Lu Xun's Judgement of Good and Evil, and Nietzsche's Ethical Concepts

Yu Zhaoping

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art ›› 2024, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (4) : 20-28.

PDF(1023 KB)
Welcome to Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, Aug. 12, 2025
PDF(1023 KB)
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art ›› 2024, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (4) : 20-28.
Issue in Focus: Studies of Lu Xun

Lu Xun's Judgement of Good and Evil, and Nietzsche's Ethical Concepts

Author information +
History +

Abstract

During the late Qing and early Republican periods, Lu Xun, driven by a profound sense of despair, began to question the established ethical principles of his time. In his view, what was traditionally considered good became evil, while conventional evil took on the semblance of good. This reversal of values was influenced by Nietzsche's concept of the “revaluation of all values”, which challenged and overturned traditional ethical concepts. Lu Xun identified certain forms of the “banality of evil”, such as “spectators”, “servile saboteurs” and “arrogant conformists”, which highlighted the weaknesses in the national character and served as a remedy for them. He further exposed the more terrifying evil rooted in traditional customs, which not only established external moral laws but also permeated the collective unconscious, forming a “nameless, unconscious killing force.” This force, metaphorically encapsulated in the image of an “iron house,” suffocated the spirit and took lives without visible bloodshed. Lu Xun's judgment of good and evil, in its resistance to outdated conventions, subtly echoes Nietzsche's anti-secular indignation and his rebellious ethical stance.

Key words

Lu Xun / Friedrich Nietzsche / reversal of good and evil / the banality of evil / the evil of traditional customs

Cite this article

Download Citations
Yu Zhaoping. Lu Xun's Judgement of Good and Evil, and Nietzsche's Ethical Concepts[J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2024, 44(4): 20-28

References

冯雪峰:《冯雪峰忆鲁迅》。石家庄:河北教育出版社,2001年。
[Feng, Xuefeng. Feng Xuefeng's Recollection of Lu Xun. Shijiazhuang: Hebei Education Press, 2001.]
鲁迅:《鲁迅全集》。北京:人民文学出版社,2005年。
[Lu Xun. The Complete Works of Lu Xun. Beijing: People's Literature Publishing House, 2005.]
弗里德里希·威廉·尼采:《论道德的谱系》,周红译。北京:生活·读书·新知三联书店,1992年。
[Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm. On the Genealogy of Morality. Trans. Zhou Hong. Beijing: SDX Joint Publishing Company, 1992.]
——:《查拉图斯特拉如是说》,杨恒达译。南京:译林出版社,2007年。
[-—. Thus Spake Zarathustra. Trans. Yang Hengda. Nanjing: Yilin Press, 2007.]
——:《察拉图斯忒拉的序言》,《鲁迅大全集(第11卷)》,鲁迅译,李新宇、周海婴编。武汉:长江文艺出版社,2011年。336—347。
[-—. “Preface to Thus Spake Zarathustra.” Trans. Lu Xun. The Complete Works of Lu Xun. Vol.11. Eds. Li Xinyu and Zhou Haiying. Wuhan: Yangtze River Literature and Art Press, 2011.336347.]
孙伏园:《鲁迅先生二三事》。石家庄:河北教育出版社,2000年。
[Sun, Fuyuan. Two or Three Stories about Lu Xun. Shijiazhuang: Hebei Education Press, 2000.]
闻一多:《闻一多全集》(第3卷)。北京:生活·读书·新知三联书店,1982年。
[Wen, Yiduo. The Complete Works of Wen Yiduo. Vol.3. Beijing: SDX Joint Publishing Company, 1982.]
周作人:《关于鲁迅》,止庵编。乌鲁木齐:新疆人民出版社,1997年。
[Zhou, Zuoren. About Lu Xun. Ed. Zhi An. Urumqi: Xinjiang People's Publishing House, 1997.]
PDF(1023 KB)

1968

Accesses

0

Citation

Detail

Sections
Recommended

/