Beyond Good and Evil confirmed Nietzsche's position as the towering European philosopher of his age. The work dramatically rejects the tradition of Western thought with its notions of truth and God, good and evil. Nietzsche demonstrates that the Christian world is steeped in a false piety and infected with a 'slave morality'.
Beyond Good and Evil (original German title: Jenseits von Gut und Böse) is one of the major works of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, first published in 1886. The book serves as a powerful critique of traditional moral values and religious doctrines, laying the groundwork for many of Nietzsche’s key philosophical ideas, including the will to power, perspectivism, and the re-evaluation of morality.
In Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche challenges conventional notions of morality, arguing that traditional moral values are rooted in slave morality—an ethic of submission, humility, and conformity promoted by organized religion and societal norms. He contrasts this with a "master morality," which reflects strength, individualism, and the pursuit of excellence. Nietzsche's critique extends to philosophers and metaphysical systems that, in his view, blindly adhere to dogma, failing to question their own underlying assumptions.
The book is structured as a series of aphorisms, essays, and dialogues that cover a wide range of topics, including religion, politics, art, psychology, and the nature of truth. Nietzsche uses a provocative, often poetic style, filled with wit and irony, making it both a challenging and stimulating read.
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Categories: Psychology Non-Fiction Historical Classics