On the Genealogy of Morals

by

Friedrich Nietzsche

On the Genealogy of Morals Symbols

Sickness and Health

Nietzsche uses the metaphor of physical “health” to symbolize cultures that encourage humans to thrive, flourish, and experience joy. To Nietzsche, healthy cultures embrace a moral code that acknowledges humans are innately aggressive, adventurous creatures…

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Bad Air

Nietzsche uses the metaphor of “bad air”—essentially, the stench of diseased, rotting corpses—to represent 19th-century European culture’s stagnant, regressive state. Nietzsche thinks that European culture stunts humanity, because its moral code encourages people to be…

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Beasts of Prey

Nietzsche uses the image of a “beast of prey” to symbolize humanity’s natural tendency toward strength, aggression, and predatory behavior. He argues that many ancient cultures (including Ancient Greece and Rome) valorized being strong, aggressive…

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