Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil: The Hard Way (008)

There is a point in every philosophy at which the "conviction" of the philosopher appears on the scene; or, to put it in the words of an ancient mystery: Adventavit asinus, Pulcher et fortissimus.

The latin translation reads “the ass arrived/beautiful and strong." It originates from the medieval Christian Feast of the Ass, which celebrates the Flight into Egypt.



The Flight into Egypt is a biblical story in which an angel appears before Joseph and warns that King Herod has a plan to kill Jesus. In response to the news, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus escape to Egypt.



The flight of Egypt is usually depicted in medieval art with Mary and Jesus riding on an ass.











On the day of the Feast of the Ass, a woman and child traditionally ride into town on a donkey. Eventually they arrive at the church for mass. During mass, the donkey stands by the altar with the priest, who gives the sermon. During the mass, “amen" is sometimes replaced by “Y-a." And at the end of the service, the priest will bray to the mass.



I (rob) am not confident why Nietzsche brings this up, but here is my hypothesis:



In Thus Spoke Zarathrustra, Nietzsche refers to asses in a couple instances:



1. I. The Three Metamorphoses. In this aphorism, Nietzsche describes the first evolution of a person as an ass: someone who is burdened with the values of the world. Think of the heavy packs the donkey must carry for its masters. The donkey therefore represents a primitive, value-laden being that is burdened by values that have been handed down.

2. The Ass Festival. In this aphorism, Zarathrustra encounters the festival itself, witnessing the herd praying to an ass. At first Zarathustra is bothered with the scene, however, he soon comes to realize that such a scene is necessary for certain types of men. And with this realization he accepts it for what it is.





So, to bring it back to Beyond Good and Evil, when the ass appears, it is the value-laden conviction of the philosopher. And it should be seen as silly and foolish; as a priest saying “Y-a” and braying in front of hundreds of people during a church sermon. But this foolishness is also a necessary some; some require such festivities.