Beyond Good and Evil Terms

Nietzsche argues that the human soul is motivated to carry out actions, and made capable of doing so, by various inner drives, or wills. The strongest of these is the will to power, which Nietzsche… read analysis of The Will to Power

Materialism is a philosophical doctrine which argues that all things are fundamentally made of matter, and that consciousness is a secondary phenomenon resulting from material interactions. In the specific context of the 19th century, materialism… read analysis of Materialism

A central aspect of Kant’s philosophy, synthetic judgements a priori are judgements which are both synthetic—or made true not by their components but by an outside meaning or signification of those components—and a priori… read analysis of Synthetic Judgements A Priori

Causa sui is a Latin term used in philosophy to denote something that generates itself and is central to the philosophy of Baruch Spinoza who—blasphemously, some argue—identifies God as an example. read analysis of Causa Sui

Esoteric knowledge is that which is only understandable to a small, select group, who oftentimes must be initiated and made capable of receiving it. read analysis of Esoteric

Exoteric knowledge, unlike esoteric knowledge, is that which is immediately understandable to the general public, or at least a broad, unspecialized, and “uninitiated” audience. read analysis of Exoteric

Nihilism, as Nietzsche understands it, is a philosophical position which both rejects higher values such as truth and morality and denies rather than affirms life. Nietzsche’s relationship to nihilism is complex; while he sees it… read analysis of Nihilism

Pessimism is a philosophical school which considers life to have negative rather than positive value, as an experience largely consisting of pain and suffering without meaning. While there are a great diversity of pessimist positions… read analysis of Pessimism

The herd man is how Nietzsche refers to the individual created by modern, democratic, industrialized society. As the old class and “racial” divisions of Europe are eroded, the vast majority of citizens are becoming herd… read analysis of The Herd Man

Eros is the ancient Greek god of love and sex, frequently used to symbolize sensual desire in philosophical writing. read analysis of Eros

Utilitarianism is a theory of ethics which argues that all actions should be considered in light of maximizing the “utility” of their consequences, which is generally taken to mean the human happiness they generate. Closely… read analysis of Utilitarianism

Puritanism is the system of belief developed by the Puritans, 16th and 17th century English Protestants who strove to “purify” the church of Catholic influence. The term “Puritanism” then came to stand for a set… read analysis of Puritanism

Humanism is a philosophical position which centers the human person and their potential and is closely connected with the Enlightenment. While Nietzsche would not disagree with this aspect of humanism, he is more strongly opposed… read analysis of Humanism

Romanticism was an extremely popular intellectual and artistic movement in early 19th century Europe which glorified individuals, nature, emotion, and medieval history. Emerging as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, Enlightenment philosophy, and other aspects… read analysis of Romanticism

The master morality is how Nietzsche refers to the morality of the “noble,” or the conquering warrior caste. Dependent on a strict order of rank in society, this morality identifies itself with “good,” but does… read analysis of Master Morality

The slave morality is the morality developed by the enslaved masses in Nietzsche’s conception of a caste society and is therefore also the origin of the morality of Christianity. Utterly disempowered, the slave morality attempts… read analysis of Slave Morality