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Tuesday 20 December 2005

The exemplary strength of will manifests itself in,

"The manly instincts which delight in war and victory,in order to RULE over the other instincts". [Nietzsche,'Twilight',IX 38]

In brief,"The free man is a WARRIOR".[ib.]

Nietzsche goes on to describe,
"how freedom is measured by the resistance which must be overcome,the effort it costs to stay ON TOP.The highest type of free men would need to be sought in the place where the greatest resistance is constantly being overcome:a short step away from tyranny,right on the threshold of the danger of servitude".[ib.]

"Freedom...as something which one can WANT,which one can CONQUER". [ib.]

If all this is strong will,what typifies weak will?

Weak will,
"results from a degeneration of instincts,a disgregation of the will-which is almost a definition of the BAD.Everything GOOD is instinct-and therefore easy,necessary,free". [ib.,VI,2]

It should be noted here that 'Good/Bad' is Nietzsche's revaluation of the Slave moral antithesis 'Good/Evil'.'Good/Bad' denotes the Noble and the Slave respectively.In 19th century intellectual life,Nietzsche noticed this weak will among the 'sceptics';

"Scepticism is the most spiritual expression of a certain complex physiological condition called in ordinary language nervous debility and sickliness; it arises whenever Races and Classes long separated from one another are decisively and suddenly crossed".

"That which becomes most profoundly sick and degenerates in such hybrids is the WILL:they no longer have any conception of independence of decision,of the valiant feeling of pleasure in willing-even in their dreams they doubt the 'freedom of the will' ". [BGE,208]

Remember that 'freedom of the will' is Nietzsche's formula for 'strong-will',and should not be confused with the theological 'freewill'.Nietzsche proceeds to elaborate on the political outlook that he had introduced in the
Preface of BGE;
"Our Europe of today,the scene of a senselessly sudden attempt at radical Class-and CONSEQUENTLY Race-mixture,is as a result sceptical from top to bottom""And often sick to death of its will!Paralysis of will;where does one not find this Cripple sitting today!". [BGE,208]

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