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520 definitions

The book's index

Beyond Good and Evil

369 concepts · 520 definitions

A–C · 62 concepts · 74 definitions
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Morality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠merely a sign language of the affects: one justifies its creator, another calms him, another lets him crucify himself, take revenge, hide, or transfigure himself.

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Morality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠only an interpretation: there are no moral phenomena at all, only a moral interpretation of phenomena.

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Morality (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a bit of tyranny against nature and reason — a long compulsion, like meter and rhyme, which is how every language won its strength and freedom.

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Morality (n.) in ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the rational foundation philosophers tried to supply was merely a scholarly variation of the common faith in the prevalent morality, and the very opposite of an examination or questioning of that faith.

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Truth (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠what a thought becomes once it has lost its novelty: so immortal-looking, so pathetically decent, so dull.

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Truth (n.) being ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠worth more than appearance is no more than a moral prejudice — the worst-proved assumption in the world.

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Truth (n.) may ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠be a woman — and the philosophers, with their gruesome seriousness and clumsy obtrusiveness, never had a chance of winning her.

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Truth (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠one kind is recognized best by mediocre minds, to whom it is most congenial, and truth of another kind has charm only for mediocre spirits.

Definition.com

Pity (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the only religion preached today, and it hides a hoarse, groaning, genuine sound of self-contempt: the proud ape of modern ideas suffers, and his vanity wants him to suffer only with others.

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Pity (n.) versus ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠pity: yours is for the creature in man, which must suffer to be formed; ours resists yours as the worst of all pamperings.

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Pity (n.) made ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a religion unites anarchists, democrats and socialists in a deadly hatred of suffering, an almost feminine inability to remain spectators, and a pity extended down to the animal and up to God.

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Pity (n.) for ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠all would be hardness and tyranny toward you, my dear neighbor.

Definition.com

Love (n.) puts ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠whatever is done from it beyond good and evil.

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Love (n.) even ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠at its best and profoundest is poor, stupid, helpless, arrogant, blundering — more apt to destroy than to save.

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Love (n.) as ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠passion is the sex drive sublimated — and only under the pressure of Christian value judgments did that happen.

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Love (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠one is a barbarism, for it is exercised at the expense of all others — the love of God, too.

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A Philosopher (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an advocate who resents the name, defending a desire of the heart — filtered and made abstract — with reasons sought after the fact.

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A Philosopher (n.) who ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠is good must be dry, clear, and without illusion, and a banker who has made a fortune has one trait needed for seeing clearly into what is.

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A Philosopher (n.) cannot ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠be taught but only known from experience; for every high world one must be born — many generations must labor to prepare the origin of a philosopher.

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A Philosopher (n.) must ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠have been critic, skeptic, dogmatist, historian, poet, collector, traveler, moralist, seer, and free spirit — but all that is only the precondition of his task: to create values.

Definition.com

Vanity (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an atavism: the slave in the blood who first seduces others into a good opinion of him and then prostrates himself before it, as if he had not called it forth.

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Vanity (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠almost unimaginable to a noble human being, who can hardly picture people seeking a good opinion of themselves that they do not have and do not deserve, and then believing it.

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Vanity (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠hardest to wound just after our pride has been wounded.

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Vanity (n.) wants ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠what we do best to be considered what is hardest for us — the origin of many a morality.

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Religion (n.) in ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a genuine life requires a leisure class, leisure with a good conscience, and modern noisy industriousness prepares people above all for unbelief.

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Religion (n.) made ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠sovereign rather than kept as a means sides with everyone who suffers life like a sickness, preserves too much of what ought to perish, and keeps the type man on a lower rung.

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Religion (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠where the passions enjoy the rights of citizens again.

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Religion (n.) in ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the philosopher's hand is a means of cultivation, a bond that delivers the subjects' consciences to the rulers, and a splendor that makes the sight of ever-toiling people tolerable to them.

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A Mask (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠what everything profound loves; what is most profound even hates image and parable.

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A Mask (n.) grows ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠continually around every profound spirit, out of the constantly shallow interpretation of every word and sign of life he gives.

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A Mask (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠what the wanderer back from every depth asks for when offered rest: "Another mask! A second mask!"

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A Mask (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠where the spirit enjoys its multiplicity and craftiness, and its security — its Protean arts defend and conceal it best.

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Evil (n.) in ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠slave morality names whoever inspires fear; in master morality it is precisely the "good" who inspire fear, while the "bad" are merely contemptible.

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Evil (n.) in ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the experience of a time is usually an untimely echo of what was formerly experienced as good — the atavism of a more ancient ideal.

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Evil (n.) rechristened ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠as what is best in us is the courage that makes the great epochs of our life.

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Evil (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the name given, once society feels safe, to everything that lifts an individual above the herd and intimidates the neighbor.

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Life (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠essentially appropriation, injury, overpowering of what is alien and weaker, suppression, hardness, exploitation — so why always use words stamped with slanderous intent?

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Life (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠will to power: a living thing seeks above all to discharge its strength, and self-preservation is only one of the results.

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Life (n.) has ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠been watched badly if one has not also seen the hand that considerately — kills.

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Life (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠precisely wanting to be other than nature: estimating, preferring, being unjust, being limited, wanting to be different.