18.11.07

Nietzsche's Master-Slave Morality

Tension stirred as Tosca swatted at Zoey in his poorly chosen hidding place. Zoe made a move. He had to. With Tosca positioned on his right he had a clear shot from underneath the couch to the hallway. The dirty clothes pile in the bedroom promised safety if he burrowed quickly. Snap. Whap. Zoe was down before he passed the coffee table. I grabbed the spray bottle filled with water. It was time from human intervention. But before I took aim the strangest thing started happening. The wrestling ceased. Tosca's front and back legs laid over Zoe's body. Their bodies curved seamlessly with Zoe's back lining his predator's chest and belly. They held this pose motionless for whole minute.
Master Morality
Nietzsche defined master morality as the morality of the strong-willed. For these men the 'good' is the noble, strong and powerful, while the 'bad' is the weak, cowardly, timid and petty. Other qualities that are often valued in master moralities are open-mindedness, courage, truthfulness, trust and a sense of self-worth. -wiki
Slave Morality
They are particularly wary of the things that their oppressors value as "good". The essence of slave morality is utility: the good is what is most useful for the community as a whole. Since the powerful are few in number compared to the masses of the weak, the weak gain power vis-a-vis the strong by treating those qualities that are valued by the powerful (the things that cause their own unsatisfactory condition) as "evil," and those qualities that enable sufferers to endure their lot or improve their condition as "good." -wiki

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