What did Nietzsche think were the consequences of the 'ascetic ideal' for Modern Politics

On the Genealogy of Morals is one of Nietzsche's last works. It was written in 1887, three years before he was hospitalized in a mental institution. Along the three essays of which 'on the Genealogy of Morals' comprises, Nietzsche describes in a bold manner the central idea of the book, which nothing more than the 'conspiracy of the slaves'. The whole book is written in an austere, violent fashion , which is easily obvious in the Nietzschian rhetoric :' an intentionally misleading beginning, followed by an increasing sense of unease ending in a tempo feroce in which everything rushes ahead in a a tremendous tension, and finally a new truth becomes visible every time among thick clouds' ( Nietzsche in Heit, Abel, Brussotti, 2012 :73). There is no doubt that Nietzsche paid great attention to the composition of his texts. He seems to finish his texts in an angry and irritated manner ( like in GM I 14 and 15), 'the apotheosis of bad conscience in Christianity in GM II 21 and 22 and his scorn for contemporary science and historiography in GM III 25 and 26 ' ( Heit, Abel, Brussotti , 2012 :73 ). Nietzsche in the fifth chapter of the preface ' On the Genealogy of Morals' reveals his intentions : 'my real concern was with something much more important than my own or anyone else's hypotheses about the origin of morality ( or, to be more precise : the latter interest was completely subordinate to a single goal, to which it is merely one among many means ). For me, what was at stake was the value of morality-and on that question I had no choice but to engage almost singlehandedly with my great teacher Schopenhauer' ( Nietzsche, 2008 :6). The special and unique nature of his work, but also Nietzsche's personality ,ask to be interpreted only through Nietzsche's writings in order to explain the complexity of the german philosopher's thought. In this essay, I will attempt to answer which are the consequences of the ascetic ideal in modern politics-according to Nietzsche. In order to answer this question, I think it is necessary to define the concept of 'ascetic ideal' for Nietzsche , what is its purposes and finally try to describe the consequences it has in modern politics. It think it might be useful for the discussion of the 'ascetic ideal ' to briefly mention the basic idea of conflict for Nietzsche.In the first essay 'on the Genealogy of morals', Nietzsche attempts to trace the roots of morality, using as a first tool the definition of the words ''good'' and ''evil'': the word ''good'' is associated with the aristocratic class, while the word ''bad'' is associated with the slaves.This is historically true, since in Ancient Greece the aristocrats were associated with the word '''', which far a clear etymological relation with the word ''''. I think the explanation of these two words and the definition that Nietzsche attributed to them, will be essential for the discussion of the consequences of the ''ascetic ideal'', and that is the reason I refer to that. Nietzsche, in his third essay 'on the Genealogy of Morals', using the implying motto '' Unconcerned, contemptuous, violent-this is how wisdom would have us be: she only ever loves a warrior'' from this work 'Thus, spoke Zarathustra', he introduces us to the topic with a brief analysis of the reasons behind the attractiveness of the 'ascetic

ideal' to artists, philosophers, women, priests, saints. Nietzsche, using examples from Wagner or Schopenhauer, concludes that the artist is attracted by the 'ascetic ideal' because he can rely on that , while for the philosopher it represents a kind of 'independence'. However, the 'ascetic ideal' finds it full self-affirmation in the case of the 'ascetic priest', and therefore there is no point to ask the priest to explain the importance of this ideal. The 'ascetic ideal', despite the fact is contradicting life, has always have existed in human societies. The 'ascetic ideal' is largely expanded , although it is in great and permanent conflict with life. I think that the answer to that is the 'ascetic ideal' has to serve as a 'support' to life, even if it appears that it negates life. This the paradox of asceticism. According to Nietzsche, the 'ascetic ideal' is an incentive to self-preservation, because it offers a meaning of life to those who have lost any other incentive. Nietzsche is critical towards the 'ascetic ideal' in its christian form , because 'it is an ideal which has been placed in the service of a devaluation of life' ( Ansell-Pearson, 1994 :141 ). The 'ascetic ideal' seems to promote self-denial at the centre of 'its understanding of life' ( Ansell-Pearson :1994 :141). Nietzsche assumes that an ascetic form of life 'since it expresses a will which does not simply want to attain mastery over something in life, but over life's most basic and powerful conditions' ( Ansell-Pearson, 1994 :141). As I have pointed above, Nietzsche does not reject asceticism, since his view on greatness requires self discipline and sacrifice ( Ansell- Pearson, 1994 :141). What he does not like in this ascetic ideal, is the devaluation of life. Nietzsche teaches us that we should not only care to understand the profound, but it is also good to care about more trivial things. In order to understand the consequences of the 'ascetic ideal' in modern politics. I think I should explain the consequences of the 'ascetic ideal' in the life of a human. The 'ascetic ideal' teaches that 'humanity has had no meaning apart from this ideal'. ( Ansell-Pearson, 1994 :141. Through the 'ascetic ideals' tried to find a justification not only of their existence ,but also of their sufferings. The purpose of this ideal to fill the void they might feel. Christian morality with the artifice of the 'ascetic ideal' assisted to this preservation of life. What it really managed to do is to give to the 'weak' (slave) an incentive to change their feeling of ressentiment, placing suffering under guild, 'which served to deepen it by making it more inward, more poisonous, more lifedestructive' ( Ansell-Pearson, 1994 :141). The aim of christian morality was to give suffering a meaning and make the weak and oppressed feel that could 'fight' against nihilism. The weak feel that they can keep the vitality of keeping things going . However, as mentioned above, the 'ascetic ideal' implies that what the 'preferred' is the 'profound. The 'ascetic ideal' imposes a hatred for senses and superficiality and it is ' a longing to get away from all appearance, change, becoming death' ( AnsellPearson, 1994 :142). I think the most serious consequence of this 'ascetic ideal'- being the cultural and ethical foundation-in modern politics is its universality , that is can be applied to all races and societies and the idea of equality and justice that imposes upon all men. 'Out of the ressentiment of the masses Christianity has forged its chief weapon against everything noble and joyful on earth' ( Ansell-Pearson, 1994 :142). Therefore , the 'ascetic ideal' destroys the aristocratic ethic and establishes democracy.

According to Nietzsche, 'contemporary' societies ( i. e Europe in the last 19th century) are decadent, due to the perspective of social egalitarianism. Nietzsche stresses that the tension in the soul cannot be something completely free-standing but must be finally rooted in a form of political and social domination of the group over another . Thus, social egalitarianism is decadence-inducing and unhealthy ( Geuss lecture on Nietzsche, University of Cambridge, 24th October 2013). I would like to further explain Nietzsche's belief that the politics towards the end of the 19th century were decadent and the weak became the sovereign power. The state is decadent because false and deceitful ideals of equality , of freedom and of justice are prevailing in the modern politics, because religion has become sovereign and finally because capitalism has taken over the society and has imposed the values of infinite consumption and hedonism. There are two things that I would like to explain more, having mentioned the consequences of the 'ascetic ideal' in modern politics. I think the role of science ' on the Genealogy of Morals' is very crucial Nietzsche claims that science may appear to ' oppose and demystify the superstition of religion and its life-denying ascetic ideal, but this is merely a superficial opposition (Douglas in Nietzsche, 2008 :21). Nietzsche believes that science is the ultimate form of ascetic ideal. Science has the 'will to truth', trying to discredit the authenticity of biblical and theological accounts. However, for Nietzsche this 'will to truth' is the ultimate expression of slave morality.Science is trying to establish an 'objective truth' and fails to challenge the 'hegemony of ressentiment' ( Douglas in Nietzsche, 2008 :22). 'Alles tief liebt die Maske' ( everything profound loves the mask), argues Nietzsche , rejecting that way the traditional philosophical view of unity, coherence, substantiality and invariance of self or philosophical position or any literary form. ( Lecture by Prof. Geuss, University of Cambridge, 14th of October 2013).Nietzsche believes that only art in unpretentious and does not try to pass off its fictions as true. The problem that lies here, however, is that if Nietzsche believes that the pursuit of truth is nothing more that partial and interested perspectives on various events, also assumes 'that the theory of perspectivism itself is true' ( Douglas in Nietzsche, 2008 :22). Thus , 'his perspectivist argument is open to dismissal as a groundless perspective' (Douglas, in Nietzsche, 2008 :22). At this point, I would like to go back to the idea of decadence in society . Nietzsche asks us to think what valuation mean. According to Nietzsche, valuation is always inherently differential, because it shows our personal preference ( e.g. Tea is good, as opposed to coffee) . The term valuation implies a structure of discrimination. Within this structure, we aim to produce new things and new ways of vaulting things. Therefore, Nietzsche disapproves the vitality of Christianity, because it pursues the 'will to nothingness', while for Nietzsche only through the art there can be change and thus, we can avoid decadent and unhealthy states. The other consequence of the ascetic ideal in modern politics that I would like to draw upon, is that the slave morality wins over the struggles with the aristocratic

morality. In Nietzsche's view these two moralities 'are not values based in objective truths but reflections of the concrete interests of those who subscribe to them' ( Douglas in Nietzsche, 2008 :15). The will in question here is the will to power and the ascetic ideal is 'a self-destructive phenomenon, a manifestation of life opposed to life' ( Douglas in Nietzsche, 2008 :18), which directs this 'will to power' from people belonging in both moralities,which are separated by 'the distance of pathos '. The figure that renders the 'ascetic ideal' hegemonic is the ascetic priest , who tries ' to redirect the ressentiment of the weak back against themselves' ( Douglas in Nietzsche, 2008 :18). The ascetic priest is not trying to heal the weak, but is trying to persuade them that 'they are responsible for their suffering and asks them to take refuge to the ascetic ideal' ( Douglas in Nietzsche, 2008 :18). Thus, the ascetic priest reconciles them to life and finally their slave morality takes over the aristocratic morality. Thus , the will to nothingness is preferable over not will, since 'it expresses itself as will to power' ( Douglas in Nietzsche, 2008 :18). Thus, the slave morality and its ressentiment becomes predominant in modern politics.

In conclusion, Christianity created a whole world of sins from a world of our feelings of sin. Through the ascetic priest it managed to render the 'unhealthy' a 'guilty sinner'. For Nietzsche, the perspective of sin becomes the biggest event in the history of the 'unhealthy soul' and a devastating religious artifice. In this essay, I tried to explain what the ascetic ideal is, being the only ideal that gave humanity a meaning. The ascetic ideal represents the need to affirm oneself , by filling the void feeling of meaninglessness. However, the ascetic ideal exists not only in Christianity, but also in philosophy, in science, in arts etc. The ascetic ideal has a will, the will to nothingness. According to Nietzsche, Christianity and morality are prone to overcome themselves, because they develop a will to truth. But, truth can be selfovercoming, but the constant overcoming of truth becomes ' conscious of itself as a problem' ( Ansell-Pearson, 1994 :143). The consequence of this problem is the emergence of a decadent society, where there is a fictional equality and justice, user the notion of ressentiment, which is dominant in the slave morality.

References Ansell-Pearson, K., An Introduction to Nietzsche as Political Thinker, 1994, Cambridge: CUP Geuss, R., Lectures held at the University of Cambridge in the 14th and 24th of October, 2013 (9 am ), Sidgwick lecture block , Room 4 Heit, H., Abel, G., Brusotti, M., Nietzsches Wissenschaftsphilosophie, 2012, Berlin : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG

Nietzsche, F.,a new translation by Douglas Smith,' On the Genealogy of Morals', 2008 : Oxford : OUP