Above Good and Evil

A character declares that they or their objectives should not be hindered by considerations about good and evil. Such "meaningless, fallacious false dichotomies" are for simple-minded beings, not for them. They often term them antiquated or childish propaganda, and may go on to question What Is Evil? This trope usually applies to villains, though very occasionally a hero may say 'screw right and wrong, I'm doing what I want.' Associated with the Übermensch and the Straw Nihilist, along with any other things Nietzsche-related. Other people who can claim this trope includes particularly megalomaniacal narcissists with delusions of godhood, sociopaths, scientists who do not let moral-societal opinions interfere with their quest for empirical knowledge, super-powerful beings corrupted by power, or just someone with Blue-and-Orange Morality. It can be a sign of an Eldritch Abomination and such creatures beyond standard human morality, thus very common in a Cosmic Horror Story and narratives where Nature Is Not Nice. It can also be used to show that someone who believes in Grey-and-Grey Morality can do just as terrible things as someone who believes in Black-and-White Insanity. The exact objectives of this character differ widely. Sometimes it is power, other times knowledge, or in the case of the Übermensch, his own values to replace traditional morality. In some cases their willingness to do anything to get there is absolute though some Ubermenschen may have a set of standards apart from the usual good/evil that they go by. In the case of darker villains holding to this philosophy expect them to suffer from Laser-Guided Karma. When suffering payback, the character rarely excuses the wrong done to them under the same principle. Compare The Unfettered. Villains whose strong point is not logic will sometimes use both tropes. Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught is a related concept, but it's more practical than philosophical. Not to be confused with the book Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche or the unrelated game of the same name.