In class, we discussed the situation where if someone slaps you, you turn the other cheek. We also discussed that this is what Jesus taught and that it in fact does not make you seem weak, but it is seen as having courage and love. We took it further in class by bringing up how Nietzsche actually feels about morality. Nietzsche feels that morality is really beating us up. Dr. Johnson brought up the fact that if someone keeps turning the other cheek, eventually they could die from getting beat up. This reflects how Nietzsche feels about morality. He feels it will eventually keep beating us up to the point where we won't be able to take it anymore. My question is, is morality really beating us up or is it what is holding us together?
Growing up, I've noticed that morality is the good in the world. Morality is this system that helps us to determine what is wrong and right. It is our set of values and what we look to for help making the best decisions in life. How can something like this beat us up? It is helping us keep our lives together by giving us a belief system to follow to keep order in our lives. It is an aid when it comes to our behaviors. Is it beating us up because it restrains us from doing the bad that we sometimes need to do?
I see where Nietzsche is coming from in that when we follow moral rules, sometimes it can feel like we are being beat up for it as Jesus was. It just makes me question whether morality is what give us the hope to persist in life or is it what is beating us down and we don't even realize it?
When Nietzche expalins the origins of morality, he states in the noble mode of evaluation that good is determined first and bad is only an after thought. He believes that the weak created something callled the Slavish mode of evaluation. He uses the three main religions as an example. Despite making a good point in that the slavish mode of evaluation requires the strong to mask their strength and the weak to be protected it also gives the world balance. The fact of the matter is that there are more weak and average people in the world. Dr. Johnson made a good point in saying that the reason excellent is excellent is because it is rare. Neitzcha claims in his philosophy that when the strong know they are strong they would not do as the Natzis did and take over the smaller and weaker countries. However, I feel that it is human nature to know that when one is stronger whether in the physical or the intellectual sense, exploitation will always be a temptation. Slavish mode of evaluation creates a balance in the world.
ReplyDeleteI think where Nietzsche believes that strength and weakness should be equal when it comes to discussing morality. Strength should be acted upon, and the weak shouldn't make the strong feel bad about being strong. Also, the strong shouldn't make the weak feel bad about being strong. That is if everyone is acting morally.
ReplyDeleteI think that morality is what keeps us human. Without it how much different would we be from animals? It has its downfall in that it allows everyone to be their own moral agent but that doesn't mean that it's killing us.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is true that moral values are necessary to hold together a society, this does not necessarily mean that morality is synonymous with letting people walk all over us, as "turning the other cheek" would imply. Sometimes it is preferable to stand up for oneself in a polite way, and this can be done without compromising any sort of morality, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI believe that morality is essentially what keeps us together. It teaches us right from wrong, good from evil. However, someone who commits morally correct actions all the time may not be rewarded. In that aspect, people start to wonder if they should still act morally or if morality is a hindrance to his or her life.
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