purpose, of noble existence for one's self. 290
I have declared war against the anæmic Christian ideal (together with
what is closely related to it), not because I want to annihilate it,
but only to put an end to its _tyranny_ and clear the way for other
_ideals,_ for _more robust_ ideals. 291
If one does good merely out of pity, it is one's self and not one's
neighbour that one is succouring. 294
"One is continually promoting the interests of one's _'ego'_ at the
cost of other people"; "Living consists in living at the cost of
others"--he who has not grasped this fact, has not taken the first step
towards truth to himself. 294
A morality and a religion of "love," the _curbing_ of the
self-affirming spirit, and a doctrine encouraging patience,
resignation, helpfulness, and co-operation in word and deed may be of
the highest value within the confines of such classes, even in the
eyes of their rulers: for it restrains the feelings of rivalry, of
resentment, and of envy,--feelings which are only too natural in the
bungled and the botched,--and it even deifies them under the ideal of
humility, of obedience, of slave-life, of being-ruled, of poverty,
of illness, and of lowliness. This explains why the ruling classes
(or races) and individuals of all ages have always upheld the cult of
unselfishness, the gospel of the lowly and of "God on the Cross." 296
The _hatred of egoism,_ whether it be one's own (as in the case of the
Socialists) appears as a valuation reached under the predominance of
revenge; and also as an act of prudence on the part of the preservative
instinct of the suffering, in the form of an increase in their feelings
of co-operation and unity.... At bottom, the discharge of resentment
which takes place in the act of judging, rejecting, and punishing
egoism (one's own or that of others) is still a self-preservative
measure on the part of the bungled and the botched. In short: the cult
of altruism is merely a particular form of egoism, which regularly
appears under certain definite physiological circumstances.
When the Socialist, with righteous indignation, cries for "justice,"
"rights," "equal rights," it only shows that he is oppressed by his
inadequate culture, and is unable to understand why he suffers: he
also finds pleasure in crying;--if he were more at ease he would take
jolly good care not to cry in that way: in that case he would seek his
pleasure elsewhere. The same holds good of the Christian: he curses,
condemns, and slanders the "world"--and does not even except himself.
But that is no reason for taking him seriously. In both cases we are
in the presence of invalids who feel better for crying, and who find
relief in slander. 298
I value a man according to the _quantum of power and fulness of his
will;_ not according to the enfeeblement and moribund state thereof. I
consider that a philosophy which _teaches_ the denial of will is both
defamatory and slanderous.... I test the _power_ of a _will_ according
to the amount of resistance it can offer and the amount of pain and
torture it can endure and know how to turn to its own advantage; I
do not point to the evil and pain of existence with the finger of
reproach, but rather entertain the hope that life may one day be more
evil and more full of suffering than it has ever been. 304
My ultimate conclusion is, that the real man represents a much higher
value than the "desirable" man of any ideal that has ever existed
hitherto; that all "desiderata" in regard to mankind have been
absurd and dangerous dissipations by means of which a particular
kind of man has sought to establish his measures of preservation
and of growth as a law for all; that every "desideratum" of this
kind which has been made to dominate has _reduced_ man's worth, his
strength, and his trust in the future; that the indigence and mediocre
intellectuality of man becomes most apparent, even to-day, when he
reveals a _desire;_ that man's ability to fix values has hitherto been
developed too inadequately to do justice to the actual, not merely to
the "desirable," _worth of man;_ that, up to the present, ideals have
really been the power which has most slandered man and power, the
poisonous fumes which have hung over reality, and which have _seduced
men to yearn for nonentity_.... 311
One must be very immoral in order to _make people moral by deeds._ The
moralist's means are the most terrible that have ever been used; he
who has not the courage to be an immoralist in deeds may be fit for
anything else, but not for the duties of a moralist. 314
The priests of all ages have always pretended that they wished to
"improve."... But we, of another persuasion, would laugh if a
lion-tamer ever wished to speak to us of his "improved" animals. As a
rule, the taming of a beast is only achieved by deteriorating it: even
the moral man is not a better man; he is rather a weaker member of his
species. 319
Up to the present, morality has developed at the _cost_ of: the
ruling classes and their specific instincts, the well-constituted and
_beautiful_ natures, the independent and privileged classes in all
respects.
Morality, then, is a sort of counter-movement opposing Nature's
endeavours to arrive at a _higher type._ Its effects are: mistrust
of life in general (in so far as its tendencies are felt to be
immoral),--hostility towards the senses (inasmuch as the highest values
are felt to be opposed to the higher instincts).--Degeneration and
self-destruction of "higher natures," because it is precisely in them
that the conflict becomes _conscious._321
Suppose the _strong_ were masters in all respects, even in valuing:
let us try and think what their attitude would be towards illness,
suffering, and sacrifice. Self-contempt on the part of the weak would
be the result: they would do their utmost to disappear and to extirpate
their kind. And would this be desirable?--should we really like a world
in which the subtlety, the consideration, the intellectuality, the
_plasticity_--in fact, the whole influence of the weak--was lacking?
... 323
Under "Spiritual freedom" I understand something very definite: it is
a state in which one is a hundred times superior to philosophers and
other disciples of "truth" in one's severity towards one's self, in
one's uprightness, in one's courage, and in one's absolute will to say
nay even when it is dangerous to say nay. I regard the philosophers
that have appeared heretofore as _contemptible libertines_ hiding
behind the petticoats of the female "Truth." 384