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Where does morality come from? Aspects of Nietzsche’s genealogical critique of morality and his idea of the Übermensch
Dissertation (MA (Philosophy))--University of Pretoria, 2005.
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University of Pretoria
2013
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| _version_ | 1867613704311275520 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Schoeman, Marinus J. |
| author_browse | Schoeman, Marinus J. |
| author_facet | Schoeman, Marinus J. |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2003, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MA (Philosophy))--University of Pretoria, 2005. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/29102 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:40:22.637Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateRange | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/29102 Where does morality come from? Aspects of Nietzsche’s genealogical critique of morality and his idea of the Übermensch Schoeman, Marinus J. upetd@up.ac.za Ku, Hay Lin Helen Zarathustra Nietzsche Übermensch Morality Immoralism Ascetic ideal Ressentiment Humanistic buddhism Perspectivism Will to truth Bodhisattva UCTD Dissertation (MA (Philosophy))--University of Pretoria, 2005. With this dissertation, firstly, I address the issue of Friedrich Nietzsche’s (1844-1900) so-called ‘immoralism’. When he calls himself an ‘immoralist’ and even ‘the first immoralist’ (EH Destiny 2), he seems to be the first philosopher to consider morality as something negative, something we had better got rid of. Yet, he favours ‘noble morality’ and ‘higher moralities’ which he insists ought to be possible (BGE 202). I shall interpret Nietzsche’s explicit claim of ‘immoralism’ and his ‘campaign against morality’ as a rejection of a particular kind of morality ¾ Christian morality ‘that has become prevalent and predominant as morality itself’ (EH Destiny 4). His ‘immoralism’ does not reject the idea of an ethical life. Nietzsche favours a ‘supra-moral’ version of life (GM II 2&BGE 257). The move from a moral to a supra-moral orientation to life implies a kind of self-overcoming, a process which has both a ‘negative’ (‘destructive’) and a ‘positive’ (‘productive’) side. Firstly, I shall give an account of the ‘negative’ side, which involves Nietzsche’s genealogical critique of morality. In his Genealogy, Nietzsche criticizes the man of ressentiment, the metaphysical two-worlds distinction: ‘true world’ and ‘apparent world’, and the ascetic ideal of the will to truth, which he considers as a will to nothingness (GM III 28). His notion of perspectivism advocates a plurality of values and perspectives as opposed to any notion of an absolute truth. Then, I shall look into his ‘positive’ ethic, as exemplified in the figures of Zarathustra and the Übermensch, and the paradox of the Übermenschas ‘the annihilator of morality’ (EH Books 1) and as ‘the designation of a type of supreme achievement’ (EH Books 1). By proclaiming a process of ‘self-overcoming of morality’ (BGE 32), I believe that Nietzsche proposes an experimental morality in order to improve mankind. He considers morality as a pose, as progress (BGE 216), and ‘mere symptomatology’ (TI ‘Improvers’ of Mankind 1). Morality is the effect, or symptom of a continuous improvement within an individual. Nietzsche seeks to make us become aware of our continuous self-improvement, that we should invent our own virtue (A 11) in order to become what we are. Nietzsche envisions the possibility of evolving a magnanimous and courageous human type who is capable of giving style to his character (GS 290), the supreme human achievement ¾ the Übermensch. His idea of the Übermensch implies a never-ending struggle for self-perfection and self-fulfilment. There are affinities between Nietzsche’s philosophy and Buddhism, such as emphasizing practice, the recognition of the transient nature of human existence, and an emphasis on impermanence. Buddhist teachings show various feasible ways to attain enlightenment and buddhahood. The path to enlightenment and buddhahood can be shown to share some features with Nietzsche’s process of self-overcoming, which leads to self-transformation and self-perfection. The emphasis on the practice of the spirit of Bodhisattva by Humanistic Buddhism seems to lend itself as complement to Nietzsche’s philosophy, a notion I explore in the concluding chapter of the dissertation. Philosophy unrestricted 2013-09-07T14:52:31Z 2004-10-29 2013-09-07T14:52:31Z 2003-12-04 2005-10-29 2004-10-29 Dissertation Ku, H 2003, Where does morality come from? Aspects of Nietzsche’s genealogical critique of morality and his idea of the Übermensch , MA dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://hdl.handle.net/2263/29102 > http://hdl.handle.net/2263/29102 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10292004-074620/ © 2003, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | Zarathustra Nietzsche Übermensch Morality Immoralism Ascetic ideal Ressentiment Humanistic buddhism Perspectivism Will to truth Bodhisattva UCTD Where does morality come from? Aspects of Nietzsche’s genealogical critique of morality and his idea of the Übermensch |
| title | Where does morality come from? Aspects of Nietzsche’s genealogical critique of morality and his idea of the Übermensch |
| title_full | Where does morality come from? Aspects of Nietzsche’s genealogical critique of morality and his idea of the Übermensch |
| title_fullStr | Where does morality come from? Aspects of Nietzsche’s genealogical critique of morality and his idea of the Übermensch |
| title_full_unstemmed | Where does morality come from? Aspects of Nietzsche’s genealogical critique of morality and his idea of the Übermensch |
| title_short | Where does morality come from? Aspects of Nietzsche’s genealogical critique of morality and his idea of the Übermensch |
| title_sort | where does morality come from aspects of nietzsche s genealogical critique of morality and his idea of the ubermensch |
| topic | Zarathustra Nietzsche Übermensch Morality Immoralism Ascetic ideal Ressentiment Humanistic buddhism Perspectivism Will to truth Bodhisattva UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/29102 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-10292004-074620/ |