Nietzsche and the Ascetic Ideal
Layne Johnson
Dr. Scott Austin
PHIL 251-502
December 6, 2011
Nietzsche and the Ascetic Ideal
According to Friedrich Nietzsche in his third essay of “On the Genealogy of Morals” the ascetic ideal is nothing more than a false sense of moral codes and boundaries set to fill what would be an otherwise void part of the human mind. Nietzsche believes that any true philosopher will reject the notion of ascetic ideals as a creation of the misguided masses of society. He believed that to make sense of the world around us we must make a set of codes of ethics to create a more simple and easily understood picture of our universe, because we cannot cope with the vast nothingness of reality. However, is there a possibility that the supposedly “created” morality is nothing less than an integral part of who and what we are? Nietzsche’s “Genealogy of Morals” is a call to erase the restraint of these “Ascetic Ideals,” but if we are to remove all our morals and values based on ascetic ideals, what values then can we base our morals on or can there be any morality in a world where these ideals are removed?
One of Nietzsche’s main focuses in “The Genealogy of Morals” is the meaning and impact of ascetic ideals and morality on western culture, and what Nietzsche wants to know is what is the reason humanity has created these Ideals? In the previous essays he had assessed what makes something ‘good or bad’ and the cause of the human ‘conscience’, determining that both were merely concepts brought about by ones culture. He wants to know what it is that developed this ideology in our cultures, and of course he gets his answer in the Ascetic Ideals.
To understand what it is Nietzsche wants and why it is he believes that it is so important we must first know what he is talking about in the first place. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary “ascetic” is defined as, “Practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline.”(Webster) So an
Dr. Scott Austin
PHIL 251-502
December 6, 2011
Nietzsche and the Ascetic Ideal
According to Friedrich Nietzsche in his third essay of “On the Genealogy of Morals” the ascetic ideal is nothing more than a false sense of moral codes and boundaries set to fill what would be an otherwise void part of the human mind. Nietzsche believes that any true philosopher will reject the notion of ascetic ideals as a creation of the misguided masses of society. He believed that to make sense of the world around us we must make a set of codes of ethics to create a more simple and easily understood picture of our universe, because we cannot cope with the vast nothingness of reality. However, is there a possibility that the supposedly “created” morality is nothing less than an integral part of who and what we are? Nietzsche’s “Genealogy of Morals” is a call to erase the restraint of these “Ascetic Ideals,” but if we are to remove all our morals and values based on ascetic ideals, what values then can we base our morals on or can there be any morality in a world where these ideals are removed?
One of Nietzsche’s main focuses in “The Genealogy of Morals” is the meaning and impact of ascetic ideals and morality on western culture, and what Nietzsche wants to know is what is the reason humanity has created these Ideals? In the previous essays he had assessed what makes something ‘good or bad’ and the cause of the human ‘conscience’, determining that both were merely concepts brought about by ones culture. He wants to know what it is that developed this ideology in our cultures, and of course he gets his answer in the Ascetic Ideals.
To understand what it is Nietzsche wants and why it is he believes that it is so important we must first know what he is talking about in the first place. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary “ascetic” is defined as, “Practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline.”(Webster) So an
Cited: Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, and Douglas Smith. On the Genealogy of Morals. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1998. Print. Standards, Hollywood. "Ascetic - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ascetic>. Montagna, Joseph A. "81.02.06: The Industrial Revolution." Yale University. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1981/2/81.02.06.x.html>. "What Is Empathy? — PsyBlog." Psychology Studies Relevant to Everyday Life from PsyBlog. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://www.spring.org.uk/2007/01/what-is-empathy.php>.