Single Idea 23200

[catalogued under 24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 2. Leaders / d. Elites]

Full Idea

The foundation of all aristocracies …is to resemble the ancestors as much as possible, which serves as the controlling morality: mourning at the thought of change and variation.

Gist of Idea

The controlling morality of aristocracy is the desire to resemble their ancestors

Source

Friedrich Nietzsche (Unpublished Notebooks 1885-86 [1886], 35[22])

Book Reference

Nietzsche,Friedrich: 'Fragments from 1885-86 (v 16)', ed/tr. Del Caro,Adrian [Stanford 2020], p.87


A Reaction

This makes sense of the permanent residence of the family, full of portraits and family trees. Aristocrats preserve records of their predecessors, in a way that most of us don't, going back before grandparents.