[Hong Wu]

In his seminal work, Nietzsche describes the process of one being first a camel (one that bears a load), then a lion (one who destroys to create freedom, or as we might say today, a space) and finally as a child, one who uses that space to create something new.

He was also critical of Christianity because he saw in it a celebration of the weak and a rejection of the lion and the child.

In my attempts at a reconciliatory reading of this work with traditional values, I believe that when people believed in the potential for transcendence, Christ and Christianity were not solely a camel; He also represented the lion and the child, in overcoming death, Satan etc. Unfortunately, as this belief in the potential for transcendence has declined, only the "camel" has been left.

Today we see many people who accept being the "camel" because they believe that in being the camel, they can wield their supposed virtue as a weapon against others. Yet seeking virtue merely because you might use it as a weapon against others ultimately robs the "camel" of its righteousness.

What I wonder is, why has the camel been robbed of its virtue? Is it because it has also lost its potential for metamorphosis?