“In this theory, the origin of the concept ‘Good’ was mistakenly identified, and thus sought in vain, for the judgment ‘Good’ did not originate among those to whom goodness was shown! Rather, it has been the ‘good men’ themselves, that is, the noble, the powerful, those of high degree, the high-minded, who have felt that they themselves were good, and that their actions were good…”

Frederich Nietzsche

The first essay of Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morals destabilizes common assumptions of morality and “goodness” by exposing their social and historical construction rather than their assumed eternal truth. Today, we call compassion, empathy, and selflessness “good”, but where did these notions come from? Nietzsche describes the reality of these definitions of good as being rooted in the historical context of powerless or lower-class individuals revaluing the traits of their oppressors as “evil” (traits like pride, strength, or greed fall into this definition). Similarly, they elevated their conditions of weakness as “good.” Throughout the first essay, Nietzsche deeply analyzes the linguistic and historical roots of these definitions. This genealogical approach and tracing of historical uses of these terms disrupts the reader’s moral certainty through the assertion that our deeply rooted values and ethical convictions stem from reactive emotion rather than from any objective, factual, or concrete foundation. Ultimately, Nietzsche does not only critique morality, but exposes the unstable rooting of “good” and “evil”, revealing the traditional idea of “goodness” as disguised resentment rather than its more common positive interpretation and usage. Nietzsche urges readers to critically engage and understand the limitations of language in encompassing hierarchies and values, leaving the reader to question their own moral judgment and if the gravitational pull of power, history, and self-interest is escapable.