We should begin to entertain doubts concerning a man if we heard that he required reasons in order to remain respectable: we should, in any case, certainly avoid his society. The little word "for" in certain cases may be compromising; sometimes a single "for" is enough to refute one. If we should hear, in course of time, that such-and-such an aspirant for virtue was in need of _bad_ reasons in order to remain respectable, it would not conduce to increasing our respect for him. But he goes further; he comes to us, and tells us quite openly: "You disturb my morality, with your disbelief, Mr. Sceptic; so long as you cannot believe in my _bad reasons,_--that is to say, in my God, in a disciplinary Beyond, in free will, etc.,--you put obstacles in the way of my virtue.... Moral, sceptics must be suppressed: they prevent the _moralisation of the masses_." 314. Our most sacred convictions, those which are permanent in us concerning the highest values, are _judgments emanating from our muscles._ 315. _Morality in the valuation of races and classes.--_In view of the fact that the _passions_ and _fundamental instincts_ in every race and class express the means which enable the latter to preserve themselves (or at least the means which have enabled them to live for the longest period of time), to call them "virtuous" practically means: That they change their character, shed their skins, and blot out their past. It means that they should cease from differentiating themselves from others. It means that they are getting to resemble each other in their needs and aspirations--or, more exactly, _that they are declining...._ It means that the will to one kind of morality is merely the _tyranny_ of the particular species, which is adapted to that kind of morality, over other species: it means a process of annihilation or general levelling in favour of the prevailing species (whether it be to render the non-prevailing species harmless, or to exploit them); the "Abolition of Slavery"--a so-called tribute to "human dignity"; in truth, the _annihilation_ of a fundamentally different species (the undermining of its values and its happiness). The qualities which constitute the strength of an _opposing race_ or class are declared to be the most evil and pernicious things it has: for by means of them it may be harmful to us (its virtues are slandered and rechristened). When a man or a people harm us, their action constitutes an objection against them: but from their point of view we are desirable, because we are such as can be useful to them.