On the Genealogy of Morality

The Genealogy of Morals. A polemic is a philosophical work by Friedrich Nietzsche from the year 1887.

The work, which consists of a preface and three " treatises ," is one of the most influential writings of Nietzsche. He lay here no aphorisms before, as in most of his other works, but prolonged, systematic texts with quite a scientific claim: he represents in sociological, historical and psychological theses. Nietzsche wanted unlike classical moral philosophers derive any moral or justified, but to understand the historical development and the psychological requirements of certain moral values. So he does not ask how people should act, but why people ( individuals or groups ) believe they should act in a certain way, or want to get others to act one way or another.

The contrast of a " slave morality " and a " master morality " of the first treatise is, at least become buzzwords, quite well known. The third essay in which Nietzsche subjects the ascetic ideals of a detailed critique is fundamental for the understanding of all his later writings.

The Genealogy influenced many thinkers, including Sigmund Freud and Michel Foucault. In particular, in the French Nietzsche reception in the second half of the 20th century, it was a much discussed work.

The usual Sigel Scripture is GM.

Content

The Genealogy of Morals consists of a preface and three essays, of which the third is the longest.

In the first seven sections of the preface Nietzsche explains the motivation of his work:

" Let's talk it out, this new demand: we have a critique of moral values ​​necessary, the value of these values ​​is to ask yourself once in question - and that does a knowledge of the conditions and circumstances noth from which they grew, under which they evolved and have moved ( morality as a consequence, as symptom, as mask, as tartuffery, as a disease, as a misunderstanding, but also morality as cause, as a remedy, as stimulant, as inhibition, as poison), as such a knowledge neither until now there was, has been, nor even desirable. "

It refers in this - as in all of Scripture more often - for some of his earlier works and criticized Paul Rée The Origin of Moral Sentiments (1877 ). Ree and his ilk are far too biased for modern, utilitarian and altruistic morality in order to understand the genealogy of moral values ​​.

In the eighth and last section of the preface Nietzsche deals with the problem of the intelligibility of his writings and calls for an accurate reading, an "art of interpretation ". As an example, he had the third treatise preceded by an aphorism, the treatise itself is its slow, systematic interpretation.

Here is the Nietzsche since Human, All Too Human (No. 45) indicated difference between a Master and Slave morality explained. These different types of morality corresponds to a pair of opposites:

• Privileged social classes defined by Nietzsche their own actions as "good"; "Good" in the meaning of " noble ", " posh ", "powerful", " happy ", etc. On the other hand appreciate these "masters " the actions of others, lower people as "poor" in terms of " simple ", "( all ) in common, "" ignoble " from without making them from blame.
• Conversely, the rating of the underprivileged, the lowly, the poor, the sick, the "slave " before: Your perception is based on resentment, they first estimate the other as the "bad guys ", the "evil enemy" from. Themselves they define only then as the "good guys " just unlike those evil - that is, they are " good" because they are not " evil" are, their concept of "good" is reactive rather than active, as in the making and is based on a value reversal.

The second type of rating Nietzsche sees in Judaism and Christianity, the first he assigns the Roman Empire, but also the Renaissance and Napoleon to. Of course, the contrast between these types of morality would still be fought in individual, ambivalent people; in the higher and more spiritual natures today are both types of appreciation available and fight with each other. On the whole, however, was victorious the slave morality. Nietzsche himself expressed several times - although not without reservations and differentiations - hope its much stronger sympathy for the " noble " of world view, and seems that she can take up the struggle against the " vulgar " morality again thanks to its philosophy.

Here, Nietzsche examines the origin of the idea, people could take " responsibility" for something, and the unusual in the animal kingdom, human memory at all. The moral concept of " fault," he sees in the material concept of " debt " against a creditor justified. He points to the many alleged and real purposes that have played in the history of various cultures the penalty. She was, as in all circumstances, have been subjected to new constellations of power ever new interpretations. The bad conscience after Nietzsche steer its origin in the civilization of the people who live under pressure in an organized society, his aggressive drive inward and against itself.

The section 12 of this treatise stands out somewhat, since Nietzsche here comparatively detail on his doctrine of the "will to power" is received.

This paper includes a formal feature on what Nietzsche has pointed out in the preface: in the first section, he presents in a concise, aphoristic form his results, then - to give in the actual essay a more detailed derivation and elaboration of it - after a protest of a fictitious reader.

Nietzsche examines the different forms in which ascetic ideals have occurred throughout history and occur today, as well as their various (alleged and actual ) purposes. He interprets and evaluates the pursuit of such ideals with artists - Richard Wagner's Parsifal as an example - and philosophers - particularly Schopenhauer's negation - Priests in the own estimation " good and just ," in Saints and eventually also in modern alleged counter - idealists, atheists, scientists and critical, anti-metaphysical philosophers. Their unconditional " will to truth " is the last, fine figure of the ascetic ideal. After a consideration of the current and upcoming nihilism in Nietzsche Europe is one final reason as to why the ascetic ideal hitherto had been almost honored as one: namely simple lack of a better ideal. The man can not " do not want ", and so he had been rather " nothingness willed" still in nihilism and asceticism.

All three essays end with the prospect of a new morality, refers to Nietzsche on his Zarathustra. This new morality is, however, all recipients does not consider as clearly as can be seen Nietzsche's critique of the previous " moralities ".

Genesis and classification in Nietzsche's writings

Nietzsche had considered actually completed with Beyond Good and Evil and the 1886/87 printed, altered reprints of earlier writings his work as provisional and wanted to take time for thinking through new issues. In the summer of 1887, he was in a very depressed mood, and then wrote quite suddenly ( between the 10th and 30th of July), the three treatises of genealogy, although he drew on earlier records. He left it at his own expense from the publisher C. G. Naumann in Leipzig Print and read together with Heinrich Köselitz correction, some changes were made. In an edition of 600 copies, the book was published in November 1887.

Nietzsche insisted that the book should also be external to the previous Beyond Good and Evil " confusingly similar ". The first edition contained on the back of the title page the words " The last published " Beyond Good and Evil " to supplement and clarify added. " Nietzsche had hoped even from the afterlife to find new readers, and also had copies of the genealogy of several culturally influential Send people. The many references to earlier writings should probably also serve as advertising; Nietzsche himself called his writings from Beyond Good and Evil " fishhook".

The work was again the following year important to him, as he gave up his plan to write The Will to Power. It is believed that he took his rereading of genealogy to or encouraged it. His late work The Antichrist, which was to some extent a substitute for the will to power has, stylistically very similar to the genealogy, and also relates the content thereon.

For Nietzsche's critique of Paul Rée origin of moral sentiments in the preface is to be noted that Ree and Nietzsche were close friends in the late 1870s and many, even the two themselves, had seen the mentioned work Rée's and Nietzsche's Human, All Too Human to be the closest related. Friendship with Rée was broken in 1882.

Effective history

Exercised a strong influence on the work of Sigmund Freud, who wrote The discomfort in the culture from the thoughts of the resumption of conscience because of the atrocities. Also inspired Nietzsche's Genealogy Max Scheler on to write The resentment in the construction of morals.

The text is considered a pioneer of postmodern philosophy. For example, is crisscrossed the Genealogy of Morals, the work of Michel Foucault references. Also can be used for the French postmodern thinkers the younger work to trace the subtle differences of Pierre Bourdieu on ideas from the Genealogy of Morals. Here, the core idea is based on the men's moral resentments, delineate the bad by subtle differences on many levels of life from good.