Cruelty
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
| Revision as of 20:26, 24 October 2007 Jahsonic (Talk | contribs) (→See also) ← Previous diff |
Revision as of 20:25, 17 August 2008 Jahsonic (Talk | contribs) Next diff → |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| {{Template}} | {{Template}} | ||
| + | :"One ought to learn anew about [[cruelty]]," said [[Nietzsche]] (''[[Beyond Good and Evil]]'', 229), "and open one's eyes. Almost everything that we call '[[high culture|higher culture]]' is based upon the [[Aestheticization of violence|spiritualizing and intensifying of cruelty]]...." | ||
| + | |||
| '''Cruelty''' can be described as [[indifference]] to [[suffering]] and even positive [[pleasure]] in inflicting it. | '''Cruelty''' can be described as [[indifference]] to [[suffering]] and even positive [[pleasure]] in inflicting it. | ||
Revision as of 20:25, 17 August 2008
|
Related e |
|
Featured: |
- "One ought to learn anew about cruelty," said Nietzsche (Beyond Good and Evil, 229), "and open one's eyes. Almost everything that we call 'higher culture' is based upon the spiritualizing and intensifying of cruelty...."
Cruelty can be described as indifference to suffering and even positive pleasure in inflicting it.
Cruel ways of inflicting suffering may involve violence, but violence is not necessary for an act to be cruel. For example, if another person is drowning and begging for help, and another person is able to help, but merely watches with disinterested amusement or pleasure, that person is being cruel — not violent.
Cruelty usually carries connotations of supremacy over a submissive or weaker force.
The term cruelty is often used with regard to the treatment of animals, children and prisoners. See: punishment, draconian, and cruel and unusual punishment. When cruelty to animals is discussed, it often refers to unnecessary suffering.
According to Friedrich Nietzsche, almost all higher culture comes from the spiritualization of cruelty.
See also
- Sadism
- Theatre of Cruelty, an essay by Artaud
- Masochism: Coldness and Cruelty, a book by Gilles Deleuze
