The Revaluation of 'Compassion' Concept in Nietzsche

Ay V.

BEYTULHIKME-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY, vol.3, no.1, pp.199-215, 2013 (ESCI) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 3 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2013
  • Journal Name: BEYTULHIKME-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHILOSOPHY
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Page Numbers: pp.199-215
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

In this article, main focus is to examine "compassion" concept with Nietzsche's texts. "Compassion" concept has an important place in Nietzsche's Project of reevaluation of value judgments. "Compassion" has been evaluated as "good" by Christian morality, but according to Nietzsche, it is a concept which belongs to slave morality. When Nietzsche criticizes Christian's sense of compassion, he also constitutes his own sense of compassion. He thinks that sense of traditional compassion only can be overcome by tested on the face of life. Compassion decreases "will to power" and brings down life. For this reason Nietzsche condemns it and then relates to his own sense of compassion to "selfishness", "love", "friendship", "strictness" etc.