On the Genealogy of Morals

An aphorism is a concise statement, often witty, that offers a general insight into life, nature, and the human condition. Nietzsche uses aphorisms to explore many aspects of morality and asceticism.

Aristocratic morality (also referred to as “master morality”) is the self-serving moral code that Nietzsche attributes to the privileged and powerful, who deliberately formulate a conception of morality that reinforces their wealth and power. Aristocratic morality celebrates strength, domination, and power, and equates such qualities with “nobility”: i.e., both what is “noble” in terms of class as well as in moral terms.

The term ascetic ideals, as used in Nietzsche’s text, refers to the set of values that belong to an ascetic lifestyle—that is, a life of self-discipline and self-denial. Nietzsche asserts that ascetic ideals were an outcome of “slave morality.” Oppressed people developed ascetic ideals as the antithesis to aristocratic morality. Self-discipline was viewed as good and righteous when compared to the wealth and extravagance of the nobility.