ALBORNOZ, Carlos Antonio C.

11200731
GREATWK S17 – Dr. Villacorta

Friedrich Nietzsche
I consider Friedrich Nietzsche as one of the most important and original thinkers in the history of
the world. He basically changed philosophy, literature and thought in the Western world. Even before
taking GREATWK, my cousin has always urged me to read up about Nietzsche because my cousin is an
atheist who wishes to “save me” from all the Christian teachings that I was forced to uphold since we
come from a typical traditional family full of prayer and worship.
I. Nietzsche’s criticisms on Christianity
Most if not all who is knowledgeable about Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy knows how
against he is about religion, Christianity included. His famous line – “God is dead” always sparks
a rabbit-hole for conversation. When he expresses this passage, he doesn’t mean that he believes
in the actual death of a higher being but rather he is expressing fear that society is turning away
from believing in ourselves as our own God; that society is turning away from our natural
morality (as a Hyperborean) – “master morality”. He views Christianity as “stupid” and an
“amalgamation of lies” and the bible as a source that holds the untrue and that its contents
oppose the scientific procedure.
A. One criticism that Nietzsche says about Christianity is that he says that Christian
morality is actually the morality of the “slaves” – slave morality. Nietzsche and his
works revolve around the notion that there are only two people on the world (not in
the political sense); you are either an “Ubermensch” / ”nobleman” upholding the
values of master morality aiming for the Will to power – the drive to dominate, or
you are a “slave” upholding the values of Christian or slave morality. He says that
people who uphold the values of slave morality are people who are
 unsecure of themselves
 deceive themselves because they envy the nobleman
 practice virtues that help other people who are suffering
 and that they have not achieved “Absolute freedom”
On that note, slave morality can be characterized most strongly in the desire for
others to conform which then becomes society’s status quo. And that it is a group
morality which demands that each become like the others where they all share the
feeling of settling in their positions, lacking power and the will to dominate.
Nietzsche gives a historical argument for the origin of the morals we have today. He
does this by explaining the “revaluation of values” that came as a result of the slave
morality overcoming the master morality and Christ is a hero because society made
him one.
B. Another one of his criticisms regarding Christianity is about the teachings of the
theologians and its problems. He states that as children, we are born as slaves. He
says that the teachings of the theologians prevent people from having free spirits
according to science.
Teachings of the theologians
Tradition

He also states that the soul – “the spiritual principle embodied in human beings and
is considered to survive the death of the body” is not true basically because the soul is
ALBORNOZ, Carlos Antonio C.
11200731
GREATWK S17 – Dr. Villacorta

not a physical entity. He says that when we die, the body dies as well. He states that
these imaginary causes are fiction created by the mind and that the effects of these
imaginary causes are another fiction created by the previous fiction.

The teachings of the theologians mostly revolve around having “Faith” in God and
that God is the absolute truth. Nietzsche said that “If God is the absolute truth, what
is new to learn?” which I think the quote speaks for itself. Nietzsche’s criticisms
about these teachings is that what is so-called “Faith” is
 Blind
 Illogical beings become logical
 Surreal occurrences become real
 and that it blocks human reasoning

C. Nietzsche also says that Christianity is a religion of “pity”. He says that pity always
brings mankind down which then in turn make man hate life. He said in the main text
that people have even dared to call pity a virtue. “Pity” is considered
 to produce a melancholy effect
 to be for the powerless
 to have a gloomy effect in life
 to be misleading
 to be an enforced instinct

In the main text, Nietzsche says that pity is this “depressive and contagious instinct
runs counter to the instincts that preserve and enhance the value of life: by
multiplying misery just as much as by conserving everything miserable, pity is one of
the main tools used to increase decadence - pity wins people over to nothingness!”

II. The “Ubermensch”

Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy writes about possible “great human beings”

who can be an example other people can follow. These people are called by Nietzsche as
the “Ubermensch” or the “overman” in which he describes them as
 Rare species
 Free spirits
 Enhances the “will to power”
 Atheistic
 And has “amor fati” – the love of one’s faith

Nietzsche summarizes these people as “noblemen” – people who do not look for
complacency or inertia; but they look for challenges. These people are also humans
which means that we aren’t perfect. He says that it’s okay to make mistakes; there are
only lessons learned. Noblemen are also free and happy spirits. Nietzsche says that
freedom – going beyond Christian morality and becoming the Ubermensch; comes from
the possession of power. He also says that happiness is derived from the will to power: to
not be in a state of eternal complacency but the elevation of power through the
overcoming of other powers. He says that these struggles is what will eventually make us
stronger.
ALBORNOZ, Carlos Antonio C.
11200731
GREATWK S17 – Dr. Villacorta

The main takeaway for me in this part of GREATWK is to LIVE

DANGEROUSLY and to EXPERIMENT WITH EACH ASPECT IN LIFE. What it
gave me is life-affirmation. Nietzsche’s life-affirming philosophy sets him apart from
other philosophers. Life according to Nietzsche is a series of forces that dominate and
counter-dominate each other. Nietzsche’s tracing of our morality is also one that opened
my eyes. That we are naturally free individuals who operate on instinct. Basically saying
that we are naturally masters of our own morality. That God (existentialist point of view -
we are our own God) is dead because we killed him!

After this class, I will now always remember to aspire to be an “Ubermensch”. I

will become an individual will release the potential that is me. In so doing I aim to seize
each moment which leads to an enlightenment of my surroundings and the beings in that
environment. And that I will practice generosity out of excess where I will serve my own
needs first before others. I will do that while continuing to uphold the values of St. Jean-
Baptiste de La Salle – to serve and give back to the poop. It really is ironic how studying
in a Catholic university opened my eyes about the world and society through Friedrich
Nietzsche. Thank you, Dr. Villacorta for opening my eyes. I will forever treasure this
knowledge and will continue to share it to the world!

Long live Friedrich William Nietzsche!