Nietzsche’s Will to Power Explained - The Basis of All Moral Systems

At the deepest foundations, Nietzsche believes that mankind moralizes from the same underlying, driving force that is behind all life: the will to power. We will explore just what the will to power means, which Zarathustra says is synonymous with the process of self-overcoming. We will then examine how it is that the will to power produces our second-order drives, such as the will to truth, or the drive to obey the community's morality. We'll conclude by examining the practical applications of Nietzsche's level of "moral meta-analysis", how we can use this analysis to turn a critical eye to different world-historical moral systems, and, finally, what this understanding will to power means for our lives.
This episode draws on the arguments of Walter Kaufmann from his book, Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist. I also recommend this very helpful post by Lebensmaler on the Nietzsche subreddit: Polysemy of the Word Morality in Nietzsche's Writing.
Episode art: Rembrandt -- Moses with the Ten Commandments (Courtesy of Wikimedia commons)
Patreon: / untimelyreflections
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/0ZARzVC...

[@broadbandtogod]

There is a thousand things I want to say about, all of this video... But I'll settle for one thing at this time *_I LOVE THIS_*

[@musashiwebb]

Currently rediscovering Nietzsche. I picked him up in my teens, and found him to be a novelty and helped shape my immature understanding of life at such a young age. At almost 32 now with actual life experiences, I am consuming his ideas with a greater sense of awe, accompanied by moments of revelation that never had occurred when first exposed. This particular video you've created has helped to bring even deeper understanding/appreciation to me. I thank you for this, and I look forward to watching/listening to your other creations as well. We live in such miraculous/turbulent times. I am grateful for this and so much more.

[@michaelsiegfried3878]

Awesome, he meant to and expected some people to keep rediscovering ideas they thought they already knew. Keeps happening to me too, its wild

[@user-hh1pk3oh6h]

🎉

[@ggrthemostgodless8713]

"Actual life experience" at 32...?? 🥲🥲 😂 wow... I'd say "MORE life experience," all of it is "actual", and still at 32 you got soooo much road ahead of you... it is true though at 60 or more, to wish to have known at 30 what you know at 60... this internet thing might help a lot if humans become capable of learning without having to LIVE the events, that seldom happens, only after the events do humans say "I finally get it, what I read is true, what I heard is true, but most have for some reason to live it and "suffer" it to finally "get it". Hope you are the exception.

[@ggrthemostgodless8713]

He must be reread every five to ten years.... it is the only way it seems. Your experience with N is not unique, glad you came back to it, most don't.

[@emZee1994]

This channel is BY FAR the best resource on Nietzsche bar none. The more I watch the more I realise I've never actually understood Nietzsche. Thank you good sir

[@shrek22]

Nietzsche's insights are enlightening, addressing gaps in my thought process that I wasn't even aware of. The author excels in presenting these ideas. The presenter has deeply contemplated the subject and offers a perspective that is easily comprehensible and well-articulated.

[@johnhawk2484]

this video really helped me to come to understand the utility of self overcoming when reasoning and dealing with ones own morality. thank you.

[@christallaktorides6904]

Beautifully explained Thank You

[@molestedcanofbeans3018]

Thank you. I loved it

[@Marnild]

This is really great stuff. Ive been binging this channel since i found it.

[@sammacnicoll4943]

Thank you for this..!! I really feel like you are talking to me one on one,...almost in person. The information you present is retained...thanks.

[@untimelyreflections]

Thank you for listening! Glad to be of help.

[@fastestdeath]

I really agree with the title, rules are applied in order to ensure the survival of the human specie. And humans almost always follow the ethics, what I refer to as "the most popular of the survival manuals". It can also change depending on the times. For example, in Leviticus, the third book of the Bible, homosexuality was seen as dangerous, because of the increased risk of contracting STDs, but now there are many STDs controls and preventions, so such thing isn't as dangerous as it was before.But needless to say, it's not always the right one. For example, in China, the population not organizing a riot to rebel against the dystopian government is cowardly and neglecting towards the future of their children, and people do this to not risk their lives. Another example is seen when athletes who practice dangerous sports like skateboarding and parkour are seen as stupid because they risk their lives. But going into danger, and exploring the unknown is a way to feel more alive. As you pointed out this effect is seen in psychedelics, when you're close to death your brain releases DMT, and you see visions. As seen in the franchise of Saw or in the philosophy of Heidegger, going close to death or realizing that death is inevitable brings strength and authenticity to one's life. Strength and virtue are seen badly in society, because virtues can be used both for good and evil, as Jung pointed out in the shadow archetype, the part of us that can do good are also the same as the part that can do evil, Christ and Antichrist are indistinguishable one another, they must be distinguished based on their good or evil deeds they have done towards society. Nietzsche saw nihilism as inevitable, as humans had easier and easier lives with economic development, and the reasons to fight for are also declining. This was seen in Fight Club, Tyler Durden: "We have no world war, we have no great depression, we have no meaning, we have to create it to make our lives meaningful." The difficulty of the game of life is decreasing; as a result nihilism and its consequences such as suicides are rising. Nietzsche said: "It's not that man can't stand suffering, man can't stand meaningless suffering" and Jung said: "Men can't stand meaningless lives". But nowadays society sees man taking risks as crazy, even working out sometimes is seen as an activity only maniacs and/or strange people do. So how to escape modern society? We must build our lives following the models of Nietzsche's overman, Kierkegaard's religious man (or how I call him, max genetic potential), the stoic man of Zeno, the authentic man of Heidegger or Jung's wholeness of the self, which coincides with Jesus, the Messiah. We must understand that the difficulty of the game of life is really hard, almost impossible, and set it as such, grow through our suffering, become the best versions of ourselves, capable of having the best jobs, feeding our families and maybe even making good deeds to society. We must be grateful that we are in this beautiful world, where our ancestors have shed blood and tears to build it, to ensure the survival of the human specie, they fought to provide a better future to their children, and so should we, we must be examples, higher men that our children or the community can follow. People are admired by the hero's myth, because the hero is masculine and has a great will to power or will to fight, heroes survive longer than normal humans because they occupy a higher place in the social hierarchy, and normal humans want to emulate the hero's myth to survive longer. As a result, humans who adopt a model of life to survive long materially will also become immortal spiritually, like Dante would say: "Art can make humans immortal" or Goethe: "No one lives eternally, but the goal is to create something that will". And in my opinion, human lives are the greatest form of art this world has to offer.

[@pradeepaakash8248]

Beautifully written bro❤

[@Tom_Quixote]

Maybe the Chinese just like the way it is.

[@JamesJones2.15.19]

Slavery was a choice huh Yeezus

[@iGuy28]

​@Tom_Quixote im sure george floyd loved having his ability to breath impeded in the same sense that youre saying that..

[@Laotzu.Goldbug]

​@@iGuy28in that case he shouldn't have overdosed on fentanyl

[@johnsondominic7098]

Found this channel very recently. Love almost everything about the new videos. Good content. Clear line of thought. Soothing narration. Few suggestions will be. If you put the text displayed while you are reading it's little bit more easy for some people to follow. More pictures which kinda sets an abstract tone of the topic explained is very good. I can understand those take lot more time and editing. But just few silly suggestions from my side. Apart from that, love the channel. If you are looking for ideas, maybe reading each chapter of any book and explaining your line of thought in between will be awesome atleast for me. Hoping to see lot more of similar content

[@untimelyreflections]

Thank you very much. I like your suggestions. To explain briefly, the podcast was originally launched on spotify; my youtube channel was originally just for live videos of bands I saw, some of my own bits and pieces of the music making process, and occasional philosophical discussions with my friends. So, I intentionally tried to do something without a video element, because video editing is hard and time consuming. But, after the youtube uploads, some have suggested as you have putting more effort into the videos. I've considered this, and think I may make some videos on shorter topics than the hour+ eps with more in-depth editing. I've done this to some small extent with one of the videos but I might do more in the future, more in the 20-30 minute range. And maybe some video podcasts when it comes to the interviews. As for an in-depth reading, I haven't got any plans to do so *yet*, but I will be uploading two and a half hour in-depth discussion on Nietzsche's "The Antichrist" which covers most of the core ideas in the book if not a line-by-line analysis - fairly soon. Thanks again for listening, I appreciate your feedback! Cheers.

[@benhudson4014]

Thanx man! Due to translation of Nietzsche text, the language of the time, Nietzsche's own language and his original audience, all combine to make his reading quite laborious and difficult for one to comprehend his narrative! This is a great synthesis! Hegal would be impressed

[@cheri238]

This is awesome!! Also, I love David Graeber and Daivid Wengrow's book "The Dawn of Everything." Both archeologists and told in ambitious way of archeological evidence one that overturns new history of the world history, one that overturns Rosseau' innocent Nobel Savage and the' nasty brutish short' lives of Thomas Hobbes alike. RIP Daivid Graeber and Wes continues to write. Archeologists do have their own insights. Thank you for this for me today. Nietzsche forever ♥️ Free spirits, style, an artistic plan.

[@bronsomccor2642]

Glad to find this channel while scrolling it was like i was meant to see this channel

[@andrebenoit283]

Fantastic.

[@kaweah]

Power is really just "the ability to do something." In a deistic/theistic context, power can represent the ability to create. Taking that creative sense down to a human level, power can be "the ability to become." ... "Will to Metamorphosis"? Wouldn't Heraclitus appreciate any assertion that all things yearn to change, his fire being characterized by "want and satiety?" Perhaps he would prefer the term "Will to Warfare"? (haha)

[@lightluxor1]

You are amazing. Confirming everything one on my own understanding of man. All found by examining Epicurus, Heraclitus, and Humes. Nietzsche’s renewed them. 🎉 Where is the overman to save humanity today?

[@mikajiyenbekova7361]

Wonderful

[@rajj92]

Being beasts of prey is to still suffer from fear of death by the elements. I think consciousness exists even in beasts of prey as well, but maybe in a different perspective. Fear of death is what keeps you afraid and in an illusion of anxiety. But when a creature is safe, and not needing to emotionally react to their environment in terms of survival, the creature gets a chance to look at who they are and who can feed them, and who matters to them, and what matters.

[@TheBuslaefff]

thank you

[@kimfreeborn]

Nietzsche's antinomianism "he's reminding us what the immoral and lower things that this higher culture is the product of." What gives rise to reason "the community's power depends on the individual being able to suppress their feelings with thoughts." Nietzsche rejects the supernatural status of reason and places it the domestication of the individual. Bravo. "Every attempt to perfect mankind has also damaged him in the process."

[@jameslafontaine5557]

No he isn't. He isn't pointing out that our morals are based on some old immoral concepts. He's saying morality entirely is an invention of people, and not natural. Morality is made up by the weak in order to stifle the strong and convince them to despise Thier own strength and further to give up Thier natural given power over others.

[@YourTripleScorpio]

​@@jameslafontaine5557We der Ubermann esse?

[@Findmylimit]

@@jameslafontaine5557your explanation made sense to me thank you

[@rajj92]

A lot of this video is a religious-person’s perspective of nietzsche. You can’t lose track of the fact that humanity and the world have no higher power. We aren’t in a world above animals. Most of the video prescribes that man is in a perfect form or has ascended, humanity has not ascended anywhere. The world is what it exists as today. We have fought to survive and now we are interconnected. There is no higher consciousness experience. The only thing claiming species superiority is to continue distributing meat AND plants. As long as we perpetuate that eating is not a crime, we’ll need religion.

[@longcastle4863]

Well done. Thank you.

[@outofbox000]

My today's Evening Jam

[@johnndamascene]

Thank you for explaining this all so succinctly. These Germans can get very wordy 🤣

[@joeybeargrooves4ever]

A society can function like a living organism, with its main goal being its own survival. Such a society treats its individual members like mere cells, which are disposable. The individual's worldview/value system is programmed into him so that he will sacrifice his own welfare/fulfillment for that of the society. And if the programming is done well, he won't be consciously aware of his perpetual self-sacrifice because he will consciously identify his own welfare/fulfillment with that of the society, posterity, etc. And when the self-sacrifice hurts, he'll take pride in it, the pain serving as evidence of his dedication to the group. He'll also pass this programmed worldview/value system to his offspring and impose it on his underlings. Society can thus function as a self-perpetuating organism with its worldview/value system acting as its DNA code. In many cases, a worldview/value system is identified with the welfare of the entire society only because it is helps perpetuate the status of those who rule the society. Crimes that the poor commit against the rich/powerful are considered "worse" than the many crimes that the rich/powerful commit against the poor. For example, notice how society condemns and often punishes stealing more severely than false advertising, underpaying workers, breach-of-contract, embezzling, and bribery. When a man conforms himself to the worldview/value system of a society whose primary goal is self-perpetuation, he is not becoming something greater. He is becoming a slave, becoming more like a worm. He is motivated by fear of punishment, ultimately rooted in fear of pain and death. The moral code of his society may contain certain logical and practical teachings, such as encouraging kindness and forbidding murder. But the society supports those precepts only for the sake of social order rather than for love of logic or the welfare of individuals. If mass murder and perpetual theft were not a threat to the survival of the society, the society might not condemn such things. There are many evils which society tolerates or even encourages, such as slavery and destruction of the environment, when it helps the society perpetuate and expand itself into new geography and into the next generation. A society is only capable of considering an individual as a cell, not as an autonomous being with dignity, meaning, and rights. Even when the leaders of a revolutionary movement propose to reorder society towards liberty, equality, and justice, this is just a new class of would-be rulers attempting to rally the masses to their side in order to displace the old ruling class. Once in power, they may institute certain reforms for the sake of maintaining the support of the masses, but they will not work to establish the ideals they preached. We see this in American history, when slave-owners like Jefferson led a revolution in the name of freedom, or in socialist and Communist societies in which the poor get poorer and the middle class disappears while a new elite arises and lives much like the elites they overthrew.

[@bryanutility9609]

I love all this but find it hard to get the jist. Can’t tell when one idea begins other ends. Hard to remember or take away concepts it’s so dense.

[@SoccerDevil]

Seeking power over ourselves and others is seeking something beyond good and evil when little attention is paid to the means through which this power is attain, whether it be moral or immoral. This innocence in the the pursuit of power is what is to be craved.

[@pilotwolf]

Some great writers were merely “popular philosophers,” according to Hegel - that is, the People loved them - but Hegel would not include them in his History, because their writing lacked the criterion for Philosophy Proper. Nietzche is a popular philosopher.

[@2TROLL1]

Ethics is the power to use to overcome the negative effects of the morality of the masses.

[@The_Dark_Wizard_]

ty

[@duewhit310]

3:45 Science & Sanity by Alfred Korzybski must be read to really take the deepdive on this matter.

[@fortunatomartino9797]

Moralities are used for power Find out what is "good" and use it for your advantage for "glory" for "nation " for " heaven "/"allah"/for "yahweh" for the "family " for "business "

[@phillylifer]

Was Nietzsche the first postmodern thinker? I know he is pre-modernish but the way he thinks about how power operates, did he anticipate post-modernism even before the systems post modernism was supposed to have come into being as response to? Just spit-balling here.

[@benjaminseng4271]

Perhaps there is not one will but a spectrum of competing and sympathetic wills and when certain wills sympathize with another master will it produces outstanding life force. DNA connects all life and the symphony of wills drives life in different directions. DNA of sympathetic wills have a higher probability to give rise to more refined sympathetic wills giving rise to an outstanding life form of exceptional talents, and then it is lost to be found again in future progeny.

[@gingerbreadzak]

00:31 🤔 Nietzsche explores the fundamental question of what drives mankind's creation of moral codes and believes it's linked to the concept of the will to power. 04:37 🗣 Morality is a collective voice that takes root in each individual, and it's the power of the collective that shapes moral sentiments. 06:35 🧐 Nietzsche defines morality as the human capacity for self-overcoming, striving for self-perfection, and the expansion of power. 11:33 🤝 Self-overcoming is the common essence of all moral codes, whether they emphasize duty (like Kant) or the greatest good for the greatest number (like Mill). 16:38 💡 Morality aims at becoming something greater and more powerful, not merely self-preservation, through the suppression and cultivation of impulses. 22:03 🧠 Nietzsche believes reason is a result of moral self-overcoming driven by the fear of the community's power, leading individuals to act in harmony with communal goals. 22:32 🌟 Nietzsche suggests that humanity's progress and elevation have often been achieved through cruelty, suffering, and martyrdom, especially in its early history. 24:00 🕊 Nietzsche highlights a historical epoch when suffering, cruelty, and denial of reason were virtues, contrasting it with modern notions of morality. 25:23 🔀 Nietzsche rejects the idea that rationality is fundamentally different from irrationality and posits that reason is a development from irrational processes. 26:47 🚀 Nietzsche views human culture as resting on the spiritualization of cruelty and the drive for power. 28:43 💡 Nietzsche's monism stems from empirical observations, suggesting that all human behavior can be explained as an expression of the will to power. 30:10 🧐 Nietzsche presents knowledge as a tool created by humanity to serve the will to power, enabling the organization and management of drives. 31:28 🌊 Nietzsche discusses methods of dealing with impulses, including sublimation and restriction, to channel and control them. 33:52 🚪 Nietzsche explores various ways to handle the vehemence of impulses, including sublimation, restriction, and castration. 36:46 🧭 Nietzsche seeks to free the world from the idea of sin and suggests that bad conscience can be seen as a productive force for transformation. 39:08 🔄 Nietzsche's project involves understanding and evaluating morality to move towards an extramoral age, transcending the negative aspects of current moral systems. 41:24 🧩 Nietzsche performs a meta-analysis of moral systems, evaluating them based on their facilitation of self-overcoming and avoiding self-destructive tendencies. 43:54 🚫 Nietzsche does not propose a systematic theory of values or claim that his values are universally applicable; he emphasizes individual and cultural variations in morality. 44:23 🤔 Nietzsche has personal values but doesn't believe they should be universalized. 44:52 🚫 Nietzsche rejects the idea of outlining universal actions or virtues for self-overcoming. 45:21 💡 Nietzsche criticizes theories that assess value based on pleasure and suffering, considering them superficial. 46:18 🌟 Nietzsche sees pleasure and pain as instruments to motivate self-overcoming, not as ultimate ends. 47:48 🦋 Nietzsche views sacrifices and asceticism as driven by the longing for rebirth into a more perfect form. 48:44 ⚡ Nietzsche believes those with creative spark will overcome old morality, creating something extra-moral. 49:45 🌀 Nietzsche's vision of self-overcoming is fundamentally anti-universal and driven by the will to power. 50:44 🔥 Nietzsche's concept of "will to power" is synonymous with life and the drive to overcome oneself. 51:42 🌐 Nietzsche argues that the will to power explains all phenomena and forces in life. 55:06 🤷‍♂ The debate over whether Nietzsche's "will to power" is monistic or dualistic doesn't ultimately matter. 59:28 🎯 Nietzsche emphasizes the importance of discovering and defining one's ultimate goal in life. 01:02:17 🚀 Nietzsche defines what is good and evil as augmenting power and overcoming weakness. 01:03:33 🌍 Nietzsche suggests that healthy morality is aligned with life instincts, while anti-natural morality condemns these instincts. 01:05:04 🧠 Nietzsche's critique of Christian morality isn't arbitrary; it's a diagnosis of its self-undermining nature. 01:06:29 🌍 Nietzsche uses the term "morality" in various senses, including individual morality, cultural morality, super-historical classifications (master and slave morality), and morality itself. 01:07:53 🙌 Nietzsche's philosophy involves both an immoralist aspect, where he questions conventional morality, and a moralist aspect, where he aims for the self-overcoming of morality. 01:08:53 🔄 Nietzsche's trans-valuation of values is about transcending and perfecting existing values rather than rejecting them, similar to how Jesus fulfilled the old law. 01:11:44 🤔 Nietzsche's insights on morality primarily target the inner development of individuals (free spirits) rather than external moral crusades or imposing ideologies. 01:13:10 🎨 Developing one's character and giving style to it, according to Nietzsche, involves understanding and shaping one's strengths and weaknesses into an artistic plan. This inward transformation is crucial before any external moral crusades can occur.

[@ferdjanvanderpijl8495]

At 36:46,read 41:46.. fyi

[@datswingfromnaruto5810]

1:13:24 One thing is needful

[@smilesfordays8946]

A man with a soft wispering voice should never be allowed to explain nietze. I nearly fell asleep listening to this. 😊

[@untimelyreflections]

Good night

[@sudhirpatel7620]

Nature goes on forever for everyone and everything to return as everyone and everything an infinite number of times through evolutionary processes. 🌌

[@JavierBonillaC]

I used to love philosophy and studied it for years. Then I discovered Evolutionary Psychology (and game theory) and I found it so powerful to explain morality, that all philosophical inquiries into morality looked like religious b.s. Animals that have a positive sum game in cooperation develop a "morality" that rewards cooperation and punishes opportunism. Even in bats. Precisely the first E.P. that I read was The Moral Animal by Robert Wright. p.s. and, of course, JS Mill's (and Schopenhauer) was the theory that most resembled what we now know to be true.

[@almilligan7317]

What is morality is an interesting question. But the thing is that whether we ask the question people will act as if there were a good. They don’t ask first if this fits the prevailing moral theory of the day. The god question is really does good exist? Most people I would submit, maybe all people by nature, believe in the Good. To find out if good exists or not is a good.

[@JavierBonillaC]

Does it ever get to what is means by "Will to Power"?

[@kindcolt2747]

I dont have good vocabulary for it. Will to power means imposing your God given will to obtain power. I think he would describe this as a negative and/or positive force because a lions will is different from a sheeps will to power. A sheep sacrifices their individuality for the comfort of the heard. A lion sacrifices its safety for the protection of its pride. Just by being in existence, power is inherent. Both the sheep and the lion have power in their respective ways.

[@ggrthemostgodless8713]

The law tablets, legal or religious, are the list of our overcomingS, but also the further we human ANIMALS move away from our natures, Nietzsche calls that Domesticated Animals referring to humans... not necessarily a bad thing, as is currently seen, but just an observation of fact. That anything that needs laws to be, is not naturally occurring and thus has to be enforced for social peace or stability or cohesion.

[@ggrthemostgodless8713]

16:20 ""...morality has been humanity's attempt to become something GREATER than it is...." Maybe you treat this later on, but Why would an animal that happens to be human would do that, "overcoming" and what makes that animal think there is something greater than it already is, and if this be so, isn't this in some "lower" level the same as other animals and their group rules do also?? When a younger animal challenges the alpha leader is he not doing this "overcoming"?? Is it that self consciousness FORCES the human animal to do this, not wanting to be like the rest of animals? but then also, why not wanting to be like the rest of the animals?? Can anyone comment on this, anyone, anyone... bc following Nietzsche in other writings he says that consciousness is a huge burden for the human animal, the higher the conciseness the heavier the burden, which I agree, but is this the only reason, and the further question remains, Why do humans want to be higher than animals in the first place, as the other question is there unfinished, Why moralist isn the first place??

[@Satyr_allyn]

I wonder if “will to strive” would have been worded better put than the will to power. Seems there is so much misinterpreting from the word power.

[@BlackMantisRed]

I feel like the current day mortality seems to go against this. be authentic/be yourself. Seems to be the message being preached.

[@Bilboswaggins2077]

20:50

[@hansvalen]

18:20

[@rajj92]

The refinement of humanity wasn’t achieved by morality. Morality is another concept by humanity to define the world. No one is the result of morality. Morality resulted because of defining what moral code is. The words don’t come out of no where. Literature and language aren’t just emasculate beings that came from space and the realm of ideas. Morality is just a word that describes the world

[@rajj92]

To say morality is a means of perfecting people is signs of brainwash

[@rajj92]

Cost of mankind’s elevation is to say there are levels of powers in the universe. There are no levels. We never elevated. We’re not living in a world full of gods. There’s no need to justify religion from morality. We live in a world of concepts that we use to describe it. Everything that exists has an opportunity to view the world as it is. Not just humanity trying to describe what’s going on

[@Vpopov81]

I believe morality is written in the human heart and mind. When man transgresses against the morality written on his heart he loses his well-being and is kicked out of life. Loses his well-being and his sanity. If you learn the things which will cut you off from life's goodness you will learn true morality that's my two cents

[@VickieWatson-md3uh]

I share your view I also believe God's laws are written on the human heart and we don't break them, they stand forever, we only break ourselves against them when we dont keep them.

[@watchfuleagleson]

I hope you won't mind if I take your careful defense of Nietzsche to hoist him up on his own petard. When I locate MY OWN will to power, it's always something less than my total being. The man tripped himself up with logic. True, in order to want to exist I already have to exist, but SO WHAT? Schopenhauer's will does not merely want to exist or live; it wills to live forever; which indestructibility Schopenhauer metaphysically attributes to it. But I won't get dogmatic. If I had to relinquish all effective power over my world-say be locked in solitary confinement for life as the condition for my existing-I might well lose my appetite for existence. Yet here I come full circle; for this devaluation of existence itself-NOT merely of a will to power-is Schopenhauer's radical prescription for minimizing suffering. Where Nietzsche outclasses his mentor is in making authentic morality an individual project, rather than one size fits all.

[@michaelmakowsky]

Treat drinking 💧 Like you want to be treated .

[@guillaumerusengo9371]

"Powerful", greater, perfect,...aren't they value judgements? They are learned. They are taught. Nietzsche was unashamedly an admirer of the renaissance and the age of Enlightenment. Nothing inherently wrong with that, someone, somewhere else was in awe of a different paradigm. I wonder what is an "impulse" in philosophy or metaphysics ? Maybe within an impulse there's a burgeoning, undeveloped need to be perfect, powerful or... It's for the culture you are born in to nurse them to completion by teaching it models of morality.

[@guillaumerusengo9371]

Maybe without a culture's watchful the impulse can still produce its own values in its own eyes. Indefinable by others but worth it because the impulse feels it's vision satiated. Isn't that the essence of real art? Isn't that what gave us shamanism? Masks, ethnic make-up, scarification?

[@eniopasalic]

Why power, why not the Will to Ecstasy?

[@moh19931000]

I'm not a native English speaker and I thought this was somewhat unnecessarily complicated.

[@untimelyreflections]

It’s philosophy.

[@SuperSlik50]

Golden rule …leriod

[@thanatos_777]

I disagree with Nietzsche's statement on consciousness I think consciousness cannot be defined nor replicated by humans I am not pushing a Bible a Koran a Torah the vedas the tipitaka sikh Bible or any religious paraphernalia I just think skeptically until someone proves me WRONG

[@cbduffy07]

same, very good way to be

[@demontrader1222]

A lot of this stuff is theoretical waffle UNTIL you are confronted with real POWER and how you use it effectively so as to transcend the confines of the herd. I had hoped that the philosophers would help but have yet to find one who gets quickly to the point.

[@untimelyreflections]

This is more in the realm of meta-moral philosophy rather than practical. For your needs I'd recommend Machiavelli's The Prince & Discourses on Livy.

[@demontrader1222]

@@untimelyreflections Yeah but it still rings too academic for me. Nietzche imagined what power felt like. I know what it is (and I mean potentially limitless power) and try as have I cant find anything that tells me how to rise above the constraints of the herd. I have even gone as far as reading up on fictional characters like James Bond. Essentially, the question for me is how can I wield power and be anonymously public. But without being a raving lunatic. In other words, to be known but unfathomable in a few easy and legal steps. I will have another go at Machiavelli. Maybe look out for a user friendly summary of his ideas so thanks.

[@demontrader1222]

@@untimelyreflections In fact, one of the things I have noticed in unravelling a strange world of human critical mass, is that I sleep less and less, my energy levels are rising and my senses are getting sharper. So something is changing in me as if preparing me for a new evolutionary state and I am really looking for practical ways to harness this in real time. So if you have any other suggested accessible and not too wordy authors, I would be really obliged.

[@bingflosby]

Nietzsche was sick he could only theorize about power as someone that has lost their physical health from multiple sclerosis i understand how he talks about power and overcoming but not talking much about the overcoming just the need for it

[@demontrader1222]

@@bingflosby I largely agree with Nietzches theories on power as being the driver of all life. I came to that sad realisation once I began to exude power myself and am largely assailed from all sides. For me the exercise is no longer whether this or that philosophy is correct, but largely, how I continue to rise in this swamp and do so safely and undistracted and I am humble enough to search for answers. So thankyou to the channel owner for taking the time to be a teaching resource.

[@fortunatomartino9797]

Essentialsalts will you address the victory of slave morality in current western Civilization

[@donaldyanson8144]

Riders on the storm. Riders on the storm. Into this house, we're born. Into this world where throne. Like a dog without a bone. An actor out alone. Riders on the storm. Riders on the storm. There's a killer on the road. His brain is squirming like a toad. Take a long holiday. Let your children play. If you give this man a ride, sweet memory will die Riders on the storm. Riders on the storm.

[@untimelyreflections]

True.

[@dennisfarris4729]

Was, Is, Will.

[@Ash-so2sr]

Nietzsche feels like an irrational Mystic type . Just like Christian mystics construct their arguments from divine inspiration instead of logic nietzsche feels like an irrational Mystic, affirming things about morals or human nature but not demonstrating them logically or with evidence .

[@Ash-so2sr]

@@KevinJohnson-cv2no biology, nietzsche aforistic philosophy is not suited for traditional logically structured explanations, to me he is a poet of Dionysius , I think reading him is similar to reading meister eckhart, or a sufí poet. Their philosophy is meant to be grasped more than explained. They have deep psychological analysis of society and of the individual but disregard academic traditional ways and don't care to expand on many of their points. So yeah basically nietzsche is anti Philosopher. He himself always regarded himself as a psychologist. In a deeper analysis of nietzsche's works you'd find anything from very profound psychological insights of western society, to absurd claims and really inhumane and cruel solutions that make no sense. In one of his books he praises the Indian caste system, he praises the Greek pedophile relationship as the best way to take care of teenage boys etc... He diminishes nature to a few basic platitudes such as the will to power which is very reductive, not really something you can prove, and just a recycling of schopenhauer. Nietzsche moves between the tragic, the profound, the ridiculous, and at times the absolutely hideous. Nietzsche is something a person needs to grow out of when their mental and emotional maturity has surpassed the teenage years of the soul.

[@JavierBonillaC]

Completely agree.

[@shane1948]

Imagine being an alien visiting the earth, you would have a different perspective. What is immoral today may have been moral in another age. My teachers used to say negroe, I say african american, but today everyone says black people. And reaching irrational conclusions works much faster than using clear logic and evidence, which may take many lifetimes. It's a question of accuracy and speed.

[@Ash-so2sr]

@@shane1948 with your first point i would argue against morals being totally separated from human biology . Different Societies aren't absolutely unrelated even the babylonians since hamurabbi had similar code of laws than the romans, chinese etc...they all punished theft, murder, adultery etc... even though their societies were not in contact . Morals are tied to a society mode of production, i.e. its material conditions. And since aristotle in greek slave societies we have records of ppl opposing slavery although it was the dominant ideology. Same with abolitionists like john brown, so morals of a society do not hard code the morals of the individual. Secondly, being irrational does not guarantee you'll find the truth , quite the opposite, technique, and correct academic methodology is what brings forth evidence that cab be understood and proven or disproven. Nietzsche is being intellectually lazy, in fact the truth is because he is an extreme relativist he doesnt even believe in the importance of the truth. He says so himself. Thats why his writings are poetic, afforistic and undeveloped. He just throws ideas not caring to prove them, not caring if they are objectively wrong. So to me nietzsche is a witty , elegant and sardonic critic of european society but also a sad , pathetic and unfeeling proto fascist and extreme egoist. His writings quite suited for undeveloped stunted minds , no wonder he is popular amongst teenagers, loners and racists.

[@shane1948]

@@Ash-so2sr If that is your view of Nietzsche, I assume that you will not like Carl Jung or Nikola Tesla's work. Some people reach conclusions through analogy or through vision instead of through analytical calculations. For example if you see that all life on earth dies one day, by extension you can also assume that all things that consist of living things (e.g. companies or religions) will also "die" one day. That way, you can make a prediction about the future, even if it is lacking in accuracy. That's what I meant by speed vs accuracy. 1. You can do something fast, but you will lack the accuracy. 2. You can do something accurately, but you will be slower. Nietzsche's way of thinking is like the first example, while your way is probably like the second one.

[@nonenone5413]

Here's me, a woman, analyzing morality like nietzche : prosocial. There. Done. Women do not need guilt, or shame, to be moral, nor even overcome our impulses. We simply need to exist. It seems to me like men are trying really hard to figure out how to become more like women? While simultaneously demeaning women as inferior, of course.! Nietzche was a racing misogynist, as i understand, or so I've been told

[@ANDDIRECTLLC]

I don’t think the speaker explained “will to power over what?” Because it may be why imperialists & fascists picked it up. If it’s power over oneself, then it’s categorical. If it’s power over every “other,” then it’s hypothetical or an ideology that in action necessitates a reactionary slave morality that will reinstitute religions to regulate oppressive wills to power.

[@untimelyreflections]

That’s because it’s *not* “will to power over X”. It’s “will to power”. It is an inclusive definition of power, and without such an understanding it wouldn’t make sense of human life. It is not a moral principle, it is a meta-ethical principle. Saying you should “live according to will to power” means “live according to life.” For Nietzsche, will to power means power in *every* sense. If you neuter some aspect of it to suit a political agenda, like the leftists do, or like the fascists do… well, then that’s just part of your own moral ideas, it has nothing to do with Nietzsche.

[@ANDDIRECTLLC]

@@untimelyreflections power isn’t a thing in itself. Power always has a target. Power to do something…where the something is the goal. Power over something, where control of the something is the goal. So again, we need to know what is this “power” for or over. Explain please. Because it seems to me that ifs 1 of 2 things; either its power over one’s self, which the speaker talks about, but seems to not limit it to. Or its power over others or the environment, which is conflict or contradiction with others will to power. If it’s the environment, then it’s incomplete because what is the goal of the power over the environment? And if it’s just power over the environment, how is that any different that an animal or instinct? Even if this will to power is just over one’s self, it’s only prescriptive for an individual & leaves out morality in the social sphere. I would say that if one has a morality with no social import, then that is psychopathy at worst & sociopathy at best. And that would explain our perpetual conflicts & social entropy. Which is why some saw Neitsche (sp) as a nihilist.

[@untimelyreflections]

You just said plenty of things about power (as a relation of forces rather than a thing in itself) without having to designate an object of power. This is the level Nietzsche is discussing power; as a meta-ethical principle. Any action you wish to undertake has power as its constitutive element (rather than for example Kant’s notion that intention is a constitutive element, or reason, etc).

[@carlloeber]

Yeah so the Aztec people will just acculturated to keep people in little cages like rabbits until they slaughtered them after giving them some hallucinogenic drug. Are you saying that The philosopher said that that is cool?

[@untimelyreflections]

Confirmed for “didn’t watch the video”

[@artifactis]

The will to power is a Schopenhauer concept

[@TheAlmightiest]

The title lets me know that you don't take philosophy seriously, but take yourself very seriously.

[@untimelyreflections]

This comment lets me know that you don’t take watching the video seriously, but take the title very seriously.

[@TheAlmightiest]

@@untimelyreflections means I didn't roll the dice on an hour long video, yes.

[@Mr.Eminem]

​@@TheAlmightiestyou need to invest time to understand something ....half knowledge is more dangerous than no knowledge ....

[@TheAlmightiest]

@@Mr.Eminem come back to me when you've read and understood all of Saul Kripke's work. I know enough about Nietzsche to warn you it is a waste of time, profound knowledge for boomers around baseline IQ who are still shocked there's no God perhaps. That's about it though. 99% of philosophy is mind poison rent free.

[@morgn1505]

Is this Black Pigeon Speaks?

[@untimelyreflections]

I don’t know what that means.

[@andrewsmith3257]

Lol

[@vince6056]

Nietzsche looked Spanish

[@cabilgibbs]

You talk in absolutes... which in reality are merely your Opinion.. ego and naivete