How the "True World" Finally Became a Fable
Original German
Geschichte eines Irrthums.
1 Die wahre Welt erreichbar für den Weisen, den Frommen, den Tugendhaften, - er lebt in ihr, er ist sie.
(Älteste Form der Idee, relativ klug, simpel, überzeugend.Umschreibung des Satzes "ich, Plato, bin die Wahrheit".)
2 Die wahre Welt, unerreichbar für jetzt, aber versprochen für den Weisen, den Frommen, den Tugendhaften ("für den Sünder, der Busse thut").
(Fortschritt der Idee: sie wird feiner, verfänglicher, unfasslicher, - sie wird Weib, sie wird christlich… )
3 Die wahre Welt, unerreichbar, unbeweisbar, unversprechbar, aber schon als gedacht ein Trost, eine Verpflichtung, ein Imperativ.
(Die alte Sonne im Grunde, aber durch Nebel und Skepsis hindurch; dieIdee sublim geworden, bleich, nordisch, königsbergisch.)
4 Die wahre Welt - unerreichbar? jedenfalls unerreicht. Und als unerreicht auch unbekannt. Folglich auch nicht tröstend, erlösend, verpflichtend: wozu könnte uns etwas Unbekanntes verpflichten?…
(Grauer Morgen. Erstes Gähnen der Vernunft. Hahnenschrei desPositivismus.)
5 Die "wahre Welt" - eine Idee, die zu Nichts mehr nütz ist, nicht einmal mehr verpflichtend, - eine unnütz, eine überflüssig gewordene Idee, folglich eine widerlegte Idee: schaffen wir sie ab!
(Heller Tag; Frühstück; Rückkehr des bon sens und der Heiterkeit;Schamröthe Plato's; Teufelslärm aller freien Geister.)
6 Die wahre Welt haben wir abgeschafft: welche Welt blieb übrig? die scheinbare vielleicht?… Aber nein! mit der wahren Welt haben wir auch die scheinbare abgeschafft!
(Mittag; Augenblick des kürzesten Schattens; Ende des längstenIrrthums; Höhepunkt der Menschheit; INCIPIT ZARATHUSTRA.)
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.
History of an Error.
1 The true world, attainable for the sage, the pious, the virtuous—he lives in it, he is it.
(Oldest form of the idea, relatively clever, simple, convincing. A paraphrase of the sentence “I, Plato, am the truth.”)
2 The true world, unattainable for now, but promised to the sage, the pious, the virtuous (“to the sinner who repents”).
(Progress of the idea: it becomes subtler, trickier, harder to grasp—it becomes a woman, it becomes Christian…)
3 The true world, unattainable, unprovable, unpromisable, but already as a thought a consolation, an obligation, an imperative.
(The old sun at bottom, but seen through mist and skepticism; the idea grown sublime, pale, northern, Königsbergian.)
4 The true world—unattainable? At any rate unattained. And as unattained, also unknown. Consequently also not consoling, redeeming, obligating: how could something unknown obligate us?…
(Gray morning. First yawn of reason. Cockcrow of positivism.)
5 The “true world”—an idea that is no longer good for anything, no longer even obligating—an idea grown useless, grown superfluous, consequently a refuted idea: let us abolish it!
(Bright day; breakfast; return of bon sens and cheerfulness; Plato’s blush of shame; infernal racket of all free spirits.)
6 We have abolished the true world: what world remained? the apparent one, perhaps?… But no! with the true world we have also abolished the apparent one!
(Noon; moment of the shortest shadow; end of the longest error; high point of humanity; Incipit Zarathustra.)
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.
History of an Error.
1 The true world is within reach of the wise, the devout, the virtuous—he lives in it, he is it.
(The oldest form of the idea, relatively sensible, simple, convincing.Another way of saying “I, Plato, am the truth.”)
2 The true world, out of reach for now, but promised to the wise, the devout, the virtuous (“to the sinner who repents”).
(The idea progresses: it becomes more subtle, more ensnaring, harder to grasp—it becomes a woman, it becomes Christian…)
3 The true world, beyond reach, beyond proof, beyond any promise, but even as a thought a comfort, an obligation, a command.
(Basically the old sun, but through fog and skepticism; theidea has become lofty, pale, northern, from Königsberg.)
4 The true world—beyond reach? At any rate, not reached. And since it has not been reached, it is also unknown. So it offers no comfort, no redemption, no obligation either: what obligation could something unknown place on us?…
(Gray morning. Reason’s first yawn. The cockcrow ofpositivism.)
5 The “true world”—an idea no longer useful for anything, not even imposing any obligation anymore—an idea that has become useless, unnecessary, and therefore an idea that has been refuted: let’s do away with it!
(Bright day; breakfast; the return of common sense and good spirits;Plato blushes with shame; all free spirits raise a devilish uproar.)
6 We have done away with the true world: what world is left? The apparent one, perhaps?… But no! Along with the true world, we have also done away with the apparent one!
(Noon; the moment of the shortest shadow; the end of the longesterror; humanity’s high point; Zarathustra begins.)
About this section
How the "True World" Finally Became a Fable 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 5 of 12 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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