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Beyond Good and Evil · Chapter
Chapter 175 explained
A brief, aphoristic reflection on the nature of love and desire, positing that love is directed toward one's own desires rather than their external object.
What happens
A brief, aphoristic reflection on the nature of love and desire, positing that love is directed toward one's own desires rather than their external object.
Themes in this chapter
Psychology as the Fundamental Science
A psychological dissection of love, revealing its root in subjective desire rather than the value of the object itself.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Delivers the aphoristic insight on desire and love.
Key passages
“One loves ultimately one’s desires, not the thing desired.”
Love is fundamentally a love for one's own yearning, not for the external target of that yearning.
Core aphorism of the chapter, critiquing the object-oriented understanding of love.