Nietzsche, Mill, and Morality: Exploring Values and Ethics
Nietzsche on Atheism and Morality
Nietzsche’s primary goal is to understand how belief in the supernatural persisted for so long. He attributes this to the same reasons behind the emergence of harshly criticized metaphysical constructs like science and metaphysics.
Christianity, according to Nietzsche, triumphs by promoting moral values he terms “slave morality,” characterized by humility, subjection, and poverty. This fosters base values such as obedience, sacrifice, compassion, and herd mentality. It represents a vulgar morality, the morality of the slave, fueled by resentment against the noble. This leads to the destruction of ancient values, a perversion of the noble values of Greece and Rome, and a revolt of slaves against their masters. Christianity, in this view, is the “mortal enemy of the superior type of man.” It introduces unhealthy concepts like guilt and sin, which can only be overcome by asserting the “innocence of becoming” and recognizing ourselves as not subject to external laws or orders, operating “beyond good and evil.”
However, Nietzsche does not entirely dismiss Jesus and early Christianity. He offers a different interpretation, suggesting that what we now understand as Christianity owes more to Paul than to Jesus. Nietzsche portrays Jesus as a revolutionary, an anarchist opposing all forms of order, particularly traditional religious power, and as a proponent of non-violence. The concept of God, in this context, serves to objectify cultural values. The Christian God represents negative, anti-life values of impotence, while polytheism suggests affirmative values and fidelity to nature.
Nietzsche also promulgated the “law against Christianity,” outlining seven requirements for liberation from the degenerating influence of the Christian religion and its manifestations.
Mill on Utilitarianism and Character
According to Mill, a person’s morality is defined by the nobility of their character, a quality possessed by few. While nobility of character may not guarantee personal happiness, it benefits those associated with the individual. Mill acknowledges that the Golden Rule of utilitarianism, which prioritizes the happiness of others, echoes the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” or “love your neighbor as yourself.”
Under utilitarianism, the principle of community interest takes precedence over individual self-interest in actions. Practical rationality dictates prioritizing community interest over the sum of individual interests to achieve happiness and pleasure. Moral education should therefore foster an indissoluble association between individual happiness and the general interest. When this becomes habitual, the individual’s character is ennobled, aligning the pursuit of happiness with the common good.
The Priest and Dangerous Existence
Among priests, everything becomes more dangerous, including healing, medical arts, arrogance, revenge, cunning, debauchery, love, lust for power, virtue, and disease. It could be argued that within this essentially dangerous form of human existence, the priestly form, humanity has become an interesting animal. It is here that the human soul has reached a higher sense of depth and become evil – arguably the two primary forms of superiority humans have achieved over other animals!