The Will to Power · Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
936.
_Aristocracy._--Gregarious ideals at present culminating in the highest standard of value for society. It has been attempted to give them a cosmic, yea, and even a metaphysical, value.--I defend _aristocracy_ against them. Any society which would of itself preserve a feeling of respect and _délicatesse_ in regard to freedom, must consider itself as an exception, and have a force against it from which it distinguishes itself, and upon which it looks down with hostility. The more rights I surrender and the more I level myself down to others, the more deeply do I sink into the average and ultimately into the greatest number. The first condition which an aristocratic society must have in order to maintain a high degree of freedom among its members, is that extreme tension which arises from the presence of the most _antagonistic_ instincts in all its units: from their will to dominate.... If ye would fain do away with strong contrasts and differences of rank, ye will also abolish, strong love, lofty attitudes of mind, and the feeling of individuality. *** Concerning the _actual_ psychology of societies based upon freedom and equality.--What is it that tends to _diminish_ in such a society? The will to be _responsible for ones self_ (the loss of this is a sign of the decline of autonomy); the ability to defend and to attack, even in spiritual matters; the power of command; the sense of reverence, of subservience, the ability to be silent, _great passion,_ great achievements, tragedy and cheerfulness.
In 1814 Augustin Thierry read what Montlosier had said in his work, _De la Monarchie française:_ he answered with a cry of indignation, and set himself to his task. That emigrant had said: "_Race d'affranchis, race d'esclaves arrachés de nos mains, peuple tributaire, peuple nouveau, licence vous fut octroyée d'être libres, et non pas à nous d'être nobles; pour nous tout est de droit, pour vous tout est de grâce, nous ne sommes point de votre communauté; nous sommes un tout par nous mêmes._" How constantly the aristocratic world shears and weakens itself ever more and more! By means of its noble instincts it abandons its privileges, and owing to its refined and excessive culture, it takes an interest in the people, the weak, the poor, and the poetry of the lowly, etc. There is such a thing as a noble and dangerous form of carelessness, which allows of profound conclusions and insight: the carelessness of the self-reliant and over-rich soul, which has never _troubled_ itself about friends, but which knows only hospitality and knows how to practise it; whose heart and house are open to all who will enter--beggar, cripple, or king. This is genuine sociability: he who is capable of it has hundreds of "friends," but probably not one friend. The teaching μηδὲν ἄγαν applies to men with overflowing strength,--not to the mediocre, ἐγκράτεια and ἄσκησις are only steps to higher things. Above them stands "golden Nature." _"Thou shalt"_--unconditional obedience in Stoics, in Christian and Arabian Orders, in Kant's philosophy (it is immaterial whether this obedience is shown to a superior or to a concept). Higher than "Thou shalt" stands "I will" (the heroes); higher than "I will" stands "I am" (the gods of the Greeks). Barbarian gods express nothing of the pleasure of restraint,--they are neither simple, nor light-hearted, nor moderate.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.