Beyond Good and Evil · Chapter
108 explained
A single, powerful aphorism that denies the objective existence of morality, asserting that what we call morality is merely an interpretation imposed upon events and actions.
What happens
A single, powerful aphorism that denies the objective existence of morality, asserting that what we call morality is merely an interpretation imposed upon events and actions.
Themes in this chapter
Perspectivism
The core claim that morality is not a fact of the world but an interpretation, a perspective applied to phenomena.
Critique of Traditional Philosophy
Directly attacks the philosophical tradition that seeks to discover or ground objective moral facts or 'phenomena'.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Delivers the definitive statement denying objective morality and introducing the concept of moral interpretation.
Key passages
“There is no such thing as moral phenomena, but only a moral interpretation of phenomena.”
Morality isn't something we find in the world; it's a lens through which we choose to view the world.
Condenses the core idea that morality is subjective and interpretive, not objective.