The Role of Traditional Values in the Life of the Free Spirit

How good and evil can help us glimpse "beyond good and evil"

Two weeks ago, I wrote a post articulating Nietzsche’s critique of traditional conceptions of philosophy, religion, and ethics. (The post can be found here:

https://recontextualize.substack.com/p/life-affirming-and-life-denying-philosophy

I recommend looking at it, as it is a good supplement to this post, but this one can also be read on its own.) Nietzsche is concerned that our aspirations to ascertain the ultimate meaning and purpose of existence often do not arise from an intention to delve deeper into the experience of being alive, but instead stem from a misplaced hope that we will find security and certainty in the unchanging realm of moral rules, religious dictums, and conclusive metaphysical claims. I am sympathetic to Nietzsche’s critique. I agree that our desires for certainty, safety, and predictability can often be projected into the realm of metaphysical, existential, and ethical speculation and masquerade as a search for truth. Furthermore, I think Nietzsche is right to point out that the deepest wellspring of vitality and joy arises when we open ourselves to the dynamic, unpredictable flux of life, unguarded by the armor of conceptual certainties.

That being said, I am writing this follow-up post because, in the last two weeks, I have felt it would not be responsible to end the story there. Nietzsche has a knack for expressing how human beings use even the most noble-sounding claims about the meaning or purpose of life to hide from true openness and availability to the dynamic experience of being alive—what he calls “the innocence of Becoming.” However, in my opinion, his suggestion that traditional ethical standards always act as a barrier to this openness and availability obscures how a rule-based ethical system can often serve as an indispensable support for one who intends to foster this radical openness to the unknown dimensions of life.

Since my concern with Nietzsche’s critique revolves primarily around his views on ethical standards, I will use his allegory of the evolution of the soul in Thus Spoke Zarathustra as the foundation of our discussion. This allegory narrates how human beings' relationship to ethical standards transforms as they move away from a lifestyle laden with inner conflict towards greater freedom. The soul begins its journey as a camel, which Nietzsche refers to as a “strong load-bearing spirit.” The camel gains pride and a sense of self-worth from the heavy burdens it can bear—burdens which it considers noble and virtuous. When we pat ourselves on the back for forcing ourselves through a difficult workout routine, completing an unenjoyable project at work, or using restraint to avoid gossiping about a friend, we are following the way of the camel. The camel uses its force of will to align its actions with certain ethical standards, or “thou shalts” in Nietzsche’s words, that it believes will bring dignity and virtue to its character. Regardless of how noble these principles may be, the camel always bears the burden of aspects of its psychology and physiology that resist the actions these virtues require; the camel is not acting in line with virtues that produce joy and vitality from within, but rather forcing itself to conform to external standards of behavior that it has concluded are worthwhile.

The next stage in the soul’s evolution, the lion, refuses to take on the burden of standards and principles that feel alien to its nature, learning instead to trust its own inner promptings and motivations. The lion does not say “thou shalt,” but “I will.” While the camel takes pride in the suffering it chooses to endure, the lion asks why one should suffer and live in conflict merely to satisfy a set of externally imposed standards. By recognizing the socially conditioned nature of these standards, the lion begins to disconnect its sense of self-worth from the pursuit of traditional principles. Those of us who have questioned why we invest so much effort in a “successful” job we do not enjoy, or who have taken time to step outside societal norms to travel, live in alternative communities, or explore existential concerns, have embodied the spirit of the lion. The lion says a “holy Nay even unto duty” and “creates Freedom for new creating” by refusing to fit its life or character into the mold of social expectations.

The “holy Nay” of the lion, however, is still involved in conflict; the lion struggles to live by its own will, outside the social conventions it has been conditioned into. The lion has not yet learned to look at life through eyes of innocence and simplicity, which would allow a natural and spontaneous “Yes” to all that is and all that arises. Nietzsche writes of the final stage of the soul: “Why hath the preying lion still to become a child? Innocence is the child, and forgetfulness, a new beginning, a game, a self-rolling wheel, a first movement, a holy Yea.” The child is born within the soul when one takes the simple but radical step of stepping outside of struggle altogether. The child drops the lenses of “thou shalt” and “I will” and looks at life instead with wonder and innocence. The child does not view the moment through the worn-out husks of old principles, whether these come from society or its own will, but with an attitude of playfulness, discovery, and trust in the unknown. This holy naiveté is what allows the child to live as a “self-rolling wheel” and a “first movement,” rather than as a continuation of past ways of being and acting. The child embraces the novel dimensions and possibilities of life in which no predetermined scheme or principle will help it find its way. This is where new forms of art, revolutionary scientific discoveries, or just the simple enjoyment of a breeze flowing through the trees arise. It is in the spirit of the child that Nietzsche writes, “Suppose that we said yes to a single moment, then we have not only said yes to ourselves, but to the whole of existence…in this single moment when we said yes, all of eternity was embraced, redeemed, justified and affirmed.”

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that Nietzsche points to a state of simplicity, innocence, and inner vitality as the place where the struggles and suffering of our lives find reconciliation and redemption. I agree wholeheartedly with Nietzsche that as long as we think our life’s challenges and burdens will find catharsis in fashioning our character or aligning with noble ethical standards, we will always face disappointment. Freedom comes not from shouldering our burden well and effectively, but from simply putting it down. That being said, I think it is equally essential to acknowledge that, for most of us, truly putting our burden down is not an option in many—probably most—moments of our lives, as this requires a deep trust and openness to the unknown. If we are honest with ourselves, we will likely find that in most moments we are very guarded against the unknown. It is in these moments that I would argue that conforming our will to traditional virtues is the best we can do to foster a lifestyle that remains as open as possible to the innocence and freedom of the child.

In The Twilight of the Idols, Nietzsche suggests that traditional ethical standards are the result of a healthy, open, and joyful way of being—not the cause of it. For example, Nietzsche suggests that a person with a healthy soul naturally becomes disgusted with strong sensory pleasures not because they are trying to align their will with a rule that commands them to renounce those pleasures, but because the lightness of their being allows them to appreciate the subtler joys of life. I think it is fair for Nietzsche to claim that taking on the burden of a virtue, such as restraint, before it occurs naturally will not directly engender the lightness and openness of a healthy, child-like soul. However, I have found that when we feel overwhelmed by temptation or weakness of will, practicing sense restraint—even in a rule-based manner—can keep us from sinking further into the agitated state of mind that comes with constantly seeking the next pleasure.

   This is true, in my experience, of all traditional virtues. As I see it, traditional ethical standards can keep us from falling too far into indulgence, fear, or confusion, which obscure the subtle and simple innocence at the heart of our being that allows for the trust and availability of the child, even if they do not directly cause that state. Acting courageously when we feel terrified or committing acts of generosity when we feel selfish will not necessarily plunge us directly into the innocence of Becoming, but it can prevent us from fostering the states of mind—such as fear or greed—that obscure this innocence by placing strict demands on the unknown. This, in my opinion and experience, is the role rule-based virtue plays, even in a life that aims to live “beyond good and evil,” to use Nietzsche's words. Virtue and morality act as a safety net, preventing heavier and more fearful emotional and mental states from gaining too much momentum until we are ready to trustingly fall back into the hands of the unknown

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Please feel free to leave a comment if you have clarification questions, feedback, critiques, or anything to add. Philosophy is all about dialogue! I will do my best to respond to all questions and concerns.