(008) Nietzsche’s “Beyond Good and Evil”, One Paragraph at a Time
I’ve struggled immensely in all my attempts to read and comprehend Nietzsche’s “Beyond Good and Evil”. These blog posts are my attempt to better understand this material. I encourage any corrections or criticisms in the comments.
Chapter One: On the Prejudices of Philosophers
8. There is a point in every philosophy at which the “conviction” of the philosopher appears on the scene; or, to put it in the words of an ancient mystery: Adventavit asinus, Pulcher et fortissimus.
(Translation: The ass arrives, beautiful and most brave.)
This quotation in Latin is derived from a medieval Christian Feast of the Ass, which has its origins in the Roman pagan festival Cervula. The ass referenced has its origins in the Book of Numbers from The Old Testament.
Balak, King of Moab, summons a man named Balaam in order to curse the Israelites who come out of Egypt. God tells Balaam that he should not go along with Balak’s plan to curse the Israelites, but instructs Balaam to ride with Balak’s messengers after Balaam displays a personal desire to enact this curse. An angel of God wielding a sword appears in Balaam’s way. The ass Balaam is riding continually steers him away from this angel, trying to save his life. After Balaam smites the ass three times, God gives the ass a voice.
And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.
Nietzsche is making the case that one’s nature inevitably emerges within one’s philosophy. The philosopher’s conviction is here externalized through the mysterious story about Balaam’s donkey, which bravely attempts to save his life despite being forcibly compelled by its owner. The donkey is man’s nature, which once given voice to by God, is at once acknowledged.
This short paragraph is a great setup for the aphorism to follow, which asks the question: Do you want to live “according to nature”?
