Aristocratic values#
Summary#
Nietzsche identifies aristocratic values as the defining force of the moral period of human history, marking a fundamental shift from the pre-moral period when actions were judged by their consequences. Under the supremacy of aristocratic values, the origin of an action rather than its outcome became the measure of its worth, leading to the belief in intention as the sole basis for moral evaluation. This inversion of perspective represents for Nietzsche a great achievement and refinement of human judgment, though one that eventually gave rise to new superstitions requiring their own overcoming.