This week's lecture is on Friedrich Nietzsche and understanding aspects of morality that involve man's desire to control ones desire. The irrationality of emotions at its best.
When it comes to critical thinkers, philologists that analyse morality, religion, philosophy, classical culture and science, Nietzsche is one of my favourite ones, and his use of irony driven by anger made his writings a remarkable work.
The lecture focused on the concept of morality seen through the '7 deadly sins'. Lust, gluttony, sloth, greed, wrath, pride and envy. This early Christian interpretation of moderate education for the masses was very criticised by Nietzsche who found Christianity a insult to human kind, a limiting doctrine that was designed to eradicate man's passions and true potential.
It is believed that Nietzsche was an atheist, some scholars believe he had a different concept of divinity, a worshipper nonetheless but to another alternative to god. Perhaps to himself.
"God is dead"
This is a concept used by Nietzsche several times, elaborated in particular throughout The Antichrist, a brief but powerful thesis against religion.
His beliefs navigate the proposition that the universal concepts human kind once saw as an objective truth were disappearing, the values imposed by religion were in the verge of extinction and it would lead (at least what he hoped for) was an era of multiple understanding, more personal development that did not focus on preconceived ideas of morality such as Christianity, a concept known as perspectivism.
Nietzsche as a nihilist, he believed that human kind had to exploit their inner most desires and let them take control of their rationality. Anger was a powerful source of energy that drove man to reach higher potentials, this would allow one to get to the 'will to power', and understanding of life beyond adaptation or survival.
The 7 deadly sins or Capital Vices were taught to educate masses into an objective truth that would condition them into a more 'civilized' behaviour, channelling them into a respectful life that eventually leads you to heaven.
Nietzsche was fond of their exploitation and their manipulation to achieve ones very ambitions and this is noticeable throughout his work. The Antichrist has very powerful sentences that wish to educate the readers into a different perspective.
"What is good? All that heightens the feeling of power in man, the will to power, power itself. What is bad? All that is born of weakness. What is happiness? The feeling that power is growing, that resistance is overcome. "
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