more from Friedrich Nietzsche

Single Idea 18311

[catalogued under 22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / f. Ethical non-cognitivism]

Full Idea

For philosophers, the higher must not be allowed to grow out of the lower, must not be allowed to have grown at all ...Moral: everything of the first rank must be causa sui. Origin in something else counts as an objection, as casting a doubt on value.

Clarification

'Causa sui' (Latin) means it causes itself

Gist of Idea

Philosophers hate values having an origin, and want values to be self-sufficient

Source

Friedrich Nietzsche (Twilight of the Idols [1889], 2.4)

Book Reference

Nietzsche,Friedrich: 'Twilight of the Idols and The Anti-Christ', ed/tr. Hollingdale,R.J. [Penguin 1972], p.37


A Reaction

This is so deep and central that I wrote a paper on it, advocating that the theory of values should focus of value-makers.