According to Nietzsche’s defintion, master morality stems from a position of power and dominance. It encompasses values such as strength, nobility, and self-assertion, and is based on one’s ability to compete and be strong in the world. Nietzsche associated master morality with ancient Greek culture and praised it for its affirmation of life and its pursuit of excellence. In master morality, virtues associated with power and domination are valued, while those aligned with weakness and submission are devalued. Meanwhile, according to Nietzsche, slave morality emerges from a position of weakness and subjugation. It is a moral framework developed by the oppressed, the weak, and those who lack power. Slave morality emphasizes virtues such as humility, compassion, and equality, seeking to undermine the values of the ruling class. Nietzsche argued that slave morality arises as a reaction to the dominance of the powerful, seeking to level the playing field by promoting virtues that favor the weak.   

Nietzsche singled out Christian morality as a source of slave morality, claiming that the spread of Christianity’s ideals was emblematic of the slave revolt in morality. He believed that Christian ethics, with its emphasis on humility, forgiveness, and turning the other cheek, manifested the slave revolt in morality. Nietzsche argued that these values, rooted in the teachings of Jesus, were a reaction to the prevailing Roman aristocracy. In Christianity, the meek shall inherit the Earth, and the virtuous are those who bear suffering and willingly sacrifice themselves for others. The theories of Christianity ultimately overtook the Roman Empire, becoming the central religion for the culture and prevailing over previous Roman master morality. Nietzsche claims this is an example of a single slave revolt in morality, and the spread of Christianity throughout the ancient world was a part of the larger revolt over the course of history. Central to the concept of the slave revolt is Nietzsche’s idea of repetition in history; the slave revolt in morality and the coming about of master morality occur time and time again, in different cultures, contexts, and circumstances.   

Nietzsche applied his theory of the slave revolt in morality to critique the modern institutions of his time, particularly religion, democracy, and socialism. He believed that these institutions perpetuated slave morality and suppressed the natural instincts of the individual. Nietzsche argued that religion, with its emphasis on otherworldly rewards and the denial of earthly pleasures, reinforced the values of the weak, stifling the potential of the strong. Similarly, democracy, with its focus on equality and majority rule, catered to the masses and hindered the exceptional individuals from rising above mediocrity. Socialism, according to Nietzsche, promoted a collectivist mindset that curtailed individual will and ambition. In addition, Nietzsche defined moral good and bad in relation to the slave revolt in morality; in slave morality, good is associated with qualities that are advantageous to the weak, such as humility and selflessness. Bad, on the other hand, is characterized by qualities of the powerful, such as pride and assertiveness. In master morality, good and bad are determined by the values of the ruling class. The good is identified with attributes that signify strength, nobility, and excellence, while the bad is linked to weakness, inferiority, and submission. In this sense, morality is relative to the people whose perspective is being witnessed from; there are no moral absolutes. Nietzsche thus gave birth to the idea of moral relativism, a conception of morality that has been used to justify a variety of bad actions due to the perspective of the one committing them.