Beyond Good and Evil
Original German
Vorspiel einer Philosophie der Zukunft.
1 Die Aufgabe für die nunmehr folgenden Jahre war so streng als möglich vorgezeichnet. Nachdem der jasagende Theil meiner Aufgabe gelöst war, kam die neinsagende, neinthuende Hälfte derselben an die Reihe: die Umwerthung der bisherigen Werthe selbst, der große Krieg, — die Heraufbeschwörung eines Tags der Entscheidung. Hier ist eingerechnet der langsame Umblick nach Verwandten, nach Solchen, die aus der Stärke heraus zum Vernichten mir die Hand bieten würden. — Von da an sind alle meine Schriften Angelhaken: vielleicht verstehe ich mich so gut als Jemand auf Angeln?... Wenn Nichts sich fieng, so liegt die Schuld nicht an mir. Die Fische fehlten...
2 Dies Buch (1886) ist in allem Wesentlichen eine Kritik der Modernität, die modernen Wissenschaften, die modernen Künste, selbst die moderne Politik nicht ausgeschlossen, nebst Fingerzeigen zu einem Gegensatz-Typus, der so wenig modern als möglich ist, einem vornehmen, einem jasagenden Typus. Im letzteren Sinne ist das Buch eine Schule des gentilhomme, der Begriff geistiger und radikaler genommen als er je genommen worden ist. Man muß Muth im Leibe haben, ihn auch nur auszuhalten, man muß das Fürchten nicht gelernt haben... Alle die Dinge, worauf das Zeitalter stolz ist, werden als Widerspruch zu diesem Typus empfunden, als schlechte Manieren beinahe, die berühmte „Objektivität“ zum Beispiel, das „Mitgefühl mit allem Leidenden“, der „historische Sinn“ mit seiner Unterwürfigkeit vor fremdem Geschmack, mit seinem Auf-dem-Bauch-liegen vor petits faits, die „Wissenschaftlichkeit“. — Erwägt man, daß das Buch nach dem Zarathustra folgt, so erräth man vielleicht auch das diätetische régime, dem es seine Entstehung verdankt. Das Auge, verwöhnt durch eine ungeheure Nöthigung, fern zu sehn — Zarathustra ist weitsichtiger noch, als der Czar —, wird hier gezwungen, das Nächste, die Zeit, das Um-uns scharf zu fassen. Man wird in allen Stücken, vor Allem auch in der Form, eine gleiche willkürliche Abkehr von den Instinkten finden, aus denen ein Zarathustra möglich wurde. Das Raffinement in Form, in Absicht, in der Kunst des Schweigens, ist im Vordergrunde, die Psychologie wird mit eingeständlicher Härte und Grausamkeit gehandhabt, — das Buch entbehrt jedes gutmüthigen Worts... Alles das erholt: wer erräth zuletzt, welche Art Erholung eine solche Verschwendung von Güte, wie der Zarathustra ist, nöthig macht?... Theologisch geredet — man höre zu, denn ich rede selten als Theologe — war es Gott selber, der sich als Schlange am Ende seines Tagewerks unter den Baum der Erkenntniß legte: er erholte sich so davon, Gott zu sein... Er hatte Alles zu schön gemacht... Der Teufel ist bloß der Müßiggang Gottes an jedem siebenten Tage...
Musean translation
A complete machine-assisted Musean translation directly from the German of the 1908 Insel edition, including its concluding poem. This early edition's readings and omissions are retained, not replaced with later critical restorations.
Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future.
1 The task for the years that followed was mapped out as rigorously as possible. Once the Yes-saying part of my task was accomplished, its No-saying, No-doing half came next: the revaluation of the values hitherto accepted, the great war—the conjuring of a day of decision. This included a slow search for kindred spirits, for those who, out of strength, would offer me their hand in the work of destruction.—From that point on, all my writings are fishhooks: perhaps I understand fishing as well as anyone?… If nothing was caught, the fault is not mine. There were no fish…
2 In all essentials this book (1886) is a critique of modernity, not excluding modern science, modern art, or even modern politics, together with pointers toward an opposing type, as little modern as possible: a noble, Yes-saying type. In this latter sense the book is a school for the gentleman, the concept understood more spiritually and radically than ever before. You must have courage in your very bones merely to endure it; you must not have learned to be afraid… All the things the age takes pride in are felt as contradictions of this type, almost as bad manners: its celebrated “objectivity,” for example, its “compassion for all who suffer,” its “historical sense,” with its subservience to foreign tastes, its groveling before little facts, its “scientific spirit.”—If you consider that this book comes after Zarathustra, you may also guess the dietary regimen to which it owes its existence. The eye, spoiled by an immense compulsion to see far—Zarathustra is more farsighted even than the tsar—is forced here to focus sharply on what is nearest, on the age, on what surrounds us. In every respect, above all in its form, you will find the same deliberate turning away from the instincts that made a Zarathustra possible. Refinement of form, of intention, of the art of silence, comes to the fore; psychology is practiced with an avowed harshness and cruelty—the book lacks a single good-natured word… All this is restorative: who, in the end, can guess what kind of restoration such a lavish outpouring of goodness as Zarathustra makes necessary?… To speak theologically—listen, for I rarely speak as a theologian—it was God himself who, as a serpent, lay down beneath the tree of knowledge at the end of his day's work: this was how he recovered from being God… He had made everything too beautiful… The devil is merely God's idleness on every seventh day…
Plain English translation
A complete machine-assisted Plain English translation made independently and directly from the same German edition, including its concluding poem. This is the 1908 text, not a modern critical edition.
Prelude to a Philosophy of the Future.
1 The task for the years that followed was laid out as strictly as possible. I had finished the yes-saying part of my task. Now it was time for its no-saying, no-doing half: the revaluation of the values accepted up to now, the great war—the summoning of a day of decision. This included slowly looking around for kindred spirits, for people who would join hands with me in destruction out of their own strength.—From then on, all my writings have been fishhooks. Perhaps I know as much about fishing as anyone?… If nothing was caught, that isn't my fault. There were no fish…
2 In all its essentials, this book (1886) is a critique of modernity. That includes modern science, modern art, and even modern politics. It also points toward an opposite type of person, as unmodern as possible: a noble, yes-saying type. In this last sense, the book is a school for gentlemen, with that idea understood more intellectually and more radically than ever before. You need real courage just to stand it. You must never have learned fear… Everything our age is proud of is felt to clash with this type, almost like bad manners. Take the famous “objectivity,” for example, “sympathy with all who suffer,” or the “historical sense,” with its submission to other people's tastes, its crawling on its belly before little facts, its “scientific approach.”—Remember that the book comes after Zarathustra, and you may also guess the dietary discipline that brought it into being. The eye had grown spoiled by an enormous demand to see far away—Zarathustra is even more farsighted than the tsar. Here it is forced to focus sharply on what is nearest: the present, what surrounds us. In every respect, above all in its form, you will find the same deliberate turning away from the instincts that made a Zarathustra possible. Subtlety in form, intention, and the art of keeping silent comes first. Psychology is practiced with openly admitted harshness and cruelty—the book has not one good-natured word… All this is restful. But who can guess what sort of rest is needed after spending so much goodness as Zarathustra does?… Speaking as a theologian—listen, because I rarely speak that way—it was God himself who lay down as a snake beneath the tree of knowledge at the end of his day's work. That was how he rested from being God… He had made everything too beautiful… The devil is simply God doing nothing every seventh day…
About this section
Beyond Good and Evil is part of Ecce Homo 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 chapter 12 of 17 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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