Preface
Original German
Jenseits von Gut und Böse
Vorspiel einer Philosophie der Zukunft.
Vorrede.
Vorausgesetzt, dass die Wahrheit ein Weib ist -, wie? ist der Verdacht nicht gegründet, dass alle Philosophen, sofern sie Dogmatiker waren, sich schlecht auf Weiber verstanden? dass der schauerliche Ernst, die linkische Zudringlichkeit, mit der sie bisher auf die Wahrheit zuzugehen pflegten, ungeschickte und unschickliche Mittel waren, um gerade ein Frauenzimmer für sich einzunehmen? Gewiss ist, dass sie sich nicht hat einnehmen lassen:—und jede Art Dogmatik steht heute mit betrübter und muthloser Haltung da. Wenn sie überhaupt noch steht! Denn es giebt Spötter, welche behaupten, sie sei gefallen, alle Dogmatik liege zu Boden, mehr noch, alle Dogmatik liege in den letzten Zügen. Ernstlich geredet, es giebt gute Gründe zu der Hoffnung, dass alles Dogmatisiren in der Philosophie, so feierlich, so end- und letztgültig es sich auch gebärdet hat, doch nur eine edle Kinderei und Anfängerei gewesen sein möge; und die Zeit ist vielleicht sehr nahe, wo man wieder und wieder begreifen wird, was eigentlich schon ausgereicht hat, um den Grundstein zu solchen erhabenen und unbedingten Philosophen-Bauwerken abzugeben, welche die Dogmatiker bisher aufbauten,—irgend ein Volks-Aberglaube aus unvordenklicher Zeit (wie der Seelen-Aberglaube, der als Subjekt- und Ich-Aberglaube auch heute noch nicht aufgehört hat, Unfug zu stiften), irgend ein Wortspiel vielleicht, eine Verführung von Seiten der Grammatik her oder eine verwegene Verallgemeinerung von sehr engen, sehr persönlichen, sehr menschlich-allzumenschlichen Thatsachen. Die Philosophie der Dogmatiker war hoffentlich nur ein Versprechen über Jahrtausende hinweg: wie es in noch früherer Zeit die Astrologie war, für deren Dienst vielleicht mehr Arbeit, Geld, Scharfsinn, Geduld aufgewendet worden ist, als bisher für irgend eine wirkliche Wissenschaft:—man verdankt ihr und ihren "überirdischen" Ansprüchen in Asien und Ägypten den grossen Stil der Baukunst. Es scheint, dass alle grossen Dinge, um der Menschheit sich mit ewigen Forderungen in das Herz einzuschreiben, erst als ungeheure und furchteinflössende Fratzen über die Erde hinwandeln müssen: eine solche Fratze war die dogmatische Philosophie, zum Beispiel die Vedanta-Lehre in Asien, der Platonismus in Europa. Seien wir nicht undankbar gegen sie, so gewiss es auch zugestanden werden muss, dass der schlimmste, langwierigste und gefährlichste aller Irrthümer bisher ein Dogmatiker-Irrthum gewesen ist, nämlich Plato's Erfindung vom reinen Geiste und vom Guten an sich. Aber nunmehr, wo er überwunden ist, wo Europa von diesem Alpdrucke aufathmet und zum Mindesten eines gesunderen—Schlafs geniessen darf, sind wir, deren Aufgabe das Wachsein selbst ist, die Erben von all der Kraft, welche der Kampf gegen diesen Irrthum grossgezüchtet hat. Es hiess allerdings die Wahrheit auf den Kopf stellen und das Perspektivische, die Grundbedingung alles Lebens, selber verleugnen, so vom Geiste und vom Guten zu reden, wie Plato gethan hat; ja man darf, als Arzt, fragen: "woher eine solche Krankheit am schönsten Gewächse des Alterthums, an Plato? hat ihn doch der böse Sokrates verdorben? wäre Sokrates doch der Verderber der Jugend gewesen? und hätte seinen Schierling verdient?"—Aber der Kampf gegen Plato, oder, um es verständlicher und für's "Volk" zu sagen, der Kampf gegen den christlich-kirchlichen Druck von Jahrtausenden—denn Christenthum ist Platonismus für's "Volk"—hat in Europa eine prachtvolle Spannung des Geistes geschaffen, wie sie auf Erden noch nicht da war: mit einem so gespannten Bogen kann man nunmehr nach den fernsten Zielen schiessen. Freilich, der europäische Mensch empfindet diese Spannung als Nothstand; und es ist schon zwei Mal im grossen Stile versucht worden, den Bogen abzuspannen, einmal durch den Jesuitismus, zum zweiten Mal durch die demokratische Aufklärung:—als welche mit Hülfe der Pressfreiheit und des Zeitunglesens es in der That erreichen dürfte, dass der Geist sich selbst nicht mehr so leicht als "Noth" empfindet! (Die Deutschen haben das Pulver erfunden—alle Achtung! aber sie haben es wieder quitt gemacht—sie erfanden die Presse.) Aber wir, die wir weder Jesuiten, noch Demokraten, noch selbst Deutsche genug sind, wir guten Europäer und freien, sehr freien Geister—wir haben sie noch, die ganze Noth des Geistes und die ganze Spannung seines Bogens! Und vielleicht auch den Pfeil, die Aufgabe, wer weiss? das Ziel…
Sils-Maria,
Oberengadin im Juni 1885.
Musean translation
Complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the German and reviewed against it.
Beyond Good and Evil
Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future.
Preface.
Supposing truth is a woman—what then? Is there not good reason to suspect that all philosophers, insofar as they were dogmatists, understood little about women? That the dreadful seriousness, the awkward importunity with which they have so far been accustomed to approach truth were clumsy and improper means of winning over a woman? What is certain is that she has not let herself be won—and every kind of dogmatism stands today with a dejected and dispirited air. If it stands at all! For there are mockers who maintain that it has fallen, that all dogmatism lies on the ground—more than that, that all dogmatism is breathing its last. Speaking seriously, there are good grounds for hoping that all dogmatizing in philosophy, however solemnly it has conducted itself, however final and definitive its claims, may nevertheless have been no more than a noble childishness and beginning; and the time may be very near when people will understand again and again just what was sufficient to provide the foundation stone for those sublime, unconditional philosophical edifices the dogmatists have so far erected—some popular superstition from time immemorial, such as the superstition of the soul, which, as the superstition of the subject and the I, has not ceased to make mischief even today; some play on words, perhaps, a seduction on the part of grammar, or a rash generalization from very narrow, very personal, very human, all-too-human facts. Let us hope that the philosophy of the dogmatists was only a promise stretching across millennia, as astrology was in still earlier times, in whose service perhaps more labor, money, ingenuity, and patience were spent than on any actual science so far: in Asia and Egypt, we owe to it and its “supernatural” claims the grand style in architecture. It seems that all great things, in order to inscribe eternal demands on humanity's heart, must first wander the earth as monstrous and terrifying grotesques: dogmatic philosophy was such a grotesque—the Vedanta doctrine in Asia, for example, Platonism in Europe. Let us not be ungrateful to it, however certainly we must also admit that the worst, most protracted, and most dangerous of all errors so far has been a dogmatist's error: namely, Plato's invention of pure spirit and the good in itself. But now that it has been overcome, now that Europe breathes free of this nightmare and may at least enjoy a healthier—sleep, we, whose task is wakefulness itself, are the heirs of all the strength that the struggle against this error has bred. To speak of spirit and the good as Plato did certainly meant standing truth on its head and denying the perspectival, the fundamental condition of all life; indeed, as a physician one may ask: “How did such a sickness attack antiquity's most beautiful growth, Plato? Did wicked Socrates corrupt him after all? Was Socrates, after all, the corrupter of youth? And did he deserve his hemlock?”—But the struggle against Plato—or, to put it more intelligibly and for “the people,” the struggle against the Christian Church's oppression over millennia, for Christianity is Platonism for “the people”—has created in Europe a magnificent tension of the spirit such as had never existed on earth: with a bow drawn so taut, one can now shoot at the most distant targets. Admittedly, the European feels this tension as a state of distress; and there have already been two grand attempts to slacken the bow, first through Jesuitism, second through democratic enlightenment—which, with the help of freedom of the press and newspaper reading, may indeed succeed in making the spirit no longer feel itself so readily as “distress”! (The Germans invented gunpowder—all respect! But they canceled that out again—they invented the press.) But we who are neither Jesuits nor democrats, nor even German enough, we good Europeans and free, very free spirits—we still have it, all the spirit's distress and all the tension of its bow! And perhaps the arrow too, the task—who knows?—the target…
Sils-Maria,
Upper Engadine, June 1885.
Plain English translation
Complete machine-assisted Plain English translation, made independently and directly from the German and reviewed against it.
Beyond Good and Evil
Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future.
Preface.
Suppose truth is a woman—what then? Isn't there good reason to suspect that all philosophers, insofar as they were dogmatists, understood women badly? That the grim seriousness and clumsy pushiness with which they have approached truth until now were awkward, improper ways to win over a woman? One thing is certain: she hasn't let herself be won over. And every kind of dogmatism now stands there looking sad and discouraged. If it still stands at all! Some mockers claim it has fallen, that all dogmatism is flat on the ground—more than that, that all dogmatism is breathing its last. Seriously, there are good grounds for hoping that all dogmatic philosophy, however solemnly it has presented itself as final and conclusive, may have been no more than a noble piece of child's play and a beginner's effort. The time may be very near when people will understand, over and over again, just what it took to lay the foundation for those lofty, unconditional philosophical buildings the dogmatists have put up. Some popular superstition from the distant past was enough: the superstition about the soul, for example, which still makes trouble today as the superstition about the subject and the I. Or perhaps a play on words, a temptation offered by grammar, or a reckless generalization from very narrow, very personal, very human, all-too-human facts. Let us hope that the philosophy of the dogmatists was only a promise stretching across thousands of years. Astrology was such a promise at an even earlier time. Perhaps more work, money, sharp thinking, and patience have gone into its service than into any real science so far. In Asia and Egypt, we owe the grand style of architecture to astrology and its "supernatural" claims. It seems that all great things must first roam the earth as monstrous, frightening grotesques if they are to write their eternal demands into humanity's heart. Dogmatic philosophy was one such grotesque: the Vedanta teaching in Asia, for example, and Platonism in Europe. Let's not be ungrateful to it, even though we must certainly admit that the worst, most lasting, and most dangerous error so far has been a dogmatist's error: Plato's invention of pure spirit and the good in itself. But now that this error has been overcome, now that Europe can breathe freely after this nightmare and enjoy at least a healthier—sleep, we whose task is wakefulness itself inherit all the strength that the fight against this error has bred. Speaking about spirit and the good as Plato did really did mean standing truth on its head and denying perspective itself, the basic condition of all life. Indeed, speaking as a doctor, we may ask: "How did such a disease attack antiquity's finest growth, Plato? Did that wicked Socrates corrupt him after all? Was Socrates really the corrupter of the young? And did he deserve his hemlock?" But the fight against Plato—or, to make it clearer and put it in terms the "people" understand, the fight against thousands of years of oppression by the Christian Church, since Christianity is Platonism for the "people"—has created a magnificent tension of the spirit in Europe, unlike anything the earth has seen before. With a bow drawn that tight, we can now shoot at the most distant targets. Of course, Europeans experience this tension as distress. There have already been two large-scale attempts to slacken the bow: first through Jesuitism, and then through the democratic Enlightenment. With the help of freedom of the press and newspaper reading, the latter may really manage to make the spirit less likely to feel itself as a "distress"! (The Germans invented gunpowder—all credit to them! But they canceled that achievement out again: they invented the press.) But we who are not Jesuits, not democrats, not even German enough—we good Europeans and free, very free spirits—we still have all the spirit's distress and all the tension of its bow! And perhaps the arrow too, the task, who knows? The target…
Sils-Maria,
Upper Engadine, June 1885.
About this section
Preface is part of Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche. This page sets the German original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is part 1 of 11 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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