Will and Self-Mastery

The doctrines of Aristotle, Spinoza, Kant, and Nietzsche each advocate Self-Control, with Spinoza's and Kant's varieties each Universalistic, and Aristotle's and Nietzsche's each Relativistic. Nietzsche's primary innovation in the tradition is to derive values from an act of evaluation, on the basis of which, he demonstrates that self-mastery is a species of mastery. His method also illuminates an important distinction between Spinoza's and Kant's Universalism--for the former, the principle of evaluation is Self-Preservation, while for the latter, it is Reason. Still, even Nietzsche's concept of self-mastery implies an intra-psychic split between mastering and mastered. In contrast, here, that split is between the two fundamental principles of personal experience, Will and Comprehension, components of a conatus seeking their balance, which produces Evolvement, or, more commonly, growth. Hence, here, the evaluation of conduct is in terms of degree of Evolvement, or, equivalent quantity of Volition, so the doctrine diverges from the Self-Control tradition. The promotion of balance between Extension and Thought in Spinoza's system, and between the Dionysian and Apollinian in Nietzsche's, would transform them into Evolvemental doctrines.