Nietzsche's Philosophy: Western Decline, Idols, and Master-Slave Morality

Nietzsche's Critique of European Philosophy

The Decline of Western Thought

For Friedrich Nietzsche, idealism refers not only to foundational philosophical ideas but also to the subsequent European philosophical tradition, deeply influenced by them. Nietzsche argues that philosophy, particularly since Plato's Apollonian emphasis, lost the splendor it achieved in moments where the Dionysian tendency was more successful. He believed that, with few exceptions, European philosophy entered a long period of decadence or decline.

Critique of the Philosophical Tradition

Causes of Philosophical Decline

Nietzsche identified several main causes for this decline:

• Rationalism: Philosophy became centered on an insistence on realities attributed solely to the conclusions of reason, treating sensory experience as mere appearance. This, in Nietzsche's view, led to a succession of philosophical idols.
• Succession of Idols: The constant replacement of theories, each becoming a new idol, is evident throughout philosophical history.

Christianity's Influence on Morality

The formulation of Christianity, based on written accounts, is influenced by three key aspects that shape its moral importance:

• The slaughter of appetites and passions.
• The weighting of humiliation, even death, as virtuous.
• The intense use and adaptation of Greek philosophy.

In Nietzsche's opinion, Christianity weakened the very ideas of virtue, nobility, strength, and power.

Christianity's Impact on European Thought

The Attitude of Submission

Nietzsche perceived the influence of Christianity on European philosophy, especially in the frequent attitude of submission evident in many Christian doctrines. He criticized Christian morality, extending this critique to figures like Immanuel Kant.

Nietzsche's Critique of Kantian Morality

Nietzsche viewed Kant as a moralist eager to exercise power over humankind. He suggested that Kant's moral philosophy, with its emphasis on duty and obedience ("the fact that I can obey"), represents a subtle form of control, rather than genuine freedom or self-overcoming.

Master-Slave Morality: A Fundamental Distinction

Slave Morality

Nietzsche distinguished between two fundamental types of morality:

• Slave Morality: This morality defines performance criteria by which human behavior is subject to a divine or prescribed law. It considers certain goods and values as inherently good, subject to external laws and constraints. Adherence to these criteria often promotes concepts like "love thy neighbor" and emphasizes humility, pity, and utility.

Master Morality

• Master Morality: In contrast, the performance criterion for master morality is human conduct that aims at self-overcoming. Laws regarding values do not tend towards mere conventional morality but towards the authentic being of the individual. This approach actively seeks to express higher states of the soul, affections, and feelings, embracing the noblest dangers and affirming life in its fullness.