Ideas from 'Beyond Good and Evil' by Friedrich Nietzsche [1886], by Theme Structure

[found in 'Beyond Good and Evil' by Nietzsche,Friedrich (ed/tr Hollingdale,R.J.) [Penguin 1973,0-14-044-267-7]].

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1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 1. Philosophy

7834	Great philosophies are confessions by the author, growing out of moral intentions

1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 2. Possibility of Metaphysics

7080	Metaphysics divided the old unified Greek world into two [Critchley]

3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 3. Value of Truth

11090

Why do we want truth, rather than falsehood or ignorance? The value of truth is a problem

7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 3. Being / c. Becoming

7079	Nietzsche resists nihilism through new values, for a world of becoming, without worship [Critchley]

12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 5. Interpretation

2878	We see an approximation of a tree, not the full detail

13. Knowledge Criteria / B. Internal Justification / 2. Pragmatic justification

20140

We shouldn't object to a false judgement, if it enhances and preserves life

13. Knowledge Criteria / E. Relativism / 4. Cultural relativism

2877	Morality becomes a problem when we compare many moralities

15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 10. Conatus/Striving

20355

The ranking of a person's innermost drives reveals their true nature

16. Persons / F. Free Will / 5. Against Free Will

2871	Wanting 'freedom of will' is wanting to pull oneself into existence out of the swamp of nothingness by one's own hair

2291	A thought comes when 'it' wants, not when 'I' want

18. Thought / B. Mechanics of Thought / 1. Psychology

20381

It is psychology which reveals the basic problems

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / a. Idealistic ethics

2860	The most boring and dangerous of all errors is Plato's invention of pure spirit and goodness

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / d. Biological ethics

1568	Nietzsche felt that Plato's views downgraded the human body and its brevity of life [Roochnik]

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / f. Übermensch

2883	Noble people see themselves as the determiners of values

23440

Nietzsche's judgement of actions by psychology instead of outcome was poisonous [Foot]

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / j. Ethics by convention

2875	That which is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / k. Ethics from nature

2868	Nature is totally indifferent, so you should try to be different from it, not live by it

22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / c. Right and good

2882	Morality originally judged people, and actions only later on

22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / g. Consequentialism

2872	In the earliest phase of human history only consequences mattered

23. Ethics / A. Egoism / 1. Ethical Egoism

2885	The noble soul has reverence for itself

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 1. Virtue Theory / c. Particularism

20134

Moralities extravagantly address themselves to 'all', by falsely generalising

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 1. Virtue Theory / d. Virtue theory critique

2881	Virtue has been greatly harmed by the boringness of its advocates

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / a. Virtues

20382

The four virtues are courage, insight, sympathy, solitude

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / f. Compassion

2879	In ancient Rome pity was considered neither good nor bad

23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 4. Categorical Imperative

2859	The idea of the categorical imperative is just that we should all be very obedient

23. Ethics / E. Utilitarianism / 3. Motivation for Altruism

2884	The morality of slaves is the morality of utility

23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 1. Existentialism

2880	The greatest possibilities in man are still unexhausted

23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 3. Angst

2876	The thought of suicide is a great reassurance on bad nights

7078	The freedom of the subject means the collapse of moral certainty [Critchley]

23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 6. Authentic Self

2874	Man is the animal whose nature has not yet been fixed

6869	Nietzsche thinks the human condition is to overcome and remake itself [Ansell Pearson]

23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 8. Eternal Recurrence

20137

The great person engages wholly with life, and is happy to endlessly relive the life they created

24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 2. Leaders / d. Elites

20139

Only aristocratic societies can elevate the human species

20373

A healthy aristocracy has no qualms about using multitudes of men as instruments

24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / f. Against democracy

22394

Democracy diminishes mankind, making them mediocre and lowering their value

29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 4. Christianity / a. Christianity

2867	Christianity is Platonism for the people