On the Genealogy of Morality Essay -- Philosophy, Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsches On the Genealogy of Morality includes his theory on mans development of self-aggrandizing conscience. Nietzsche believes that when transitioning from a free-roaming individual to a member of a community, man had to suppress his will to force play, his natural instinct of freedom(59). The governing community threatened its members with punishment for violation of its laws, its holiness of customs, thereby creating a uniform and predictable man (36). With fear of punishment curtailing his behavior, man was no longer allowed the freedom to indulge his every instinct. He turned his rapacious focus inward, became ashamed of his natural animal instincts, judged himself as inherently evil, and developed a bad conscience (46). Throughout the work, Nietzsche uses decidedly cast out terms to find bad conscience, calling it ugly (59), a sickness (60), or an illness (56) leading some to assume that he views bad conscience as a bad thing. However, Nietzsche hints at a different view when calling bad conscience a sickness rather like pregnancy (60). This analogy equates the bruise and suffering of a pregnant woman to the suffering of man when his instincts are repressed. Therefore, just as the pain of pregnancy gives birth to something joyful, Nietzsches analogy implies that the negative state of bad conscience may also give birth to something positive. Nietzsche hopes for the birth of the sovereign individual a man who is autonomous, not indebted to the morality of custom, and who has regained his free will. An examination of Nietzsches theory on the evolution of mans bad conscience will reveal even though bad conscience has caused man to turn against himself and has resulted in the stagnation of his will, Ni... ... noble morality (16). Furthermore, in contrast to the self-contentment of the noble morality, the strivers lack of outward power led him to direct his power inwards, resulting in mans first exploration of his inner life.While critic al of the attitude found in the ressentiment of slave morality, Nietzsches includes it as an important factor contributing to the bad conscience of man. Even though Nietzsche dislikes the negative results of bad conscience mans downsizing of his instincts, hate for himself, and stagnation of his will -- Nietzsche does value it for the promise it holds. Nietzsche foresees a time coming when man conquers his inner battle and regains his instinct of freedom. In anticipation of that mean solar days eventual arrival, Nietzsche views the development of bad conscience as a necessary step in mans transformation into the sovereign individual.