The Genealogy of Morality

Nietzsche — the slave revolt that inverted all values

Nietzsche argued that what we call "morality" is not universal — it has a history. Two fundamentally different valuations have existed: master morality and slave morality. And in the slave revolt, the values of the weak were imposed on the world as the values.

Two moralities coexist — master values and slave values.

Master Morality

The noble, the active, the aristocratic

Core Distinction
Good / Bad
Orientation
Self-affirmation — defines "good" from one's own strength
Source of Values
Active, creative, overflowing — values spring from power
"Bad" Means
Low, common, weak — but not morally condemned, just different
Attitude to Others
Indifference to the weak — pity is a sign of weakness
Psychological Type
Noble, leonine, spontaneous — acts first, reflects later

Slave Morality

The reactive, the resentful, the priestly

Core Distinction
Good / Evil
Orientation
Reactive — defines "good" by opposing the enemy
Source of Values
Ressentiment — hatred of the strong, disguised as virtue
"Good" Now Means
Humble, meek, poor in spirit — the former "bad" is now "good"
Attitude to Masters
The "good" of master morality becomes "evil" — the inversion is complete
Psychological Type
Resentful, calculating, patient — waits and plots revenge through values
The slave revolt inverts: master "good" (noble, powerful) becomes slave "evil" — and slave "bad" (weak, humble) becomes slave "good" (virtuous).

Ressentiment

The key psychological concept. Unlike the noble who forgets insults quickly, the slave broods. Unable to act directly against the powerful, the slave takes revenge in imagination — by revaluing all values. The weak declare: "you powerful people are evil; we humble people are good." This is not weakness overcome — it is weakness transformed into a weapon.

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