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Discussion Questions: Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morals, Preface and First Essay 1. How does Nietzsche explain the origin of the concept of good? Be able to summarize three versions of this origin story: the assumed (and according to Nietzsche, incorrect) version, the knightly nobles’ version, and the priests’ version. 

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Assumed version is incorrect “oh we call those values good because it feels good to be treated that way” it is that the word good arises from those to whom goodness is shown, people treat you some good way and you assume that that is the way to be treated, but Nietzsche rejects this aristocratic version- the origins is that they apply it to themselves (I have the power and the status that means I am good) priest’s version- they do the opposite, they try to apply it to themselves, they change who it is applied to and what it means (it is associated with patience and forgiveness, that is how their story evolves for the concept of good)

2. Nietzsche gives a “rule” in First Essay §6 that “the political concept of rank always transforms itself into a spiritual concept of rank,” or in another translation of the same line, “a concept denoting political superiority always resolves itself into a concept denoting superiority of soul.” Use one of Nietzsche’s own examples to explain what he means by this.  

We can see it happening in our world when we start with words like “low” or “poor” and we assume they mean something about people’s character When someone says they are good they mean they have power and they believe they are actually better than the people who don’t have power

3. What does Nietzsche mean by the slave revolt in morality?   

Talking about the moment of the origins of slave morality where the priest says “no, you are evil” and they redefine the word to mean that refers to them It is redefining what it means to be good and that results in a different opposite we are not talking about good and bad anymore, we are talking about good and EVIL We accepted it as our concept of good, slave in morality revolt was successful

4. What is ressentiment, and what are its characteristic effects and expressions? Nietzsche come down very harshly against the ressentiment of slave morality because Nietzsche sees slave morality as born out of Jewish hatred, we should not necessarily see him as speaking out against slave morality, the Jews, or even hatred.   

Nietzsche suggests that the "slave revolt in morality" begins when ressentiment, or resentment, becomes a creative force. Jealous and feel ressentiment of people who have power and they want to feel powerful Nietzsche talks about it as hatred, that because of their powerlessness they begin to hate the aristocratic class, they are jealous of them they want their power

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The feeling that leads to the slave morality (we want the power) Growing out of hatred If slave morality origins are in ressentiment than it needs to remain reposed to something else (you cannot have something that doesn’t exist) The kind of morality that cannot last forever

5. Why would Nietzsche consider morality to be “the danger of dangers” (Preface §6)? Be clear about what kind of morality he thinks is dangerous and why. 

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Slave morality is the dangerous one, it won in the revolution it is dangerous because it is self-destructive (the morals prevent us of our better achievements, when it comes to survival the morals we follow say it is best to sacrifice, be weak and powerless that would mean we are not living to our best potential and we are destroying ourselves) Slave morality leads us to believe that suffering is our salvation that sacrifice, and submission is the best hope to achieve in life

6. What does Nietzsche mean when he says the struggle between Rome and Judea has been internalized or spiritualized (First Essay, §16)?  

That change in #2 (about political conflict) may have transformed into a spiritual conflict. A struggle in morality now than a political fight. It’s not just that it’s no longer political it’s that this struggle is no longer between different people it happens between within a person (I want to be powerful and strong and I also want to be good in a slave morality way, patient and compassionate) I want to be good and I also want to be powerful  this struggle is now internal in each of us and it is no longer a fight between tribes

7. What does Nietzsche mean by a “revaluation” or “transvaluation” of values, and why does he think we need one today? What kind of hero is Nietzsche looking for? 

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Revaluation or transvaluation of values= to redefine our values, making the values we have mean something else, example: THE SLAVE REVOLT IN MORALITY was the revaluation of values, we took the word “good” that meant powerful and strong and transformed and redefined it to the word “good” that meant something like humble, forgiving and powerless Why does he think we need it? It’s time we need another revaluation of values, it’s time for us to redefine the values we have, because the slave morality is dangerous and better for us would be to go back to the system of morality that values self-affirmation and strength He is looking for the kind of hero= Napoleon, the one who says I don’t care about the people, I am doing this for me… he embodies energy and self-affirmation, he is kind of the predator and that is what Nietzsche wants, someone who inspires fear instead of pity, someone who is not afraid of power

8. What is meant by “the death of God”? How does this relate to Nietzsche’s diagnosis of modernity in Genealogy of Morals?

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If God is dead let’s reinvent morality, just get rid of it already if God is no longer important to you stop following his rules and values and create your own Our current morality isn’t working for us anymore, it has become dangerous, it’s not helping is, it’s an old story= his critique of morality We should just let God die the rest of the way Get rid of the slave morality we don’t believe in it anymore

THE MAD MAN 

“God is dead” o Not a claim about the existence of God  Observation about society – faith is on decline o A claim about society – faith is declining religion/God is no longer important as the source/enforcer of our values/morality o  We have replaced reliance on religion with reliance on science and youth and reason instead o Why are we treating it like it’s still important?

Consequence     

this is Nietzsche’s worry (the death of God might lead to these consequences) Lack of orientation We are now directionless  the name of these two consequences: NIHILISM= a belief that life or the world is just meaningless (none of it matters) Nietzsche is not a nihilist, he is worried about nihilism and he makes a recommendation to keep us out of recommendation: o We now have to become Gods ourselves o We now have to be the source of meaning and value in life or the world o We have to create our own values...