Nietzsche disapproves of the slave mode of valuation, arguing instead for the noble mode of valuation, that there are no "actions" by a "subject," but only forces which simply "are." He argues that we cannot separate actors from actions, that " 'the doer' is merely a fiction added to the deed." He says that we cannot blame the strong people for exercising their strength in their actions because that is unavoidable; there is no reasoning or option involved in the matter. This noble mode of valuation assumes that we do not have choice in our actions. For example, there is no separation from strength and expression of strength, they are the same. It is not possible for a strong man to freely express strength or not. He will always express his strength. Nietzsche's best example of this is lightning: we cannot separate the action of "flashing" from the actor which we call "lightning." Instead, lightning is the flash, there is no action and actor, but simply the force -- the flash itself.
In this scenario, we are not autonomous beings who make our own decisions and have control over our life's outcome. So does that mean we do not learn from our "mistakes?" In this version, is it ever possible for us to make mistakes?
I don't believe that anyone really views their own life to be without choice. We have a choice in many of our actions: to lie, to not lie, to cheat, to not cheat, to go to class, to ditch class, etc. We don't always choose the same option in a given situation, either. We might lie one time, but not another. But if we are to see ourselves as merely action, as merely forces acting, as Nietzsche explains we are.. Is there ever reflection on those forces? Let's say there is a force -- Fear. There is a fear of eating pineapple. Now, after the consumption of pineapple, there is a new force that represents a liking of this pineapple. However, there is still the fear of eating pineapple force. Does this fear force acknowledge the liking pineapple force, and adjust itself? If this noble mode of valuation does not assume choice or reason, how would the forces respond to each other? Am I over-analyzing this? (Probably.) What do you think?
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