Beyond Good and Evil #14: The Essence of Life (IX.257 - IX.267)

The first half of the final chapter, “What is Noble”. We cover the concepts of the order of rank, pathos of distance, the origins of civilization and morality. The master/slave morality is formally introduced, and Nietzsche gives several remarks supporting his aristocratic radicalism. But, shortly thereafter, he pivots and begins describing nobility and plebeianism as states of the soul rather than a matter of inheritance. Nietzsche challenges us to overcome the simplicity of Rousseau’s view of nature, or the Lockean/Kantian optimism about civilization. In Nietzsche's words, truth is hard - and whatever our idealism, we should be honest with ourselves, at least up to the point of admitting what the essence of life truly is: in his estimation, will to power. Episode art - Karl Bryullov - Sacking of Rome (Wikimedia Commons)