The Genealogy of Morals

On the Genealogy of Morals: A Polemic is an 1887 work by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. It consists of a preface and three interconnected essays that expand on concepts Nietzsche first raised in Beyond Good and Evil (1886). The three essays question and critique the value of our moral judgments based on a method whereby Nietzsche examines the origins and meanings of our different moral concepts. The first essay, "Good and Evil, Good and Bad" contrasts what Nietzsche calls the "master” and "slave morality." In the second essay, "Guilt, Bad Conscience, and the Like" Nietzsche traces the origins of concepts such as guilt and punishment. The third essay, "What Is the Meaning of Ascetic Ideals?" confronts asceticism.Public Domain (P)2020 Museum Audiobooks