ABSTRACT
The substantive argument of this chapter begins with what is, ostensibly, an investigation of the meaning of ascetic ideals for artists. The ascetic ideal allows the bulk of humanity to maintain its grip on life at the same time that it brings the priests to power as leaders of humanity. As a result of being forced into civilized intercourse with people fellows, creatures like they had to internalize their instinctive cruelty, and thus acquired an animal bad conscience. The chapter concerns four kinds of people: artists, philosophers, priests and most importantly the majority of mortals. There are two aspects of science that make it fundamentally ascetic in Nietzsche's view: the typical character of scientific practice, which, like philosophy, thrives on self-denial and ascetic traits; and, more significantly, the "unconditional will to truth", which Nietzsche, takes to be part of science. This is a major part of the explanation of the essentially ascetic nature of an unconditional will to truth.
