Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Nietzsche argued that the masters of
society would come to see their privilege as well deserved. That is, they
would craft value narratives to justify their elite status. Why shouldn’t they be
rewarded for it? It was good they were on top. They deserved it. They were
the smartest and strongest and most talented. Therefore, they were the most
righteous.
Nietzsche called this belief system, in which those who end up ahead do
so because they deserve it, “master morality.” Master morality is the moral
belief that people get what they deserve. It’s the moral belief that “might
makes right,” that if you earned something through hard work or ingenuity,
you deserve it. No one can take that from you; nor should they. You are the
best, and because you’ve demonstrated superiority, you should be rewarded
for it.
Conversely, Nietzsche argued, the “slaves” of society would generate a
moral code of their own. Whereas the masters believed they were righteous
and virtuous because of their strength, the slaves of society came to believe
that they were righteous and virtuous because of their weakness. Slave
morality believes that people who have suffered the most, those who are the
most disadvantaged and exploited, deserve the best treatment because of that
suffering. Slave morality believes that it’s the poorest and most unfortunate
who deserve the most sympathy and the most respect.
Whereas master morality believes in the virtue of strength and dominance,
slave morality believes in the virtue of sacrifice and submission. While master
morality believes in the necessity of hierarchy, slave morality believes in the
necessity of equality. While master morality is generally represented by right-
wing political beliefs, slave morality is usually found in left-wing political
beliefs.^7
We all contain both these moralities within us. Imagine you’re in a class at
school and you study your ass off and get the highest test score. And because
you got the highest test score, you’re awarded benefits due to your success.
You feel morally justified having those benefits; after all, you worked hard
and earned them. You are a “good” student and a “good” person for being a
good student. This is master morality.
Now imagine that you have a classmate. This classmate has eighteen
siblings, all being raised by a single mother. This classmate works multiple
part-time jobs and is never able to study because she is literally putting food
on the table for her brothers and sisters. She fails the same exam that you
passed with flying colors. Is that fair? No, it’s not. You would probably feel
that she deserves some sort of special exception due to her situation—maybe