Human, All Too Human

There are two chapters in Human, All Too Human of particular interest to us in our attempt to understand Nietzsche’s theory of morality. The first is the book’s opening chapter, which is entitled “Of First and Last Things.” This chapter, while touching upon issues of morality in a few places, provides us with a general sense of Nietzsche’s philosophical orientation, which will enable us to appreciate his theory of morality more fully later. The second chapter, as mentioned previously, is entitled “On the History of the 37 Moral Sensations.” This chapter provides us with the first inklings of Nietzsche’s theory of morality, which he later expounds in Daybreak. If one examines this chapter closely, one will see most of his theory already available in embryonic form. Thus, a careful examination of both of these chapters, and a comparison of the ideas presented within with those of Rée and Schopenhauer, will put us well on our way to understanding his theory.