In the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, you wrote that Friedrich Nietzsche [1844-1900] aims at freeing higher human beings from their false consciousness about morality. Can you give us an example of this false consciousness which has been assimilated by our society?

There’s a very high value placed on being altruistic: taking account of other people’s interests and looking out for others.

Now Nietzsche is not a fool. He understands that a lot of people who talk about altruism aren’t altruistic at all. As he says about the German political leaders of his day, he finds it unbelievable that they can go to church every Sunday and take communion, because they’re the most unChristian people on the face of the earth. So the appearance is not the point. The point is that a high value is set on altruism, while any sign of pure self-concern is kind of disparaged. I think Nietzsche’s correct here. It’s a pretty common moral stance, even when people don’t actually act on it. People who are not altruistic will rarely own up to being selfish.

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