Nietzsche on Politics:
... laws and traditions. From this conclusion, Nietzsche determines that in regards to society that it serves to make us more predictable and leads to making promises. By us having the ability to make promises, we then get what Nietzsche calls the "sovereign individual"; able to make promises because he is master of his own free will. He says about this individual that, “This emancipated individual, with the actual right to make promises, this master of a free will, this sovereign man…” (Nietzsche, p. 61) From here we then lead into the responsibility a "conscience." So far, Nietzsche has set up for us the ability for humans to make promises and the notion that this comes out of a government control of laws and customs over the people. In order for a society and political life to ensue, this is a must with regards to the people. Nietzsche’s next step in the essay is to discuss the community, in other words the society in which these people live. In this community, Nietzsche says that there is an existing relationship between people and the community they live in. The community provides basic needs such as shelter, peace and security. Along with this however comes introducing the people into its debt. By looking at the community like this we are to see the community as a creditor. He states, “I have already divulged it: in the contractual relationship between creditor and debtor, which is as old as the idea of ‘legal subjects’ and in turn points back to the fundamental forms of buying, selling, barter, trade, and traffic.” (Nietzsche, p. 63) We see here how the relationship is determined so by Nietzsche. By having people who break the laws they are not just not repaying the debt, but it could also be looked at as assaulting the creditor, which is a reason that such offenders face punishments or harsh degrees. “…The law breaker is above all a ‘breaker’…in respect to all the benefits and comforts of the communal life…the lawbreaker is a debtor who has not merely failed to make good the advantages …but has attacked his creditor.” (Nietzsche, p. 71) Another point that is made is that the more control and power a community has, the less punishment is needed in it. Nietzsche here is telling us of the power that a society needs to have over its people. In other words, the sovereign, whatever it may be needs to be strong. When this power is achieved threats against the community can be somewhat overlooked because if the sovereign is strong enough, it won’t matter. He goes on to say, “As its power increases, a community ceases to take the individual’s transgressions so seriously, because they can no longer be considered as dangerous and destructive to the whole as they were formerly…” (Nietzsche, p. 72) On the other side, if the sovereign is weak, any attack is life threatening, and such a ...