American History

How does the ascetic ideal is used to excercise power
In his book On the Genealogy of Morals, Nietzsche interrogates the meaning of ascetic ideals for different types of people, including philosophers and priests. He seems to provide a contrast between the ascetic philosopher and the ascetic priest differentiated by their justifications for being ascetic to enlighten  his philosophy. Many of the concepts of his theory of the will to power are differentiated between the ascetic philosopher and the ascetic priest, especially the concepts of turning inward against oneself and self-overcoming.

Nietzsche proposes that the philosopher does not need to comply to the ascetic ideal, but rather gives up what is easiest to give away. Poverty, humility, and chastity, are to the philosopher a way to rid himself of impediments to his power(1967, p.8) It is easy for the philosopher to  adhere to the ideal of chastity, as marriage is an impediment to philosophy and sexuality is a torture. Even a home undermines philosophy, which applauds those who strike out into the desert. (1967, p.6) The philosopher should find voluntary absurdity, avoiding today for the past, relinquishing himself to humility. (8) For Nietzsche, the philosopher handles the ascetic ideal only in such ways as it serves his purpose and advance his power. He also uses the ascetic merely as coincidence to increase his power and immortality. A spirit sure of itself keeps people waiting, seeks concealment, and speaks softly. (1967, p.8) Nietzsche supports this by providing a a good start to his new philosophy.

For Nietzsche, the philosopher is born from the ascetic ideal only because it can put fear in those that would mistrust their philosophy.  Philosophys visions were to doubt, suspend judgment, seek answers, analyze, investigate, compare and balance, dare, and reach an impartiality and neutrality from which to investigate the current morality and conscience. (1967, p.9) It is dangerous to philosophize openly because it naturally calls into question the morality and knowledge of the institutions. Philosophers have used asceticism as a mask or cocoon to like a fool is able to openly admonish a king. But this cover up has finally become a withdrawn attitude, a suspicion of senses, and hostility toward life that has moved philosophy toward nihilism and the ascetic priest. (Nietzsche 1967, p.10) Nietzsche sees the free spirit, and possibly himself, as the only philosophers with sufficient pride and daring to separate philosophy from the bonds to asceticism, from this early mask and cocoon. (1967, p.10) Thus, the free spirit will overcome everything, eliminating this need to hide behind the mask of asceticism toward a better and more powerful absolutism than the priest offers.

Nietzsche says that the supreme values of man, I. e. the ascetic ideal, lack a will to power but he also argues that the ascetic ideal is an expression of the will to power. A good interpretation is to say that the ascetic ideal does not express the will to power forcefully, that in such people as adopt it, the will to power is weak. The will to power manifests itself throughout all human life for him, but in various strenghts.

Finally, Nietzsches portrayal of the asceticism becomes the antithesis of what he suggests is good for society, and a good example of how  asceticism can be a strong and benevolent will to power in the philosopher while the ascetic priests strong will to power is harmful to society.