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

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

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

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