INTRODUCTION

It is no longer possible to ignore the teachings of Friedrich

Nietzsche, or to consider the trend of modern thought without giving

the philosopher of the superman a prominent place in the list of

thinkers who contributed to the store of present-day knowledge. His

powerful and ruthless mind has had an influence on contemporary

thought which even now, in the face of all the scholarly books of

appreciation he has called forth, one is inclined to underestimate.

No philosopher since Kant has left so undeniable an imprint on modern

thought. Even Schopenhauer, whose influence coloured the greater part

of Europe, made no such widespread impression. Nietzsche has penetrated

into both England and America, two countries strangely impervious

to rigorous philosophic ideals. Not only in ethics and literature

do we find the moulding hand of Nietzsche at work, invigorating and

solidifying; but in pedagogics and in art, in politics and religion,

the influence of his doctrines is to be encountered. The books and

essays in German elucidating his philosophy constitute a miniature

library. Nearly as many books and articles have appeared in France,

and the list of authors of these appreciations include many of

the most noted modern scholars. Spain and Italy, likewise, have

contributed works to an inquiry into his teachings; and in England

and America numerous volumes dealing with the philosophy of the

superman have appeared in recent years. In M. A. Mügge's excellent

biography, "Friedrich Nietzsche: His Life and Work," there is appended

a bibliography containing 850 titles, and this list by no means

includes all the books and articles devoted to a consideration of this

philosopher's doctrines.

In this regard one should note that this interest is not the result of

a temporary popularity, such as that which has met the philosophical

pieties of Henri Bergson. To the contrary, Nietzsche's renown is

gaining ground daily among serious-minded scholars, and his adherents

have already reached the dimensions of a small army. But despite this

appreciation there is still current an enormous amount of ignorance

concerning his teachings. The very manner in which he wrote tended to

bring about misunderstandings. Viewed casually and without studious

consideration, his books offer many apparent contradictions. His style,

always elliptic and aphoristic, lends itself easily to quotation, and

because of the startling and revolutionary nature of his utterances,

many excerpts from his earlier works were widely circulated through the

mediums of magazines and newspapers. These quotations, robbed of their

context, very often gave rise to immature and erroneous judgments, with

the result that the true meaning of his philosophy was often turned

into false channels. Many of his best-known aphorisms have taken on

strange and unearthly meanings, and often the reverse of his gospel has

gained currency and masqueraded as the original canon.

To a great extent this misunderstanding has been unavoidable.

Systematisers, ever eager to bend a philosopher's statements to their

own ends, have found in Nietzsche's writings much material which, when

carefully isolated, substantiated their own conclusions. On the other

hand, the Christian moralists, sensing in Nietzsche a powerful and

effective opponent, have attempted to disqualify his ethical system by

presenting garbled portions of his attacks on Christianity, omitting

all the qualifying passages. It is impossible, however, to understand

any of Nietzsche's doctrines unless we consider them in their relation

to the whole of his teachings.

Contrary to the general belief, Nietzsche was not simply a destructive

critic and a formulator of impossible and romantic concepts. His

doctrine of the superman, which seems to be the principal stumbling

block in the way of a rationalistic interpretation of his philosophy,

is no vague dream unrelated to present humanity. Nor was his chief

concern with future generations. Nietzsche devoted his research to

immediate conditions and to the origin of those conditions. And--what

is of greater importance--he left behind him a very positive and

consistent system of ethics--a workable and entirely comprehensible

code of conduct to meet present-day needs. This system was not

formulated with the precision which no doubt would have attached to

it in its final form had he been able to complete the plans he had

outlined. Yet there are few points in his code of ethics--and they

are of minor importance--which cannot be found, clearly conceived

and concisely stated, in the main body of his works. This system of

conduct embraces every stage of society; and for the rulers to-day--the

people for whom Nietzsche directly voiced his teachings--he outlines a

method of outer conduct and a set of inner ideals which meet with every

modern condition. His proposed ethical routine is not based on abstract

reasoning and speculative conclusions. It is a practical code which has

its foundation implanted in the dominating instincts of the organic

and inorganic world. It is directly opposed to the prevailing code,

and has for its ideal the fulness of life itself--life intensified

to the highest degree, life charged with a maximum of beauty, power,

enthusiasm, virility, wealth and intoxication. It is the code of

strength and courage. Its goal is a race which will possess the hardier

virtues of strength, confidence, exuberance and affirmation.

This ideal has been the source of many misunderstandings, and it is

the errors which have arisen from the vicious and inept dissemination

of his teachings, that I have striven to rectify in the present book.

I have hoped to accomplish this by presenting the whole of Nietzsche's

philosophy, as far as possible, in his own words. This has not been so

difficult a matter. His writings, more than those of any other modern

philosopher, offer opportunities for such treatment. There is no point

in his entire system not susceptible to brief and clear quotation.

Furthermore, his thought developed consistently and logically in

straight-away, chronological order, so that at the conclusion of each

book we find ourselves just so much further along the route of his

thinking. Beginning with "Human, All-Too-Human," his first destructive

volume, we can trace the gradual and concise pyramiding of his

teachings, down to the last statement of his cardinal doctrine of will

as set forth in the notes which comprise the second volume of "The Will

to Power." Each one of the intervening books embodies new material: it

is a distinct, yet co-ordinated, division in the great structure of his

life's work. These books overlap one another in many instances, and

develop points raised speculatively in former books, but they organise

each other and lead one surely, if at times circuitously, to the

crowning doctrines of his thought.

The majority of critics have chosen to systematise Nietzsche's

teachings by separating the ideas in his different books, and by

drawing together under specific captions (such as "religion," "the

state," "education," etc.,) all the scattered material which relates

to these different subjects. In many cases they have succeeded in

offering a very coherent and consistent résumé of his thought. But

Nietzsche's doctrines were inherently opposed to such arbitrary

dividing and arranging, because beneath the various sociological

points which fell under his consideration, were two or three general

motivating principles which unified the whole of his thought. He did

not work from modern institutions back to his doctrines; but, by

analysing the conditions out of which these institutions grew, he

arrived at the conclusions which he afterward used in formulating

new methods of operation. It was the change in conditions and needs

between ancient and modern times that made him voice the necessity of

change between ancient and modern institutions. In other words, his

advocacy of new methods for dealing with modern affairs was evolved

from his researches into the origin and history of current methods. For

instance, his remarks on religion, society, the state, the individual,

etc., were the outcome of fundamental postulates which he described

and elucidated in terms of human institutions. Therefore an attempt to

reach an explanation of the basic doctrines of his philosophy through

his _applied_ teachings unconsciously gives rise to the very errors

which the serious critics have sought to overcome: this method focuses

attention on the _application_ of his doctrines rather than on the

doctrines themselves.

Therefore I have taken his writings chronologically, beginning with his

first purely philosophical work--"Human, All-Too-Human"--and have

set down, in his own words, every important conclusion throughout his

entire works. In this way one may follow Nietzsche throughout every

step in the development of his teachings--not only in his abstract

theories but also in his application of them. There is not a single

important point in the entire sweep of his thought not contained in

these pages. Naturally I have been unable to give any of the arguments

which led to these conclusions. The quotations are in every instance

no longer than has been necessary to make clear the idea: for the

processes of thought by which these conclusions were reached the

reader must go direct to the books from which the excerpts are made.

Also I have omitted Nietzsche's brilliant analogies and such desultory

critical judgments, literary and artistic, as have no direct bearing on

his philosophy; and have contented myself with setting down only those

bare, unelaborated utterances which embody the positive points in his

thought. By thus letting Nietzsche himself state his doctrines I have

attempted to make it impossible for anybody who goes carefully through

these pages to misunderstand those points which now seem clouded in

error.

In order to facilitate further the research of the student and to make

clear certain of the more obscure selections, I have preceded each

chapter with a short account of the book and its contents. In these

brief essays, I have reviewed the entire contents of each book, set

down the circumstances under which it was written, and attempted to

weigh its individual importance in relation to the others. Furthermore,

I have attempted to state briefly certain of the doctrines which

did not permit of entirely self-explanatory quotation. And where

Nietzsche indulged in research, such as in tracing the origin of

certain motives, or in explaining the steps which led to the acceptance

of certain doctrines, I have included in these essays an abridged

exposition of his theories. In short, I have embodied in each chapter

such critical material as I thought would assist the reader to a clear

understanding of each book's contents and relative significance.

This book is frankly for the beginner--for the student who desires a

survey of Nietzsche's philosophy before entering upon a closer and more

careful study of it. In this respect it is meant also as a guide; and I

have given the exact location of every quotation so that the reader may

refer at once to the main body of Nietzsche's works and ascertain the

premises and syllogisms which underlie the quoted conclusion.

In the opening biographical sketch I have refrained from going into

Nietzsche's personality and character, adhering throughout to the

external facts of his life. His personality will be found in the racy,

vigorous and stimulating utterances I have chosen for quotation, and

no comments of mine could add colour to the impression thus received.

It is difficult to divorce Nietzsche from his work: the man and his

teachings are inseparable. His style, as well as his philosophy, is

a direct outgrowth of his personality. This is why his gospel is so

personal and intimate a one, and so closely bound up in the instincts

of humanity. There are several good biographies of Nietzsche in

existence, and a brief account of the best ones in English will be

found in the bibliography at the end of this volume.

It must not be thought that this book is intended as a final, or

even complete, commentary on Nietzsche's doctrines. It was written

and compiled for the purpose of supplying an introductory study,

and, with that end in view, I have refrained from all technical or

purely philosophical nomenclature. The object throughout has been to

stimulate the reader to further study, and if this book does not send

the reader sooner or later to the original volumes from which these

quotations have been made, I shall feel that I have failed somewhat in

my enterprise.

The volumes of Nietzsche's philosophy from which the quotations in this

book are taken, comprise the first complete and authorised edition of

the works of Nietzsche in English. To the courageous energy of Dr.

Oscar Levy do we owe the fact that Nietzsche's entire writings are

now obtainable in English. The translations of these books have, in

every instance, been made by competent scholars, and each volume is

introduced by an illuminating preface. As this edition now stands,

it is the most complete and voluminous translation of any foreign

philosopher in the English language. The edition is in eighteen

volumes, and is published in England by T. N. Foulis, and in America by

the Macmillan Company. The volumes and their contents are given below.

I. "The Birth of Tragedy," translated by William A.

Haussmann, B.A., Ph.D., with a biographical introduction

by the author's sister; a portrait of Nietzsche, and a

facsimile of his manuscript.

II. "Early Greek Philosophy and Other Essays," translated by

Maximilian A. Mügge, Ph.D. Contents: "The Greek State," "The

Greek Woman," "On Music and Words," "Homer's Contest," "The

Relation of Schopenhauer's Philosophy to a German Culture,"

"Philosophy During the Tragic Age of the Greeks" and "On

Truth and Falsity in Their Ultramoral Sense."

III. "The Future of Our Educational Institutions,"

translated by J. M. Kennedy. Besides the titular essay, this

volume contains "Homer and Classical Philology."

IV. "Thoughts Out of Season," Vol. I., translated by Anthony

M. Ludovici. Contents: "David Strauss, the Confessor and the

Writer" and "Richard Wagner in Bayreuth."

V. "Thoughts Out of Season," Vol. II., translated with

introduction by Adrian Collins, M.A. Contents: "The Use and

Abuse of History" and "Schopenhauer as Educator."

VI. "Human, All-Too-Human," Vol. I., translated by Helen

Zimmern, with introduction by J. M. Kennedy.

VII. "Human, All-Too-Human," Vol. IL, translated, with

introduction, by Paul V. Cohn, B.A.

VIII. "The Case of Wagner," translated by Anthony M.

Ludovici and J. M. Kennedy, with introductions by the

translators. Contents: "The Case of Wagner," "Nietzche

_contra_ Wagner," "Selected Aphorisms" and "We Philologists."

IX. "The Dawn of Day," translated, with introduction, by J.

M. Kennedy.

X. "The Joyful Wisdom," translated, with introduction, by

Thomas Common. The poetry which appears in the appendix

under the caption of "Songs of Prince Free-As-A-Bird," is

translated by Paul V. Cohn and Maude D. Petre.

XI. "Thus Spake Zarathustra," revised introduction by Thomas

Common, with introduction by Mrs. Förster-Nietzsche, and

commentary by A. M. Ludovici.

XII. "Beyond Good and Evil," translated by Helen Zimmern,

with introduction by Thomas Common.

XIII. "The Genealogy of Morals," translated by Horace

B. Samuel, M.A., with introductory note. "People and

Countries," an added section to this book, is translated by

J. M. Kennedy with an editor's note by Dr. Oscar Levy.

XIV. "The Will to Power," Vol. I., translated, with an

introduction, by A. M. Ludovici.

XV. "The Will to Power," Vol. IL, translated, with an

introduction, by A. M. Ludovici.

XVI. "The Twilight of the Idols," translated, with an

introduction, by A. M. Ludovici. Contents: "The Twilight

of the Idols," "The Antichrist," "Eternal Recurrence," and

"Explanatory Notes to 'Thus Spake Zarathustra.'"

XVII. "Ecce Homo," translated by A. M. Ludovici. Various

poetry and epigrams translated by Paul V. Cohn, Herman

Scheffauer, Francis Bickley and Dr. G. T. Wrench. In

addition this volume contains the music of Nietzsche's "Hymn

to Life"--words by Lou Salomé--with an introduction by A.

M. Ludovici.

XVIII. "Index to Complete Works," compiled by Robert Guppy,

with vocabulary of foreign quotations occurring in the

works of Nietzsche translated by Paul V. Cohn, B.A., and an

introductory essay, "The Nietzsche Movement in England (A

Retrospect--A Confession--A Prospect)," by Dr. Oscar Levy.

There are in the present volume no quotations from Nietzsche's

_"Ecce Homo"_ or from the pamphlets dealing with Wagner. The former

work is an autobiography which, while it throws light on both

Nietzsche's character and his work, is nevertheless outside his purely

philosophical writings. And the Wagner documents, though interesting,

have little to do with the Nietzschean doctrines, except as showing

perhaps the result of their application. I have therefore left

them intact for the student who wishes to go more deeply into the

philosopher's character than I have here attempted.