All the evidences of what was to be Nietzsche's final and complete
philosophical work in four volumes, are contained in two volumes
of desultory and often highly condensed notes which were recently
issued under the single caption of "The Will to Power" _("Die Wille
zur Macht")._ On this culminating work Nietzsche had laboured from
1883 until his final breakdown. He made two plans for "The Will to
Power"--one in 1886 and the other in 1887. As the 1887 plan was the
one ultimately adhered to, there seems no reason to hesitate about
accepting it as the right one. The titles of the four books which
comprised this final work as it stands to-day are "European Nihilism,"
"A Criticism of the Highest Values that Have Prevailed Hitherto,"
"The Principles of a New Valuation" and "Discipline and Breeding."
These headings are according to the last plan made at Nice in 1887,
and although, as I stated in the preceding chapter, there was some
hesitation between the general title of "The Will to Power" and "The
Transvaluation of All Values," "The Antichrist," which fell under the
latter heading, must not be considered as forming a part of "The Will
to Power." However, "The Antichrist" and also "Beyond Good and Evil,"
"The Genealogy of Morals" and "The Twilight of the Idols," are closely
related in thought to "The Will to Power." This fact is borne out not
only by internal evidence, by the manner in which the books overlap,
and by the constant redistribution of titles which sometimes prove
the unity of the last phase of his thought, but also by the testimony
of those who had Nietzsche's confidence and could watch him at close
quarters.
Nietzsche intended to embody in the four books of "The Will to Power"
the entire sweep of his philosophical teachings. This work was to be
a summary, not only in statement but also in analysis, of his ethical
system. His preceding books had been replete in repetitions, and lacked
both organisation and sequence. His health was such that he could
work only sporadically and in short shifts, with the result that he
was constantly trying to crowd an enormous amount of material into a
short space. He was able to deal with but one point at a time, and, as
his working period was frequently too short to develop that point as
fully as he desired, we find him constantly going back over old ground,
altering his syllogisms, making addenda, interpolating analogies, and
in numerous other ways changing and clarifying what he had previously
written. "The Will to Power" was to be, then, a colossal organisation
of all his writings, with every step intact, and every conclusion in
its place. And throughout the four volumes emphasis was to be put on
his motivating doctrine, the will to power, an oppositional theory to
Darwin's theory of struggle for mere existence. But although we have
two large volumes of notes, these jottings lack in a large degree the
co-ordination which would have characterised them had Nietzsche been
able to carry out his plan.
The notes of these two books are the work of many years, and the
putting together of them for publication has been done without any
attempt to alter their original text. They are just as Nietzsche
left them--in some cases completed and closely argued paragraphs, in
others mere notations and memoranda, elliptic and unelaborated. It is
possible, however, to gain a very adequate idea of what was to be the
contents of this final work, due to the copiousness of the material
at hand. From the time of finishing "Thus Spake Zarathustra" to 1889,
Nietzsche was constantly making notes for his great work, and there
is no phase of his thought which is not touched upon in these two
remaining volumes. By following their pages closely, in the light
of his foregoing works, one gets a very definite impression of the
synthesis of his thoughts. Especially true is this of the second volume
of "The Will to Power," for it is here that his cardinal doctrine is
most strongly and consistently emphasised and its relationship to all
human relationships most concisely drawn. Because of this fact I have
chosen to consider the two volumes separately. The first volume is full
of material more or less familiar to those who have followed Nietzsche
in his earlier works. The notes are, in the majority of cases,
elaborations and explanations of doctrines contained in those books
which followed "Thus Spake Zarathustra." As such they are important.
The first volume is divided into two sections--"European Nihilism" and
"A Criticism of the Highest Values that Have Prevailed Hitherto." Two
subdivisions are found under section one--"Nihilism" and "Concerning
the History of European Nihilism." In this first subdivision Nietzsche
defines Nihilism and attempts to trace its origin. He states that it
is an outcome of the valuations and interpretations of existence
which have formerly prevailed, namely: the result of the doctrines of
Christianity. For our adherence to Christian morality, Nietzsche says,
we must pay dearly: by this adherence we are losing our equilibrium
and are on the verge of adopting opposite valuations--those consisting
of Nihilistic elements. He defines the Nihilistic movement as an
expression of decadence, and declares that this decadence is spreading
throughout all our modern institutions. Under his second subdivision,
he explains that modern gloominess is a result of the "slow advance
and rise of the middle and lower classes," and asserts that this
gloominess is accompanied by moral hypocrisy and the decadent virtues
of sympathy and pity. In this connection he denies that the nineteenth
century shows an improvement over the sixteenth. No better analysis
of the effects of Christian morality on modern man is to be found in
any of Nietzsche's writings than in this treatise of Nihilism; and a
close study of this analysis will greatly help one in grasping the full
significance of the doctrine of the will to power. Although the notes
in this book are the least satisfactory of all the portions of "The
Will to Power," being both tentative and incomplete, I have been able
to select enough definite statements from them to give an adequate idea
of both Nietzsche's theories and conclusions in regard to Nihilism.
In the second section of Volume I, "A Criticism of the Highest Values
That Have Prevailed Hitherto," the notes are fuller and more closely
organised. This is due to the fact that the ground covered by them
is in the main the same ground covered by "The Antichrist," "The
Genealogy of Morals" and "Beyond Good and Evil." In fact, there is
in these notes much repetition of passages to be found in the three
previous volumes. The first subdivision of this second section is
called "Criticism of Religion," and there is little material in it
which does not appear in "The Antichrist." Even in the manner of
expression there exists so strong a similarity that I am inclined to
think Nietzsche used these notes in composing his famous philippic
against Christianity. Consequently I have made but few quotations from
this division, choosing in each instance only such passages as do not
possess a direct parallel in his earlier work. We find here the same
inquiry into the origin of religions, the same analysis of Christian
ideals, the same history of Christian doctrines, and the same argument
against the dissemination of Christian faiths as are contained in "The
Antichrist." However, these present notes are sufficiently different
from this previous book to interest the thorough student, and there
are occasional speculations advanced which are not to be encountered
elsewhere in Nietzsche's writings. For the casual reader, however,
there is little of new interest in this subdivision.
The same criticism holds true to a large extent when we come to the
second subdivision of the second section "A Criticism of Morality." In
"The Genealogy of Morals" we have a discussion of practically all the
subjects considered in the present notes, such as the origin of moral
valuations, the basis of conscience, the influence of the herd, the
dominance of virtue, the slander of the so-called evil man, and the
significance of such words as "improving" and "elevating." However,
there is sufficient new material in these notes to warrant a reading,
for although, despite a few exceptions, there are no new issues posed,
certain points which were put forth only in a speculative and abridged
manner in earlier books, are here enlarged upon. This is especially
true in regard to the doctrine of rank. Nietzsche has been accused of
advocating only an individualistic morality. But the truth is that he
advanced two codes. He preached a morality for the herd, a definite
system which suited the needs of the serving classes. For the superior
individuals, on the other hand, he taught another code, one which
fitted and met the needs of the rulers. The herd morality has always
sought to create and maintain a single type of mediocre man. Nietzsche
preached the necessity of the superior, as well as the inferior, type
of man; and in his present notes he goes into this doctrine more fully
than heretofore. Furthermore, he makes clear his stand in regard to
the weak. On page 291 he states, "I have declared war against the
anæmic Christian ideal (together with what is closely related to it),
not because I want to annihilate it, but only to put an end to its
_tyranny_ and clear the way for other _ideals,_ for _more robust_
ideals." It has been stated, even in quarters where we have a right
to look for more intelligent criticism, that Nietzsche favoured the
complete elimination of the weak and incompetent. No such advocacy is
to be found in his teachings. To the contrary, as will be seen from the
above quotation, he preached only against the _dominance_ of the weak.
He resented their supremacy over the intelligent man. Their existence,
he maintained, was a most necessary thing. This belief is insisted upon
in many places, and one should bear the point in mind when reading the
criticisms of socialism to be found throughout the present volume.
Another new point to be found in these notes relates to the immoral
methods used by the disseminators of morals. From the passages in
which these new points are raised I have taken the quotations which
follow at the end of this chapter.
In the third and last subdivision of this second section, "Criticism
of Philosophy," we have an extension of Chapter I in "Beyond Good
and Evil," "Prejudices of Philosophers," and of the two chapters in
"The Twilight of the Idols"--"The Problem of Socrates" and "Reason
in Philosophy." The notes (excepting a few pages of general remarks)
occupy themselves with a criticism of Greek philosophy and with
an analysis of philosophical truths and errors. These notes touch
only indirectly on Nietzsche's doctrines, and may be looked upon as
explanations of his intellectual methods.
Despite their fragmentariness, the notes in this volume, as I have
said, permit one to gain an adequate idea of Nietzsche's purpose. In
making my excerpts from this book, I have chosen those passages which
will throw new light upon his philosophy rather than those statements
of conclusions which have been previously encountered.