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Single Idea 20230

[filed under theme 22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / d. Ethical theory ]

Full Idea

Even to think of criticising morality, to consider morality as a problem, as problematic: what? was that not - is that not - immoral?

Gist of Idea

The very idea of a critique of morality is regarded as immoral!

Source

Friedrich Nietzsche (Dawn (Daybreak) [1881], Pref 3)

Book Ref

Nietzsche,Friedrich: 'Dawn (Daybreak) (v 5)', ed/tr. Smith, Brittain [Stanford 2011], p.3

A Reaction

Offering critiques of the value of morality and of truth are perhaps Nietzsche's greatest achievements.

Related Idea

Idea 20229 No authority ever willingly accepts criticism [Nietzsche]

The 48 ideas from 'Dawn (Daybreak)'

20230 The very idea of a critique of morality is regarded as immoral! [Nietzsche]
20229 No authority ever willingly accepts criticism [Nietzsche]
20380 Why should truth be omnipotent? It is enough that it is very powerful [Nietzsche]
20231 People used to think that outcomes were from God, rather than consequences of acts [Nietzsche]
20233 Punishment has distorted the pure innocence of the contingency of outcomes [Nietzsche]
20232 Get rid of the idea of punishment! It is a noxious weed! [Nietzsche]
20234 Morality prevents us from developing better customs [Nietzsche]
20235 Like animals, we seek truth because we want safety [Nietzsche]
20236 Marriage upholds the idea that love, though a passion, can endure [Nietzsche]
20237 Moral feelings are entirely different from the moral concepts used to judge actions [Nietzsche]
20238 Treating morality as feelings is just obeying your ancestors [Nietzsche]
20240 The Jews treated great anger as holy, and were in awe of those who expressed it [Nietzsche]
20241 Enquirers think finding our origin is salvation, but it turns out to be dull [Nietzsche]
20242 Things are the boundaries of humanity, so all things must be known, for self-knowledge [Nietzsche]
20243 Human beings are not majestic, either through divine origins, or through grand aims [Nietzsche]
20244 Christianity replaces rational philosophical virtues with great passions focused on God [Nietzsche]
20245 Christianity hoped for a short cut to perfection, that skipped the hard labour of morality [Nietzsche]
20246 If you feel to others as they feel to themselves, you must hate a self-hater [Nietzsche]
20247 Christianity was successful because of its heathen rituals [Nietzsche]
20248 People do nothing for their real ego, but only for a phantom ego created by other people [Nietzsche]
20249 Our knowledge of the many drives that constitute us is hopelessly incomplete [Nietzsche]
20250 We may be unable to remember, but we may never actually forget [Nietzsche]
20251 Actions done for a purpose are least understood, because we complacently think it's obvious [Nietzsche]
20252 Marriage is too serious to be permitted for people in love! [Nietzsche]
20253 Modern wars arise from the study of history [Nietzsche]
20254 People govern for the pleasure of it, or just to avoid being governed [Nietzsche]
20255 Early 19th century German philosophers enjoyed concepts, rather than scientific explanations [Nietzsche]
20256 What we think is totally dictated by the language available to express it [Nietzsche]
20257 Cool courage and feverish bravery have one name, but are two very different virtues [Nietzsche]
20258 Most people treat knowledge as a private possession [Nietzsche]
20259 Teach youth to respect people who differ with them, not people who agree with them [Nietzsche]
20260 Carlyle spent his life vainly trying to make reason appear romantic [Nietzsche]
20261 History does not concern what really happened, but supposed events, which have all the influence [Nietzsche]
20262 Don't use wisdom in order to become clever! [Nietzsche]
20263 Fear reveals the natures of other people much more clearly than love does [Nietzsche]
20264 The easy and graceful aspects of a person are called 'soul', and inner awkwardness is called 'soulless' [Nietzsche]
20265 The desire for a complete system requires making the weak parts look equal to the rest [Nietzsche]
20266 It is essential that wise people learn to express their wisdom, possibly even as foolishness [Nietzsche]
20267 Seeing duty as a burden makes it a bit cruel, and it can thus never become a habit [Nietzsche]
20268 Most dying people have probably lost more important things than what they are about to lose [Nietzsche]
20269 'I believe because it is absurd' - but how about 'I believe because I am absurd' [Nietzsche]
20270 There is no one scientific method; we must try many approaches, and many emotions [Nietzsche]
20271 Beauty in art is the imitation of happiness [Nietzsche]
20272 Honesty is a new young virtue, and we can promote it, or not [Nietzsche]
20273 The French Revolution gave trusting Europe the false delusion of instant recovery [Nietzsche]
20274 The cardinal virtues want us to be honest, brave, magnanimous and polite [Nietzsche]
20275 Most people think they are already complete, but we can cultivate ourselves [Nietzsche]
20131 We can cultivate our drives, of anger, pity, curiosity, vanity, like a gardener, with good or bad taste [Nietzsche]