Friedrich Nietzsche
The 19th century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche gives prominent focus to what he terms "the Brotherhood of Assassins", in section 24 of On the Genealogy of Morality. Nietzsche's signature work is to attempt the transvaluation of values, that is, to transcend the inherited Jewish and Christian politics, psychology and ethics of ressentiment and guilt. Nietzsche points to the Assassins as anti-ascetic 'free spirits' who no longer believe in metaphysical truth.
Importantly, Nietzsche attacks the false spirits who are the host of self-describing "unbelievers" of modern times who claim to reject religious deception as scholars and philosophers and yet retain the traditional refusal to question the value of truth. Nietzsche compares genuine free spirits with the Assassins: "When the Christian crusaders in the Orient came across that invincible order of Assassins – that order of free spirits par excellence whose lowest order received, through some channel or other, a hint about that symbol and spell reserved for the uppermost echelons alone, as their secret: "nothing is true, everything is permitted". Now that was freedom of the spirit, with that, belief in truth itself was renounced."
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Famous quotes by friedrich nietzsche:
“Then is what you see through this window onto the world so lovely that you have no desire whatsoever to look out through any other window?—and that you even make an attempt to prevent others from doing so?”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“The idealist is incorrigible: if he is expelled from his heaven, he makes an ideal out of hell.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“You’re going to women? Don’t forget your whip!”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“The doctrine of equality!... But there exists no more poisonous poison: for it seems to be preached by justice itself, while it is the end of justice.... ‘Equality for equals, inequality for unequals’Mthat would be the true voice of justice: and, what follows from it, ‘Never make equal what is unequal.’”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“Noble and wise men once believed in the music of the spheres: noble and wise men still continue to believe in the ‘moral significance of existence.’ But one day even this sphere-music will no longer be audible to them! They will wake up and take note that their ears were dreaming.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)