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Example research essay topic: Clear And Distinct Perception Slave Morality - 1,915 words

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Friedrich Nietzsche is not only one of the most influential philosophers the world has seen, but he is also one of the most controversial. He has influenced twentieth century thought more than almost any other thinker. In his numerous works, Nietzsche constantly criticizes and restructures the strongly held philosophical and religious beliefs of his time. One such principle that he refutes belongs to his predecessor Rene Descartes, and concerns the apparent distinction and significance of the human mind over the body. Descartes explains this elaborate theory in his Meditations on First Philosophy, claiming that the mind (the conscious) is the lone essential part of the human essence. On the other hand, Nietzsche expresses in his work, On the Genealogy of Morality, his beliefs that the body (the unconscious) is key to the human essence.

One may find it difficult to decide between these two ideas, for both philosophers pose good arguments on the contradicting sides of this famous dilemma. However, by analyzing them further, I realize that the qualities of their arguments are only as good as the foundations that they are based upon; one cannot have an understanding of the mind or the body without first having knowledge of the essence of human existence. With this in mind, I will prove that the body is superior to the mind by showing that the center for Nietzsche's ideas, the human essence, is more valid than that of Descartes. Descartes idea of the human essence is based solely on his formed concept of radical doubt. He believes the essence of human existence to be simply a thinking thing [ 1 ]. We must now analyze how he arrived at this conclusion.

Descartes is famous for radical doubt, a concept that questions everything, and assumes nothing to be true unless it can be proved so with his idea of clear and distinct perception. From this he states that the only thing he can clearly and distinctively perceive is that I exist [ 2 ]. He concludes that since he ceases to exist when he ceases to think, he can then clearly and distinctively call himself a thinking thing [ 3 ]. Descartes explains this train of thought when he says: From the fact that I know that I exist, and that at the same time I judge that obviously nothing else belongs to my nature or essence except that I am a thinking thing, I rightly conclude that my essence consists entirely in my being a thinking thing.

And although perhaps I have a body that is very closely joined to me, nevertheless, because on the one hand I have a clear and distinct idea of myself, insofar as I am merely a thinking thing and not an extended thing, and because on the other hand I have a distinct idea of a body, insofar as it is merely an extended thing and not a thinking thing, it is certain that I am really distinct from my body, and can exist without it [ 4 ]. It is obvious that Descartes arrival of the human essence as a thinking thing in this way is fully based on his beliefs of radical doubt and clear and distinct perception. He bases all of his inferences on other inferences. Descartes also devaluates the human body and places the mind at the essence of the human existence based on his concept. Due to his radical doubt, Descartes quickly omits the body and the entire physical world as having any significance because of the simple fact that they can be doubted. He establishes a strong sense of doubt in his senses, because, according to Descartes, one cannot know clearly and distinctly that they are not being deceived into their physical sensations [ 5 ].

Descartes thus condemns the significance of the body when he proclaims that it is not a substance endowed with understanding [ 6 ]. He places the body into the physical, unintelligible realm of his concept of dualism, opposite from the thinking, knowledgeable realm. Descartes now acknowledges the body as being useful only within the limits of moving from one place to another, of taking on various shapes, and so on [ 7 ]. It is from this condemnation of the body into the physical, unintelligible! realm that Descartes further places the mind on a pedestal, and at the essence of human existence. To him the mind is superior because it thinks, which is in itself our essence.

He explains this in the indented quote I have already cited (4), saying that the mind can exist without the body. Analyzing things with radical doubt clearly finalizes all of Descartes ideas. Therefore, Descartes argument is not valid because of the fact that it is solely derived from assumptions. His idea of the superiority of the mind is based on the assumption that humans are thinking things, which itself is based on the assumption of clear and distinct perception, which is further based on the assumption that radical doubt is valid. Descartes entire argument includes the use of clear and distinct perception, a concept that he concocted, to evaluate what is true and what is false. It is absurd to dub something valid when it is based on an assumption, let alone many assumptions.

Henceforth, it is false to grant Descartes ideas any relevance because they are derived by judging things on his basis. Steven J. Wagner, in his essay Descartes Arguments for Mind-Body Distinctness, supports this point when he says; Descartes procedure only makes good sense once we see it as a product of his system Too much in Descartes depends on things that are far too w! rong [ 8 ]. He explains that Cartesian (Descartes thinking) dualism and the Cartesian mind can only be supported along Cartesian lines [ 9 ].

It requires little intelligence to prove a point when one bases their argument for it on invalid theories of their own fabrication. The superiority of the mind in the human essence, therefore, has not been clearly proven because its ideal is based on Descartes numerous assumptions. Nietzsche's idea of the human essence, on the other hand, clearly holds more validity than Descartes because it is not based on assumed principles. Nietzsche believes the human essence to be one of competition, survival and a will to power. Unlike Descartes, Nietzsche's ideal is based on a foundation of facts.

He concocts his ideal mostly by observing nature and the world around him. Bertram M. Laing, in his essay The Metaphysics of Nietzsche's Immoralism, explains Nietzsche's belief called the organic process, whereas the world is a continual distribution and redistribution of force or power [ 10 ]. Nietzsche observes society as a barbaric, predatory world that he separates it into two groups: one having slave morality, and the other master morality [ 11 ]. Those who possess master morality, or noble morality, are the ones who live their lives instinctively by trying to achieve heightened power, often at the expense of others. These people, according to Nietzsche!

he, are the active and productive members of society. They exude power and confidence, and prioritize success over popularity [ 12 ]. They are the ones who gain the power in the organic process. Nietzsche preaches for people to have this kind of morality, for he sees this as being good [ 13 ]. On the other hand, those who possess slave morality are the ones who do not act instinctively and thus are weak. Their weakness is apparent by observing their lack of productivity and success [ 14 ].

They became clever in order to compensate for not being powerful, doing things like congregating for chances of greater defense. These people, according to Nietzsche, developed ressentiment towards their superiors power [ 15 ]. Nietzsche thus calls them the regression of humankind, because their morality develops out of hatred and a denial of our bodily instincts [ 16 ]. The human essence, therefore, is one of a desire for power and success. Nietzsche cleverly legitimizes this claim comparing it to the 'survival of the fittest aspects of nature [ 17 ]. Beasts of Prey hold the qualities of master morality, for they achieve their goals instinctively at the expense of their prey.

They do what is needed for them to survive. Lambs, the prey, are equal to those included in Nietzsche's slave morality because they are weak, and congregate in herds for protection [ 18 ]. The Beasts of Prey are obviously the ones who survive, so Nietzsche believes that we should strive to act instinctively like them. Rather than following in Descartes footsteps to leading a trivial argument, it is clear that Nietzsche based his concoction of the human essence mostly on irrefutable observations. In this way his idea surpasses Descartes in relevance and validity, thus giving him clear ground to employ this ideal in proving the superiority of the body. Finally, Nietzsche uses this valid assertion of the human essence to prove that the body is more essential to the human existence than the mind.

Nietzsche argues that since the human essence is based on predatory competition necessary in the organic process of the world, the body is more important than the mind. Instinct, he says, is rooted in the body that we are given. Thus our bodies define who we are because they determine what morality, master or slave, we adhere to. Nietzsche believes that ones placement within these categories is decided at birth as an unalterable assignment determined by the genealogy of a persons morals. Our bodies determine whether we act according to our natural instincts for success and the will of power (master morality), or if we turn away from them (slave morality). These bodily instincts are the key element to our existence, for they completely govern our personalities.

By analyzing the Beasts of Prey argument again, it is clear th! at the lambs were born into their existence as non-instinctive and defensive beings due to their bodies. The bodies of the birds also held their propensity to act on their natural instinct. In this way the body is therefore the principal element of our existence; it is the difference between eating, and getting eaten.

Bertram M. Laing describes Nietzsche's body when she calls it the source of all inspiration; the power that breathes or speaks through one is not an alien deity, but the self, the man as he really is [ 19 ]. The body, then, is superior to the mind, because it holds our natural instincts that fully determine who we are and how we will fare in the organic process of our existence. So as you can see, the body is a greater element of human existence than the mind. I have achieved this conclusion in a simple, systematic fashion. I did so by (1) stating that the ideas of the human essence are the foundations for Nietzsche's and Descartes arguments, (2) proving that Descartes idea of human essence is not valid because it is based mostly on his own assumed principles, (3) proving that Descartes entire argument for the superiority of the mind can now be deemed invalid as a result of this, (4) proving that Nietzsche's idea of human essence is more valid than Descartes because it is based on undeniable facts, (5) and finally proving that the body is superior to the mind because of the legitimacy of Nietzsche's argument.

It is clear that Nietzsche has outwitted his great predecessor here.


Free research essays on topics related to: master morality, nietzsche believes, thinking thing, slave morality, clear and distinct perception

Research essay sample on Clear And Distinct Perception Slave Morality

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