Since the dawn of civilization, the world is gradually becoming a better and better place and we are more free and equal than previous generations. Right? But Friedrich Nietzsche would disagree with this. He was a well-known German philosopher who lived in the late nineteenth century. In his book, Beyond good and Evil, he talks about how people in the West are suffering from dogmatic thinking which is preventing them from seeing the world as it truly I, a world based on violence and inequality.
This book is not easy to read but I was able to find some wisdom in it. I read this book because Jordan Peterson suggested that, but I can't say that I agree with all of Nietzsche's philosophies. Let me tell you some of his philosophies and you can decide for yourself.
Lesson 1: Desire for more power control’s people’s behaviors
Nietzsche believes that the desire to gain more power is ultimately the only reason that gets people to do something. He says this is part of human nature and enables us to survive. For example, when we help others we might think we are doing it out of a good heart. But have you noticed that you’re more likely to help someone you’re attracted to?
Lesson 2: There is no one truth
Nietzche's entire philosophy is based on the conviction that the only reality we can know is the one we see around us. He says since people have different experiences, they have different ways of making sense of the world. So he believes there is no one truth and the only truth is that there are many human perspectives.
Lesson 3: We should reject the values that don’t serve us
For Nietzsche, it is always worth asking whether our values serve us or diminish us. And if they diminish us, shouldn’t we reject them? He says morality, especially religious morality has been successful at surpassing human tendencies but those tendencies haven’t just disappeared. On the contrary, it's been turned on ourselves.
Overall this book is a good one to introduce you to different perspectives and maybe help you understand the people who see the world differently.