GUIDE TO THE PHILOSOPHY 1938 - 1947.pdf - Rare Books at ...

THEORY OF FASCISM 635
utility and obligation to exercise prolonged gratitude and
prolonged revenge- both only within the circle of equals
artfulness in retaliation. Signs of nobility: never to
think of lowering our duties to the rank of duties for
everybody; to be unwilling to renounce or to share our
responsibilities; to count our prerogatives, and the exercise
of them, among our duties".
It is only, then, in the masters that Christian morality
is inappropriate, for it is only the masters who permit
to become conscious. For the slaves
the will to power
Christian* morality is not only appropriate, but necessary;
it supplies them with " the pillars of their existence and the
soporific appliances towards happiness", and the masters
will, therefore, do well to encourage its persistence. One
is tempted to wonder why Nietzsche published his books
for the slaves to read. But perhaps he counted upon his
doctrines obtaining official recognition, in which case
presumably, slaves would not be educated, or, if educated
to read, not educated to the point of being able to under-
stand Nietzsche.
To sum up, there are two scales of moral values originating
in the distinction between the ruling class, or
masters, and the slaves, who are dependent upon the
masters; for "men are not equal" and "a higher culture
can only originate where there are two distinct castes of
society". For the masters the antithesis between good and
bad means practically the same as the antithesis between
"noble" and "despicable"; for the slaves it is the same as
the antithesis between "useful" and "dangerous". Slave
morality is in fact utilitarian morality; it is distinguished
by the fact "that it keeps its advantage steadily in view,
and that this thought of the end and advantage is even
stronger than its strongest impulses, not to be tempted
to inexpedient activities by its impulses that is, its wisdom
"
and inspiration". We bear no grudge against them, these
good lambs," Nietzsche generously concedes, "we even
like them; is nothing tastier than a tender lamb."