Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 19:15:44 +0000 (GMT) From: =?iso-8859-1?q?littleisharp?= <littleisharp-AT-yahoo.co.uk> Subject: Re: wise cracks and gender stereotypes Some time ago, on this list, I recall Eric defining revenge as ego. Eric: isn't cruelty a special province of the weak, a way for the weak [..] to compensate for being less powerful? Ruth: It is revenge that is the province of the weak, defined as hostility to the strong, not cruelty I am trying to understand your comments in relation to passages on revenge and cruelty in the Geneology of Morals. Here, cruelty is "a genuine festival" (cf. The Dawn, "Cruelty belongs to the most ancient festive joys of mankind"), whilst revenge is too difficult and painful to fathom. "To ask it again: to what extent can suffering balance depts or guilt? [...] How can making suffer constitute a compensation?" I have always interpreted these passages as suggesting, as Ruth says, that cruelty is not reducible to active/reactive forces, but revenge is. However, two questions remain: how are we to understand this "festive joy" in cruelty; and why does making suffer constitute a compensation for the avenger? Nietzsche stops tantalizingly short of giving us answers - reasons for this are suggested elsewhere, but certainly, more can be said. Any takers? ________________________________________________________________________ Want to chat instantly with your online friends? Get the FREE Yahoo! Messenger http://mail.messenger.yahoo.co.uk --- from list nietzsche-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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