English Blog-This Could Be Fun!!

Genealogy of Morals-Nietzsche

"...ever since there have been human beings there have also been human herds (family groups, communities, tribes, nations, states, churches) and always very many who obey compared to the very small number who command - considering, that is to say, that hitherto nothing has been practised and cultivated among men better or longer than obedience, it is fair to suppose that as a rule a need for it is by now innate as a kind of formal conscience which commands: Thou shalt unconditionally do this, unconditionally do that, in short 'Thou shalt'. This need seeks to be satisfied and to fill out its forms with a content: in doing so it grasps about wildly, according to the degree of its strength, impatience and tension, with little discrimination, as a crude appetite, and accepts whatever any commander - parent, teacher, law, class, prejudice, public opinion - shouts in its ears." --- Genealogy of Morals (1887)We have read a series of articles and essays about identity. What is Nietzsche saying about identity in this quote? How is his claim similar or different from the authors we've read so far? In our digital age, are the notions of leaders and followers complicated? If so, how? If not, why not?

I think that this quote is saying that there are leaders and there are followers. Weather it is your family group, community, tribe, nation, state there will be a heirarcitcle order of leadership. Are you going to be obedient and never question? Are you never going to decide for yourself what morals and ethics are to decipher what is right from wrong? Maybe you are going to blindly follow unconditionally. He is saying that whatever this sort of obedience is, it affects everyone. Everything he is saying seems to be tied into out identity topic we have been talking about in class.

What makes you, you. That identity has been the topic among the authors. Everything from your day to day experiences influence you tremendously. They do not state this debate but I think it has relevance. The Nature vs. Nuture debate on what really shapes someone's life. Is it genetics (the nature side), is it the environment (the nuture side), or in my opinion I think it is both that shapes someone continuously.

The Merriam-Webster Online dictionary at http://www.m-w.com when I looked up Lead, it states; "to direct the operations, activity, or performance of, to have charge of, to go at the head of , to be first in or among, to have a margin over". By this definition, I think It is very clear what a leader is. There should be no confusion or complications. You are either one of the above explanations or you are not. For instance if you are a fashion leader (Chanel), you set the trends, the pace for others to follow. If you want to be fashionable you follow the trends, you may even wear them. Maybe within your group of friends you set the scale on what cool is for the season. They decide they like your style and follow. You are a leader within your group. Maybe they hate your clothing choices, decide not to wear them, but you are still leading the trends for that season. I think it depends on what context you use the word leader in. It could be perceived as something good or bad. Again, it depends on what context you use it in to figure out what it is being applied to.

posted by -*K*- @ 4:53 PM