Oh, Those Little Lambs

Nietzsche’s main argument in the second half of his first essay is that the concept of good and evil was created by the weak suppressing the inherent power of the strong. He first uses the example of the lambs and the birds of prey. The lamb believes that the bird of prey is evil simply because they kill the lambs. Because these birds use their strength to kill the weak lambs, the strength of the birds is then credited as “evil” and the weakness of the lambs is then credited as “good.” Nietzsche then points out that this conclusion, although reasonable, is not correct because the birds are condemned for the strength they need in order to survive. Also, Nietzsche reveals that these concepts create the idea that “the strong man is free to be weak” then those who are strong should be held accountable for their strength; “make the bird of prey be accountable for being a bird of prey” (45). Nietzsche finds this to be ridiculous because it is asking those who are strong to deny their true nature and condemning them for even existing. Nietzsche then continues to equate the lambs to the Judeo-Christian religion and the birds of prey to those nobles whose strength was suppressed by that religion. According to Nietzsche, Christianity is based on the weak’s resentment and hatred of the nobles. Because Christianity then lauds traits of weakness, it allows the weak to become the good; inverting what was once “good” in the noble’s world to what is “evil” in the Christian world. The weak are like the lambs, because they are not strong enough, they do not attack; however, this weakness has been made so that it is what God wants and glorifies. If they are patient, god will give the weak power in the kingdom of heaven. Nietzsche claims that they have made weakness a choice, a “meritorious act,” when in face this weakness is nothing special because it is inherent.