How did Friedrich Nietzsche criticize the ascetic ideal in Western religion and philosophy?

Friedrich Nietzsche characterized the ascetic ideal as a fundamental expression of Western religion, philosophy, and morality, arguing that it functions as a symptom of declining life or life in distress.1

He criticized this ideal for the following reasons:

• Denigration of Experience: Nietzsche argued that the ascetic ideal consistently privileges a "true" world over the actual world. Traditional philosophy elevates the mind over the senses and the soul over the body, while religion interprets suffering as an occasion for atonement or divine intention.1
• Suppression of Vitality: By endorsing existence as pain and suffering, the ascetic ideal masks a "deficient will to power." Nietzsche believed this ideal undermines the human drives for growth and self-affirmation, replacing them with virtues like humility, poverty, and meekness.12
• Imposition of Absolutes: He contended that both religious and philosophical ethics rely on the unstated assumption that existence requires justification or explanation. This demand for absolute, universal moral standards serves to suppress the autonomy of the individual.12

Ultimately, Nietzsche viewed the ascetic ideal as a form of nihilism, where life is devalued by being subjected to external, transcendent justifications.1