Beyond Good and Evil · Character

Socrates

The foundational Greek thinker the narrator treats as a problem rather than a hero, suspecting that his rationalism was itself a symptom.

supporting

Also known as Socrates

First appearance: i prejudices of philosophers

As a supporting figure in Beyond Good and Evil, Socrates is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Implicitly referenced as part of 'all philosophers' who have spoken of truthfulness with respect, representing the tradition being questioned.

In the storyThe Will to TruthOpen this moment free

See Socrates in The Will to Truth Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Socrates hovers over the book as the origin point of the Western faith in reason, dialectic, and the worth of certainty over illusion. The narrator's suspicion is that this faith was not a discovery but an instinct — a physiological demand for a definite mode of life dressed up as wisdom. He matters because the book's early arguments about conscious thinking and instinctive valuations are aimed squarely at the Socratic inheritance.

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Socrates sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Socrates in i prejudices of philosophers

Character Web

3 connections

A slice of how Socrates sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Psychological
Professional
Other

Character groups

Philosophical Archetypes
Protagonist
Ancient Greek Thinkers

Explore ties, sentiment, and clusters while you read

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

The passage reveals the Wanderer's ultimate psychological exhaustion with seeking truth, climaxing in his desp…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

Relationships

The Learned Man
psychological · ambivalent
Socrates is used as a archetype or counterpoint to analyze the mindset and limitations of… How this plays out →
Plato
professional · positive

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Socrates in i prejudices of philosophers

In the story

Socrates appears across 9 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Will to Truth
Implicitly referenced as part of 'all philosophers' who have spoken of truthfulness with respect, representing the tradition being questioned.
IV: Apophthegms and Interludes
Referenced in aphorism 80 regarding the command 'Know thyself' and the shift towards objectivity.
Chapter 80
Referenced as a figure embodying or promoting the imperative 'Know thyself,' which the narrator critically questions.
Chapter 190
His teachings ('Socratism') are analyzed as a utilitarian, populace-based morality that equates evil with error and good with the useful and pleasant.
191
Portrayed as the dialectician who first sided with reason, mocking the instinct-driven noble Athenians, but who secretly laughed at himself, recognizing the irrationality in moral judgment and attempting to justify instinct with reason.
Chapter 202
Referenced as someone who did not know what modern Europeans claim to know about good and evil.
VI: We Scholars
Presented as an ironic physician of his age, cutting into the 'noble' Athenians of his time who had worn-out instincts.
The Geography of Will and the Skeptic's Sedative
Referenced for the skeptical declaration 'I know that I know nothing.'
The Philosopher as Bad Conscience
Presented as an example of a philosopher whose irony and plebeian assurance were necessary for greatness of soul in an age of worn-out Athenian instincts.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Socrates unlock in the free preview.

See Socrates in i prejudices of philosophers

See Socrates in The Will to Truth