Nietzsche And The Dangers Of Playing With Religious Morality

By Naseer Ahmed, New Age Islam 22 August 2024 Religious Morality And Belief In Democracy Are Based On Beliefs In Absolute Truths And Dogma. He Destroyed Or Weakened It, Promoting An Ill-Defined, Unconstrained Master Morality, Which Isn’t Morality But Glorifying Power And Strength Or Supermen. In His Imagination, The Supermen Would Be Benign Gods. ----- The primary purpose of all revelations was to teach us an ethical way of living. There would have been no revelations if man could form moral rules independently. God makes himself known by giving us this knowledge, which could come only from Him. This may sound strange to many because the moral rules look self-evident, but there is nothing self-evident about any moral rule. Every moral rule is counterintuitive. For what is intuitive or instinctive, there is no moral rule. No religion says, “Love your children and care for them” because that is instinctive. Still, every religion says “care and honour your parents” because that is not instinctive and has to be deliberately cultivated. We could find examples in moral philosophies if humans could independently produce a durable moral rule. I have studied the works of all the most significant moral philosophers from 600 BC to date, which covers the entire history of philosophy, and I couldn’t find a single example. They do a post-facto examination of what they think morality is, but no one has contributed a single moral rule. The moral rules have come exclusively from religion. Nietzsche proposed overturning religious morality and replacing it with a new morality, but with little success. His is an interesting case which proves why morality could never have come from humans and discussed later. The reader can skip the following two sections and go directly to the section titled “A New Morality Proposed by Friedrich Nietzsche.” An Overview of Moral Philosophies Moral philosophy includes numerous thinkers. An overview of some of the most influential moral philosophers and a brief description of their moral philosophies from a selection across different eras and traditions, each contributing to the ongoing dialogue on what it means to live an ethical life, is presented below as a handy reference: 1. Socrates (469-399 BCE) • Moral Philosophy: Socratic ethics emphasises virtue as the highest good and the foundation of a moral life. He believed that knowledge is a virtue and that moral failure results from ignorance. 2. Plato (427-347 BCE) • Moral Philosophy: Plato’s ethics is based on the idea of the Forms, especially the Form of the Good. He argued that a just life is in harmony with these ideal forms and that the soul must align itself with the Good to achieve moral virtue. 3. Aristotle (384-322 BCE) • Moral Philosophy: Aristotle’s virtue ethics focuses on achieving eudaimonia (flourishing or happiness) through cultivating virtues like courage, temperance, and wisdom. He advocated for the "Golden Mean," where virtue lies between extremes. 4. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) • Moral Philosophy: Kant’s deontological ethics is grounded in the concept of duty and the Categorical Imperative, which asserts that one should act according to maxims that can be universalized. He emphasized moral autonomy and the intrinsic worth of rational beings. 5. Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) • Moral Philosophy: Bentham is known for developing utilitarianism, which holds that the morality of an action is determined by its consequences, specifically by the amount of happiness or pleasure it produces. His principle of "the greatest happiness for the greatest number" is central to this theory. 6. John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) • Moral Philosophy: Mill expanded on Bentham’s utilitarianism, distinguishing between higher and lower pleasures and advocating for individual liberty as a fundamental principle. He argued that the quality of happiness matters, not just the quantity. 7. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) • Moral Philosophy: Nietzsche critiqued traditional moral values, which he saw as life-denying. He proposed a revaluation of values based on the concept of the Übermensch (Overman) and the will to power, advocating for a morality that affirms life and creativity. 8. David Hume (1711-1776) • Moral Philosophy: Hume was an empiricist who argued that moral judgments are based on sentiments rather than reason. He believed that morality is rooted in human nature, particularly in our capacity for empathy and social cooperation. 9. Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) • Moral Philosophy: Hobbes is best known for his social contract theory, which posits that morality arises from a contract among individuals to create a stable society. He believed that in the state of nature, life would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." 10. John Rawls (1921-2002) • Moral Philosophy: Rawls’ theory of justice as fairness is a modern social contract theory. He introduced the original position and the veil of ignorance as methods to derive principles of justice that ensure fairness and equality in society. 11. Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) • Moral Philosophy: Sartre, an existentialist, argued that existence precedes essence, meaning that individuals must create their own values in a world without inherent meaning. He emphasized radical freedom and the responsibility that comes with it. 12. G. E. Moore (1873-1958) • Moral Philosophy: Moore is known for his work in ethical non-naturalism and his critique of the naturalistic fallacy. He argued that "good" is a simple, indefinable quality and that moral truths are objective, though not derivable from natural facts. 13. Confucius (551-479 BCE) • Moral Philosophy: Confucius emphasized ethics based on human relationships, especially filial piety and respect for elders. His moral philosophy focuses on the cultivation of virtue, particularly through the practice of Ren (benevolence) and Li (proper conduct). 14. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) • Moral Philosophy: Aquinas synthesized Christian theology with Aristotelian ethics, developing natural law theory. He argued that moral principles are derived from human nature and that the ultimate moral goal is union with God. 15. Alasdair MacIntyre (1929-) • Moral Philosophy: MacIntyre’s work in virtue ethics emphasizes the importance of traditions in moral reasoning. He critiques modern moral philosophy for its lack of coherent ethical frameworks and advocates for a return to Aristotelian ethics. 16. Carol Gilligan (1936-) • Moral Philosophy: Gilligan is known for her work on ethics of care, which contrasts with traditional male-centric moral theories. She emphasizes relationships, empathy, and care as central to moral decision-making, particularly in the context of women’s moral experiences. 17. Peter Singer (1946-) • Moral Philosophy: Singer is a contemporary utilitarian who focuses on issues of global poverty, animal rights, and bioethics. He argues for "effective altruism," advocating that individuals have a moral obligation to reduce suffering wherever possible. 18. Elizabeth Anscombe (1919-2001) • Moral Philosophy: Anscombe is known for her work in virtue ethics and her critique of consequentialism. She argued for a return to Aristotelian ethics and emphasized the importance of intention in moral actions. 19. W. D. Ross (1877-1971) • Moral Philosophy: Ross developed the theory of prima facie duties, which are moral obligations that hold unless overridden by a stronger duty. His pluralistic approach to ethics acknowledges multiple, sometimes conflicting, moral principles. 20. Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) • Moral Philosophy: De Beauvoir, a prominent existentialist and feminist, emphasised the importance of freedom and authenticity in moral life. She critiqued the traditional roles imposed on women and argued for the liberation of women from patriarchal constraints. Religious Morality Religious morality refers to the moral principles and values derived from religious beliefs and teachings. These ethical guidelines are typically rooted in a particular religion's sacred texts, traditions, and doctrines and are believed to be ordained by a divine authority. The objectives of religious morality generally include: 1. Alignment with Divine Will • Objective: To live according to the will and commandments of God. • Religious morality often emphasises obedience to divine laws as a path to spiritual fulfilment, salvation, or enlightenment. 2. Promotion of Virtue and Moral Character • Objective: To cultivate virtues such as compassion, honesty, humility, and integrity. • Religious morality seeks to develop a moral character that reflects the virtues endorsed by the religion, aiming to create individuals who embody these ideals in their daily lives. 3. Social Harmony and Order • Objective: To foster a cohesive and just society based on shared moral values. • Many religions emphasise the importance of social justice, peace, and harmony, encouraging followers to live in a way that promotes the common good and supports the community's well-being. 4. Spiritual Growth and Salvation • Objective: To guide individuals towards spiritual growth and, ultimately, salvation, enlightenment, or union with the divine. • Religious morality often involves practices and behaviours that are believed to purify the soul, draw individuals closer to the divine, and secure a favourable outcome in the afterlife or next life. 5. Guidance for Ethical Decision-Making • Objective: To provide a framework for making ethical decisions in various aspects of life. • Religious morality offers clear guidelines on issues such as justice, sexuality, family life, and the treatment of others, helping adherents navigate complex moral situations. 6. Encouragement of Self-Discipline and Responsibility • Objective: To encourage self-control, discipline, and responsibility towards oneself and others. • Religious teachings often stress the importance of self-restraint, duty, and accountability, both in personal behaviour and in interactions with others. 7. Connection to a Higher Purpose • Objective: To provide a sense of purpose and meaning by connecting moral actions to a higher, often spiritual, purpose. • Religious morality often frames moral behaviour as part of a larger divine plan or as a way to fulfill one's purpose in the universe. Summary Religious morality is designed to align human behaviour with divine will, promote virtuous living, ensure social harmony, guide ethical decision-making and provide a sense of purpose and spiritual growth. It functions as a moral compass for believers, guiding them in their interactions with others and in their spiritual journey. A New Morality Proposed by Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Nietzsche's critique of Christian morality is one of his philosophy's most famous and influential aspects. He viewed Christian morality as a manifestation of what he called "slave morality," which he believed was life-denying and rooted in resentment. Here are the key points of his criticism: 1. Slave Morality vs. Master Morality • Master Morality: Nietzsche argued that ancient societies, particularly the aristocratic societies of ancient Greece and Rome, practised what he called "master morality." This morality was based on strength, power, nobility, and pride. It celebrated life, vitality, and the ability to shape one's destiny. • Slave Morality: In contrast, Nietzsche saw Christian morality as a form of "slave morality," which he believed originated from the oppressed and weaker classes. This morality inverted the values of master morality, exalting humility, meekness, weakness, and self-denial. It arose from resentment (what Nietzsche called "ressentiment") towards the strong. 2. Resentment and the Revaluation of Values • Nietzsche argued that Christian morality is rooted in resentment—a deep-seated, festering hatred of those who are strong, healthy, and powerful. He believed that the weak, unable to compete with the strong, redefined their weakness as "goodness" and the strength of the powerful as "evil." • This "revaluation of values" was, according to Nietzsche, a profound reversal of natural values. What was once considered noble and good (strength, power, pride) was now condemned, and what was previously seen as weak and pitiful (humility, meekness) was elevated as virtuous. 3. Life-Denying Aspects of Christian Morality • Nietzsche criticised Christian morality for being life-denying. He argued that it encourages rejecting earthly pleasures, instincts, and the body in favour of an afterlife. This, Nietzsche believed, fosters a disdain for life itself and suppresses human beings' natural, life-affirming instincts. • He saw Christian morality as denying the will to power, which he considered the fundamental driving force of life. By promoting values like self-sacrifice, meekness, and chastity, Nietzsche believed Christianity suppresses the natural human drive for power, achievement, and self-assertion. 4. The "Death of God" and the Crisis of Modernity • Nietzsche famously proclaimed the "death of God," not as an atheistic declaration but as a cultural observation. He believed that the decline of Christian belief in modern Europe would lead to a profound existential crisis because Christian morality was deeply embedded in Western culture. • With the death of God, Nietzsche predicted the collapse of the moral framework that had dominated Western civilization for centuries. He warned that without this framework, people would face a nihilistic void, where life seemed meaningless and devoid of values. 5. The Overman (Übermensch) as a New Moral Ideal • In response to the crisis of morality brought about by the death of God, Nietzsche introduced the concept of the Übermensch (Overman or Superman). The Übermensch is an individual who creates his values, lives beyond the constraints of conventional morality, and affirms life in all its aspects. • Nietzsche saw the Übermensch as the antidote to the life-denying values of Christian morality. This figure represents a new moral ideal that embraces the will to power and the creative potential of human beings, unshackled by the constraints of traditional religious and moral values. Conclusion It is a fact that religious morality is for the protection and care of the weak and could be called slave morality. Left to humans, morality would have been defined by the strong, and we would have had Master Morality. The fact that we have “slave morality” is the greatest miracle of religion. Slave morality could not have triumphed universally if it wasn’t the work of God through His Messengers. Otherwise, it had no chance of success. The story of every prophet, avatar and Bhagwan is a story of war against the corrupt, powerful kings and chiefs who imposed the Master Morality on their people. In practice, the strong try to subvert religious morality and impose Master morality. This is the story of man’s struggles, even in democracies. Nietzsche's critique of Christian morality rejects what he saw as its life-denying, resentful, and repressive qualities. He believed it stifled human potential and creativity by glorifying weakness and condemning the natural human drive for power and self-assertion. Nietzsche’s philosophy calls for a revaluation of values and the creation of new, life-affirming principles in the face of the decline of traditional religious belief. The virtues Nietzsche wished to promote are in no way discouraged by religious morality nor challenging to cultivate while remaining within the bounds of religious morality. Islam is an excellent example of religion promoting all the virtues that Nietzsche speaks of, which dramatically transformed the Arabs to reach the pinnacle of success in every field. Nietzsche's philosophy was well-intended. It was meant to celebrate and encourage the virtues of strength, vitality, adventure, heroism, and striving for excellence. He, however, mistakenly thought that this could be a replacement for religious morality. His attack on religious morality weakened it, paving the way for the unintended consequences. His philosophy was misused by the Nazis and the fascists to justify what they did, helped by the fact that he had unnecessarily discredited religious morality, which would otherwise have stood in the way. Fascism is Master Morality, and what can Master Morality achieve except make the people slaves? Slave morality is the power of the people, which means democracy. The irony is that Nietzsche was not a fascist, nor did he advocate fascist ideology. He was, however, a critic of egalitarianism and democracy, which he saw as promoting mediocrity. Nietzsche was deeply critical of all ideologies, including those that later influenced fascism. He rejected the notion of absolute truths and dogmas, advocating instead for a perspectivist view of truth. Religious morality and belief in democracy are based on beliefs in absolute truths and dogma. He destroyed or weakened it, promoting an ill-defined, unconstrained Master Morality, which isn’t morality but glorifying power and strength or Supermen. In his imagination, the Supermen would be benign gods. That they turned out to be psychopathic fascists is hardly surprising. He helped loosen all moral constraints, allowing the fascists to achieve their objectives. That it was unintended, and Nietzsche was against fascism and antisemitism is beside the point. It is hard to imagine any other outcome of his philosophy. In the history of moral philosophy, we have one instance of a philosopher attacking religious morality and weakening it under the mistaken belief that cultivating certain positive traits was a replacement for morality. He destroyed morality without contributing anything to the moral sphere. Weakening religious morality had evil consequences for which humanity has paid a heavy price - the murder of six million Jews besides the millions killed in the world wars. The fact that “slave morality” is firmly established and universally accepted, while the rich, strong and powerful hate it and try to impose “Master Morality” even in democracies, is proof that “slave morality” is from God. If it wasn’t so, it couldn’t ever have found a foothold nor survived the autocracies that ruled the world for most of our history. I have discussed Nietzsche because there is nothing else to discuss about man’s contribution to morality. Literature has contributed to sensitising us to the human condition and developing empathy, but no field of human endeavour has produced a durable moral rule. Humans can only tweak and play with the moral rules but not create valuable ones. This domain is exclusive to the Divine, who makes His existence known to those who realise and accept this truth. ----- A frequent contributor to NewAgeIslam.com, Naseer Ahmed is an Engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur and is an independent IT consultant after having served in both the Public and Private sector in responsible positions for over three decades. He has spent years studying Quran in-depth and made seminal contributions to its interpretation. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-spiritualism/nietzsche-dangers-religious-morality/d/133006 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism