Power Dynamics and Slave Morality: Extremism and Moderation in Afghanistan and Iran

If you are powerful, you can afford to be extremist but if you are weak it pays off to be moderate.

photo from Unsplash

Power dynamics and moral frameworks significantly influence attitudes and behaviors within societies. Friedrich Nietzsche, a prominent philosopher, introduced the concept of slave morality, which relates to moral frameworks developed by the weak or oppressed. Slave morality contrasts with master morality, which is associated with the ruling class or individuals in positions of power.

Slave morality emerges as a response to suffering and subjugation experienced by weaker individuals or groups. It values virtues such as humility, patience, compassion, and sympathy, as a means of coping with their circumstances. This moral system justifies their condition and fosters a sense of moral superiority, often perceiving the strong and assertive as morally suspect.

The connection between power and extremism is evident in various contexts. Those in power often exert dominance, enforce ideologies, and suppress dissent. In Afghanistan, the Sunni clergies, represented by the Taliban, have accumulated political power and grown increasingly extremist. As their power increases, so does their extremism. The…