Rereading the Genealogy of Morals last night, it occurred to me that I have a fine way of differentiating between those who submit to a negative mode of life --i.e. slave morality, ressentiment, punishment and self-abnegation -- and those who operate according to a 'master morality'. At the most basic level the question is: Have you submitted to a subject-object reversal, whereby your subjectivity is displaced into some kind of ruling object and its will? Or, are you still your own subject, the master of your own will?
I think there is much room for misunderstanding Nietzsche if one doesn't already thoroughly and fully possess one's own subjectivity. One can invest all of one's philosophical capital in the images that Nietzsche portrays, of oligarchy and a lust for power, along with a kind of unconscious sadism (the eagle that "loves" the lamb). However, there is no point in adopting any of these mannerisms and proclaiming that one is now "master" when one has not first obtained power over one's subjectivity. To assume that one already has this power, when one has not, must be the most common mistake of most of Nietzsche's adherents.
2 comments:
i believe am a master of my own will i wouldnt subject myself to the negative thinking process as this would enslave my cogitating capacity.leaving in the negative,thinking in the negative are my worst nightmares,its like brains in a match box,not having the capacity to plan for the future,there are so many critics around and its so hard to convince them.
The thing is that they can't be convinced, a lot of the time. Trying to convince them is really a waste of time. You just have to do whatever it is you want to do. If people start to follow, that is fine.
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