GROK'S EXPLANATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL BEAUTY IN PART 47 OF NIETZSCHE'S THE TWILIGHT OF THE IDOLS

 

GROK'S EXPLANATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL BEAUTY IN PART 47 OF NIETZSCHE'S THE TWILIGHT OF THE IDOLS

Can you explain to me what Nietzsche really meant in this section #47 of his book "The Twilight of the Idols"?

Beauty is not accidental.—Even the beauty of a race or family, its charm and grace in all its behavior, must be strived for: like genius, it is the natural result of the accumulated labor of generations. One must have made great sacrifices to good taste, one must have done much against one's will for the sake of good taste, and one has left much to be done—the seventeenth century in France is admirable in both respects—good taste must have been used as a principle for choosing society, location, dress, sexual satisfaction, one must prefer beauty to advantage, habit, opinion, laziness. Supreme guideline: do not "get carried away", even when you are alone. — Good things are extraordinarily expensive: and there is an invariable law that says that those who have them are not those who earn them. Everything good is an inheritance: everything that is not inherited is imperfect, it is only a beginning... In Athens, in the time of Cicero, who expresses his surprise at this fact, men and young men were far superior to women in beauty. But what work and effort the male sex had demanded of itself for centuries in the service of beauty!—Because one must not be mistaken about the method here: simply training feelings and thoughts is worth practically nothing (herein lies the great misunderstanding in German education, which is completely illusory): first one must convince the body. Maintaining a strictly established meaningful and select attitude, committing to living only with people who don't "let go"—this is enough to become meaningful and selective: in two or three generations, everything has already been internalized. It is decisive for the fate of a people and of humanity that one begins culture in the right place—not in the "soul" (as was the fatal superstition of priests and semi-priests): the right place is the body, the attitude, the diet, the physiology, and the rest is a consequence... For this reason, the Greeks remain the first cultural event in history: they knew, they knew, what was needed. Christianity, which despised the body, is the greatest misfortune of mankind so far.

Section 47 Summary

In "The Twilight of the Idols" (originally published in 1889), section 47 of Nietzsche falls within the chapter "Skirmishes of an Inopportune Man". This book is a late-work polemic in which Nietzsche attacks what he considers to be decadent values in modern culture, philosophy, and religion, while defending his ideals of vitality, strength, and affirmation of life. Section 47 deals specifically with beauty, culture, and human development, arguing that genuine excellence—whether in physical beauty, taste, or cultural achievement—is not random or innate, but the hard-won result of disciplined, generational effort. He contrasts this with what he considers to be misguided approaches, such as those that prioritize the "soul" over the body, and uses ancient Greece as a model while harshly criticizing Christianity.

Nietzsche's writing here is aphoristic and provocative, mixing cultural criticism with his philosophy of self-improvement and the will to power. He does not only talk about superficial aesthetics; Beauty symbolizes a deeper human flourishing, achieved through rigorous cultivation in itself rather than laziness or moralistic denial.

Breaking down the key ideas

Let's break down the passage step by step, focusing on what Nietzsche "really means" beyond the surface. His language is dense and metaphorical, often loaded with irony, so I'm going to clarify the underlying arguments:

Beauty as a product of generational work ("Beauty is not an accident... accumulated work of generations"):

Nietzsche rejects the idea that beauty—in individuals, families, or entire races/ethnic groups—is a stroke of luck or a divine gift. Instead, it is the end of centuries of deliberate effort. Think of it as evolution through culture: just as "genius" (another Nietzschean ideal) arises from accumulated effort, so do physical and behavioral grace.

This relates to his aristocratic view of the world. Beauty is not democratic or accessible to everyone; It is "earned" through sacrifices over time. For Nietzsche, this reflects his belief in hierarchy: some lines or societies cultivate superiority through discipline, while others decay into mediocrity.

Example: Praise seventeenth-century France (the time of Louis XIV and classical French culture) for its commitment to "good taste," even when it meant going against personal wishes or conveniences. This involved selecting all aspects of life—social circles, living environments, clothing, and even sexual choices—to prioritize aesthetic refinement over ease or popularity.

The discipline of taste and self-control ("One must have preferred beauty to advantage... not 'getting carried away'"):

The "supreme directive" is the relentless mastery of oneself: never relax standards, even in private. Nietzsche sees "letting go" (e.g., neglect of habits or appearance) as a form of weakness that erodes personal and cultural worth.

Good things are "extraordinarily expensive" and are inherited, not self-made in a lifetime. If something is not passed down through refined ancestry, it is incomplete or rudimentary. This critiques modern individualism and egalitarianism: Nietzsche implies that true excellence is aristocratic, rooted in lineages shaped by historical effort.

In practical terms, he advocates a lifestyle based on aesthetic asceticism: choosing beauty over utility ("advantage"), tradition ("custom"), public approval ("opinion"), or laziness ("laziness"). This reflects his broader philosophy in works such as "Thus Spoke Zarathustra," where surpassing oneself involves saying "no" to basic instincts for higher goals.

The method: prioritizing the body over the soul ("First you have to convince the body... to start culture in the right place"):

Here's a central Nietzschean inversion: Western education (especially German education, which he derides as "illusory") focuses first on training the mind or the "soul," but this is the other way around and ineffective. Real change starts with the physical: body, posture ("behavior"), nutrition ("diet"), and overall physiology.

Why? Because the body is the basis of all higher functions; The "soul" (emotions, thoughts) follows as a consequence. Surround yourself with refined people who maintain high standards and, over the generations, this is internalized: instinctive nobility.

Historical example: ancient Athens during the time of Cicero (first century B.C.). Nietzsche points out (through Cicero's surprise) that Athenian men and girls were more beautiful than women because men invested immense "work and effort" in physical and aesthetic training (e.g., gymnastics, rhetoric, art). This was not just vanity; It was a cultural method for excellence in breeding.

This criticizes "spiritual" or idealistic approaches: simply educating feelings or intellect accomplishes "virtually nothing" without bodily discipline.

The Greeks as the pinnacle of culture ("The Greeks remain the first cultural event in history"):

Nietzsche idolizes the ancient Greeks (especially the pre-Socratic and classical eras) as humanity's greatest achievement because they understood the true starting point of culture: the body. They "knew" and "did" what was needed: integrating physical vitality with art, philosophy, and life.

This aligns with his concept of "Dionysian" energy (from "The Birth of Tragedy"): a joyful and affirming embrace of the physicality of life, rather than denying it.

Christianity as the greatest misfortune of humanity

The punchline: By despising the body in favor of the soul (e.g., asceticism, sin-centered morality), Christianity inverted natural values and caused a cultural decline. Nietzsche sees this as the root of modern weakness: priests and "semi-priests" (philosophers such as Plato or Kant) promoted a "fatal superstition" according to which culture begins in the abstract spirit.

This is classic Nietzschean anti-Christianity (from "The Antichrist"): religion taught self-denial and bodily shame, which led to resentment and decadence. Instead of Greek vitality, we had a "misfortune" that stifled human potential.

Broader context in Nietzsche's philosophy

This section embodies Nietzsche's "transvaluation of values": reversing traditional priorities. In his view, modernity (post-Christian, democratic, industrial) promotes equality and comfort at the expense of greatness, leading to "nihilism" (loss of meaning). Beauty here is not cosmetic; It is a metaphor for the highest expressions of life: strength, creativity, and affirmation.

Influence of evolution and aristocracy: Inspired by Darwin (filtered through his perspective), Nietzsche sees human development as selective breeding through culture, not just biology. But it is not egalitarian; He prefers the "superior types" forged through struggle.

Critique of Decadence: "Twilight of the Idols" strikes at "idols" such as progress, pity, and spirituality. This section warns against "letting go," which he links to social decay.

Personal angle: Nietzsche, tormented by health problems, emphasized the role of physiology in thought (e.g., "the great intellects are skeptical... but above all, they are healthy").

In essence, Nietzsche means that true human advancement requires beginning with the tangible—body and habits—through inherited discipline, not abstract ideals. The Greeks exemplified this path to excellence; Christianity blocked it. It is a call to recover vitality by rejecting moralities that deny the body and embracing aesthetic rigor. If you're going to dig deeper, I'd recommend reading this in conjunction with "The Genealogy of Morals" for your full critique of values.

But for Nietzsche physical beauty was still important, as he said elsewhere in another of his books, that the body is more important than the soul, and that is why he criticizes the Christian religion that gives greater importance to the soul than to the human body

Yes — you are absolutely right, and you have understood Nietzsche's fundamental reversal of values.

Physical beauty was important — but not as an end in itself

Nietzsche elevates the body far above the "soul" in priority and reality. He says explicitly in Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Part I, "On the Despisers of the Body"):

"I am a body from head to toe, and nothing more; and soul is just a word for something related to the body."

And again:

"There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy."

So yes, the body is the main thing. The "soul" is not a separate, immortal substance (as Christianity claims), but an epiphenomenon—a side effect, a metaphor, a function of the body.

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Why he criticizes Christianity

Christianity, according to Nietzsche, inverts natural values:

• He despises the body (he calls it sinful, weak, prison for the soul).
• It exalts the soul (promises eternal reward for denying earthly life).
• It breeds resentment—weak people who take comfort in a "spiritual" superiority.

This is what he calls "mankind's greatest misfortune" in section 47:

"Christianity, which despised the body..."

For Nietzsche, this leads to:

• Physical negligence
• Cultural decline
• A slave morality that glorifies suffering and ugliness