Philosophy of Religion
Dr Tom Kerns

Philosophy of Religion




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Nietzsche on religion

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) believes that religions are simply a way of re-empowering the weak at the expense of the strong. (There are many good Nietzsche sites out on the web, including this one.)

Nietzsche holds that natural morality, the morality of the strong ones, i.e., what he calls noble morality or master morality, is a morality of strength and power and challenge and victory, not a morality of humility and gentleness and meekness. He believes that this natural morality held sway in the more primordial ages of human antiquity. He says that this natural morality feels alive and strong and powerful and dominant. In this kind of noble morality, "goodness" is said to lie in strength and power and dominance and control. Bad, according to that natural morality, is anything weak, sad, pitiful, sickly, and without power,

Only the few can be "good" in that kind of morality, of course, and the weak ones (i.e., most people) did not like the feelings associated with being controlled and dominated and having no power over the strong ones. So, in opposition to the master morality, a "slave morality" slowly emerged out of their resentment toward the strong and powerful ones. According to this slave morality, all the characteristics that were considered "bad" in the master morality are now to be called "good," and everything that was considered "good" by the master morality will now be called "bad." So in the resulting slave morality, according to Nietzsche, characteristics like meekness, humility, gentleness, kindness, and giving one's will over to the will of others are now considered to be "good," and things like raw power, exerting one's will over others, controlling and dominating others, etc, are all said to be "evil."

In other words, the slave morality, according to Nietzsche, results from a "re-valuation of values." This is Nietzsche's term for what he considers the sneaky, underhanded way that the weak ones were able to obtain a measure of power over the strong and powerful ones. The weak ones felt resentment toward the power of the strong ones, and so by cleverly exerting an underhanded re-valuation of values, what was actually and naturally weak and sickly (gentleness, humility, etc.) somehow contrived to get itself valued as if it were good. Thus, in a slave morality, the ones who are slaves are the ones who are considered good, and the masters are considered bad. In the natural and noble morality, what Nietzsche calls the master morality, the masters are considered good and the slaves weak and bad.

The values of Judaism and Christianity, says Nietzsche, are examples of this pitiful, weak slave morality, and he may be willing to say the same for most other religions too. The tendency toward slave morality, i.e., the original re-valuation of values, began as early as Socrates, Nietzsche believes, and continues in all sorts of forms in our present day. Nietzsche believes that the slaves, in effect, have won, and the values of western society are now the values of weakness and sickliness rather than the natural master values of power, control and dominance.

This is a very oversimplified and not very well articulated summary of Nietzsche's thoughts on the origin of morality and religion.

Books in which Nietzsche expresses these ideas include:

Questions for you to consider and discuss in the classroom:

  1. How would you summarize, in your own words, what you understand Nietzsche to be saying about religious belief?
  2. If it's true, what would you say it implies about the people who choose to be religious?

 

 


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