alphabet murders

PITY

Schopenhauer argued that compassion, not rational rules or God-given commandments, is the basis of morality. Moral behaviour stems from an intuitive recognition of the will to live. Although all the great religions attempt to express this reality, they lose themselves in dogma and doctrinal disputes. According to Schopenhauer, life consists of incessant suffering in pursuit of goals that can never be satisfied. Ultimately, this pursuit of the unattainable leads to a meaningless death.

According to the pessimistic Schopenhauer, it would be better not to live at all. However, since we are alive, we have a moral obligation not to increase the suffering of others. Therefore, we must be patient, tolerant, and charitable to one another. 

Nietzsche rejected Schopenhauer’s doctrine of compassion as an unacceptable form of asceticism. He saw compassion as a weakness, not a virtue, and asserted that ‘the will to power’ underpinned existence and morality. Unlike Schopenhauer, he did not believe egotism and self-centeredness were vices. 

For Nietzsche, pity is a negative emotion. To show pity for others is to treat them with contempt; it is much better to encourage them to confront their difficulties head-on. In Nietzsche’s view, Christianity, with its suffering god, was the epitome of a religion of pity. He contrasted Christianity with the pagan religions of Ancient Greece and Rome, with their heroic gods’ love-making and warfare.