Nietzsche: Transvaluation of Value (S.

M)

Transvaluation of values is a concept introduced by the German philosopher Friedrich

Nietzsche, which has significant implications for the way we view and evaluate moral values
and beliefs. The concept of transvaluation involves a radical re-evaluation and transformation
of the prevailing moral values of a society, challenging their universality and offering a new
perspective on what is good and valuable. The concept of transvaluation of values occurs in
series of Nietzsche’s books; The Antichrist, Beyond Good and Evil, On the Genealogy of
Morals, Daybreak, Thus Spoke Zarathustra and others.
Nietzsche argued that traditional values such as good and evil, truth and falsehood, and
morality and immorality were not fixed and universal, but rather were subjective and
contingent upon the cultural and historical context in which they emerged. He believed that
these values were created by people in positions of power to maintain their dominance and
control over society.
In “On the Genealogy of Morals” he traces the moral concept of good and bad and the transition
from good and evil. According to him the Greeks used the good to mean aristocratic or noble
far from being a moral concept. It references society’s most powerful people. This means that
whoever’s the most powerful person in a society determines what’s good. In such societies,
like Ancient Greece, there’s no concept of evil. People who aren’t strong and powerful are
simply less good, rather than fundamentally evil. The good/evil pattern of valuation is quite
different. It focuses its negative evaluation (evil) on violations of the interests or well-being of
others—and consequently its positive evaluation (good) on altruistic concern for their welfare.
Nietzsche thinks that “priestly” morality evolves from historically oppressed people around the
birth of Christianity and thereby making a transition to the good-evil pattern of valuation.
Oppressed people resent their oppressors, so they “revolt” and develop a new moral code that
depicts their own humble, patient, and obedient behaviour as “good” and demonizes people
they hate (their oppressors) as barbaric, aggressive beasts of prey.
Traditional morality is based the pattern of good-evil valuation that gave rise to what Nietzsche
called a slave morality, which values humility, self-sacrifice, and obedience to authority. He
contends that this morality is a result of ressentiment: the resentment felt by the weak and
oppressed, who use moral values to gain power over their oppressors.
He explored the concept of guilt and its relationship to morality and the role punishment played
in a moral system. Punishment according to him emerged as a means to enforce morality by
making people feel guilty. But Nietzsche disagrees that punishment serves the purpose of
regulating morality. He therefore considers guilt unhealthy. He argues that guilt is not a natural
or necessary component of human psychology, but rather a product of the social and cultural
norms that define what is considered "good" or "bad" behaviour. Nietzsche contends that guilt
serves as a tool of social control, used by those in power to enforce their moral values on the
rest of society.
The traditional morality results in the kind of the ascetic ideal, which he sees as the ultimate
expression of slave morality. Ascetic ideal he sees as the denial or suppression of the natural
tendency of man. And thereby resulting in a guilt of having the feelings and desires most natural
to man. He argues that the ascetic ideal is a form of self-denial and self-mortification that is
used by the weak and oppressed as a way to gain power over their oppressors. Nietzsche
criticizes the ascetic ideal as a form of nihilism that denies the value of life and the world.
Nietzsche characterizes people who find value in distancing themselves from everyday life as
“ascetic priests.” Nietzsche thinks the ascetic ideal manifests most tangibly in Christianity:
religious leaders want to escape the pain of mortality, so they tell themselves that withdrawing
from their emotional urges, materialistic aims, and bodily desires will give them access to
immortality in heaven.
Nietzsche critiques the role of religion in shaping morality. He sees religion as a tool used by
those in power to control the masses and impose their values on them. Nietzsche is particularly
critical of Christianity, which he sees as promoting a form of slave morality that emphasizes
self-denial and obedience to authority.
In Daybreak, Nietzsche argues that traditional morality is a form of "herd morality" that is
imposed on individuals by the society in which they live. This morality is based on the values
of obedience, conformity, and self-denial, which Nietzsche sees as hindering individual
development and creativity.
In "On Truth and Lie in an Extra-Moral Sense," Nietzsche also critiques the role of morality in
shaping human behaviour. He argues that morality is a form of social control, designed to limit
the will to power of individuals and to maintain the status quo. Nietzsche sees morality as a
means of enforcing conformity and suppressing individuality, and he advocates for the
rejection of traditional moral values.
Nietzsche's rejection of morality and truth in "On Truth and Lie in an Extra-Moral Sense"
represents a radical departure from traditional philosophy and its emphasis on objective truth
and moral values. He challenges readers to question their assumptions about truth and morality,
and to embrace the subjective nature of human experience. Nietzsche's ideas continue to
influence contemporary philosophy, and his critique of traditional morality and truth remains
a controversial and challenging perspective.
Nietzsche's critique of morality in Daybreak is based on his idea of the will to power which he
sees as the fundamental driving force behind all human behaviour. Nietzsche believes that
traditional morality suppresses the will to power, preventing individuals from achieving their
full potential. He argues that the will to power is a positive force that enables individuals to
overcome their limitations and create new values.
In contrast to “slave-morality” Nietzsche in Beyond Good and Evil, proposes a new morality
that he calls "master morality." Master morality is based on the values of strength, power, and
creativity, which he believes reflect the true nature of human existence. Nietzsche argues that
master morality allows individuals to embrace their individuality and achieve their full
potential, rather than being held back by the constraints of traditional morality. Master
morality, a new morality that he calls "free spirits morality" is based on free spirit individuals.
Master morality according to Nietzsche is only for the free spirited; individuals that are free
from the clutches of the herd and is himself solely responsible for his values through his own
creativity. It promotes the values of individualism, creativity, and self-expression, and
emphasizes the importance of living in the present moment rather than being bound by the past
or the future. Nietzsche sees free spirits morality as a way to break free from the constraints of
traditional morality and to embrace the will to power. Overall, Nietzsche's analysis of morality
in Daybreak represents a radical departure from traditional morality and its values. Nietzsche
challenges individuals to break free from the constraints of herd morality and to embrace their
individuality and the will to power.
The value creations are then mastered by the free-spirited individuals based on their own
strength and creativity free from the jurisdiction of the crown albeit acknowledging that the
free-spirited cannot be fully isolated from the society, nevertheless they are not influenced by
them. Some scholars have taken Nietzsche to promote values such as power understood as the
power to overcome resistance. This conception connects power directly to the person’s capacity
to reshape her environment in the service of his ends, and it thereby provides a more intuitive
sense of what, exactly, is supposed to be good about power. Another value commitment
prominent in Nietzsche’s work (and arguably related to his positive assessments of life and
power) is the value of affirmation. According to Reginster “Nietzsche regards the affirmation
of life as his defining philosophical achievement”. Nietzsche’s value of life-affirmation
simultaneously commits him to honesty as a value. If we are to affirm our life and the world,
however, we had better be honest about what they are really like. Endorsing things under some
illusory optimistic description is not affirmation, but self-delusion.
To Nietzsche, the process of transvaluation of values was/is necessary also to overcome the
nihilistic tendencies of modernity, which he saw as the result of the decline of traditional values
and the loss of meaning and purpose in life. He saw the creation of new values as a way to
overcome this nihilism and to affirm the value and importance of human existence. The process
of transvaluation involves a critical examination of the prevailing values of a society,
challenging their validity and examining their underlying assumptions. This process requires a
rejection of inherited prejudices and assumptions, as well as a willingness to adopt a critical
and independent perspective on the world. Through this critical examination, new values can
be created that are more reflective of the individual's will to power and that can provide
meaning and purpose in life.
The transvaluation of values has significant implications for our understanding of morality and
ethics. It challenges the notion that there are universal moral values that are applicable to all
people, and instead suggests that moral values are contingent upon cultural and historical
context. This means that moral values can change overtime, and what is considered moral in
one society may not be considered moral in another. It also highlights the importance of
individual autonomy and creativity in the creation of new values. It suggests that individuals
have the power to create their own values, rather than simply accepting the values that have
been imposed upon them by society. This emphasis on individual autonomy and creativity is a
core component of Nietzsche's philosophy.
In conclusion, the concept of transvaluation of values is a radical and transformative idea that
challenges the prevailing moral values of a society and offers a new perspective on what is
good and valuable. It requires a critical examination of inherited assumptions and a willingness
to create new values that are more reflective of the individual's will to power. It also emphasizes
the importance of individual autonomy and creativity in the creation of new values.
However, it is also necessary to acknowledge that it is unlikely that either slave morality or
master morality will cease to exist entirely, as they are deeply ingrained in human nature and
have been present throughout human history. However, it's possible that the dominance of one
or the other could shift depending on cultural and societal changes. For example, in certain
societies and historical periods, master morality has been more dominant, while in others, slave
morality has been more prevalent. It's also possible that new forms of morality could emerge
in the future that are different from either slave morality or master morality. In Nietzsche’s
view master morality belongs only to the few kindled spirit, few individuals who are free-
spirited and have managed to identify themselves aside from the herds.