Preface
Original German
Götzen-Dämmerung
oder
Wie man mit dem Hammer philosophirt.
Inmitten einer düstern und über die Maassen verantwortlichen Sache seine Heiterkeit aufrecht erhalten ist nichts Kleines von - Kunststück: und doch, was wäre nöthiger als Heiterkeit? Kein Ding geräth, an dem nicht der Übermuth seinen Theil hat. Das Zuviel von Kraft erst ist der Beweis der Kraft. - Eine Umwerthung aller Werthe, dies Fragezeichen so schwarz, so ungeheuer, dass es Schatten auf Den wirft, der es setzt - ein solches Schicksal von Aufgabe zwingt jeden Augenblick, in die Sonne zu laufen, einen schweren, allzuschwer gewordnen Ernst von sich zu schütteln. Jedes Mittel ist dazu recht, jeder "Fall" ein Glücksfall. Vor Allem der Krieg. Der Krieg war immer die grosse Klugheit aller zu innerlich, zu tief gewordnen Geister; selbst in der Verwundung liegt noch Heilkraft. Ein Spruch, dessen Herkunft ich der gelehrten Neugierde vorenthalte, war seit langem mein Wahlspruch:
increscunt animi, virescit volnere virtus.
Eine andere Genesung, unter Umständen mir noch erwünschter, ist Götzen aushorchen… Es giebt mehr Götzen als Realitäten in der Welt: das ist mein "böser Blick" für diese Welt, das ist auch mein "böses Ohr"… Hier einmal mit dem Hammer Fragen stellen und, vielleicht, als Antwort jenen berühmten hohlen Ton hören, der von geblähten Eingeweiden redet - welches Entzücken für Einen, der Ohren noch hinter den Ohren hat, - für mich alten Psychologen und Rattenfänger, vor dem gerade Das, was still bleiben möchte, laut werden muss…
Auch diese Schrift - der Titel verräth es - ist vor Allem eine Erholung, ein Sonnenfleck, ein Seitensprung in den Müssiggang eines Psychologen. Vielleicht auch ein neuer Krieg? Und werden neue Götzen ausgehorcht?… Diese kleine Schrift ist eine grosse Kriegserklärung; und was das Aushorchen von Götzen anbetrifft, so sind es dies Mal keine Zeitgötzen, sondern ewige Götzen, an die hier mit dem Hammer wie mit einer Stimmgabel gerührt wird, - es giebt überhaupt keine älteren, keine überzeugteren, keine aufgeblaseneren Götzen… Auch keine hohleren… Das hindert nicht, dass sie die geglaubtesten sind; auch sagt man, zumal im vornehmsten Falle, durchaus nicht Götze…
Turin, am 30. September 1888,am Tage, da das Buch der Umwerthungaller Werthe zu Ende kam.
FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE.
Musean translation
A complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the German in independent chapter tasks. Includes all 44 Maxims and Arrows and The Hammer Speaks.
Twilight of the Idols
or
How to Philosophize with a Hammer.
To keep your cheerfulness in the midst of a dark and immeasurably responsible undertaking is no small feat of artistry—and yet what could be more necessary than cheerfulness? Nothing succeeds unless high spirits play their part. Only an excess of strength is proof of strength.—A revaluation of all values, this question mark so black, so immense that it casts a shadow over the one who sets it down—a task that is a destiny like this forces you, at every moment, to run into the sun, to shake off a seriousness that has grown heavy, all too heavy. Every means is welcome; every “case” is a stroke of luck. Above all, war. War has always been the great resourcefulness of all spirits who have grown too inward, too deep; even a wound still holds healing power. A saying whose origin I withhold from scholarly curiosity has long been my motto:
Spirits rise; courage grows strong through a wound.
Another way to recover, in certain circumstances even more welcome to me, is to sound out idols… There are more idols than realities in the world: that is my “evil eye” for this world, and my “evil ear” as well… To put questions here with a hammer for once, and perhaps hear in reply that famous hollow note that speaks of bloated entrails—what a delight for someone who has ears even behind his ears—for me, an old psychologist and rat-catcher, before whom precisely what would like to keep quiet must speak out…
This book too—its title betrays it—is above all a recreation, a patch of sunlight, a sidestep into a psychologist’s idleness. Perhaps a new war as well? And are new idols being sounded out?… This little book is a great declaration of war; and as for sounding out idols, this time they are not idols of the age but eternal idols that are touched here with a hammer as with a tuning fork—there are no older idols anywhere, none more assured of themselves, none more inflated… None more hollow, either… That does not keep them from being the ones most believed in; nor, especially in the most exalted case, does anyone call them idols at all…
Turin, September 30, 1888,on the day when the book of the Revaluationof All Values was completed.
FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE.
Plain English translation
A complete machine-assisted Plain English translation made independently and directly from the German, not from the Musean edition or an existing English translation.
Twilight of the Idols
or
How to Philosophize with a Hammer.
Keeping your good spirits in the middle of a dark undertaking that carries an immense responsibility is no small feat—and yet, what could be more necessary than good spirits? Nothing succeeds without a share of high spirits. Only an excess of strength proves that strength is there.—A revaluation of all values: this question mark is so black, so enormous, that it casts a shadow over the person who puts it down. Having such a task as your fate forces you to run out into the sun at every chance, to shake off a seriousness that has grown heavy, much too heavy. Any means will do; every “case” is a stroke of luck. Above all, war. War has always been the great act of wisdom for all minds that have turned too far inward, grown too deep; even a wound still has healing power. A saying whose origin I withhold from scholarly curiosity has long been my motto:
Spirits rise; courage grows strong through a wound.
Another way to recover, one I sometimes want even more, is to sound out idols… There are more idols in the world than realities: that is my “evil eye” for this world, and my “evil ear” too… To ask questions here with a hammer for once, and perhaps hear in reply that famous hollow sound that speaks of bloated guts—what a delight for someone who has ears even behind his ears—for me, an old psychologist and rat-catcher, before whom precisely what would like to stay silent has to speak up…
This book too—its title gives it away—is above all a rest, a patch of sunlight, a psychologist’s brief escape into idleness. Perhaps a new war too? And are new idols being sounded out?… This little book is a great declaration of war. As for sounding out idols, this time they are not idols of the moment but eternal idols that are touched here with a hammer as with a tuning fork—there are no older idols at all, none more sure of themselves, none more puffed up… And none more hollow… That does not stop them from being the ones people believe in most; besides, especially in the most distinguished case, people do not call them idols at all…
Turin, September 30, 1888,on the day when the book of the revaluationof all values was completed.
Friedrich Nietzsche.
About this section
Preface is part of Twilight of the Idols 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 1 of 12 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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