Beyond Good and Evil · Chapter
Aphorism 181 explained
A single, stark aphorism declaring that responding with a blessing when one is being cursed is an act contrary to human nature.
What happens
A single, stark aphorism declaring that responding with a blessing when one is being cursed is an act contrary to human nature.
Themes in this chapter
Psychology as the Fundamental Science
The aphorism is a psychological claim about the 'inhuman' nature of a specific moral response, probing the instincts beneath moral postures.
Master vs. Slave Morality
Implies a critique of the 'slavish' or Christian ideal of turning the other cheek, suggesting it is unnatural and a denial of honest, reactive instincts.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Delivers the aphoristic judgment on human nature and moral psychology.
Key passages
“It is inhuman to bless when one is being cursed.”
To offer a blessing in response to a curse goes against fundamental human instinct.
Condemns a specific moral injunction as psychologically unnatural.