Revolution and insurrection must not be looked upon as synonymous. The
former consists in an overturning of conditions, of the established
condition or _status_, the State or society, and is accordingly a
_political_ or _social_ act; the latter has indeed for its unavoidable
consequence a transformation of circumstances, yet does not start from
it but from men's discontent with themselves, is not an armed rising,
but a rising of individuals, a getting up, without regard to the
arrangements that spring from it. The Revolution aimed at new
_arrangements_; insurrection leads us no longer to let ourselves be
arranged, but to arrange ourselves, and sets no glittering hopes on
"institutions." It is not a fight against the established, since, if it
prospers, the established collapses of itself; it is only a working
forth of me out of the established. If I leave the established, it is
dead and passes into decay. Now, as my object is not the overthrow of an
established order but my elevation above it, my purpose and deed are not
a political or social but (as directed toward myself and my ownness
alone) an _egoistic_ purpose and deed.
The revolution commands one to make _arrangements_, the
insurrection[211] demands that he _rise or exalt himself_.[212] What
_constitution_ was to be chosen, this question busied the revolutionary
heads, and the whole political period foams with constitutional fights
and constitutional questions, as the social talents too were uncommonly
inventive in societary arrangement (phalansteries and the like). The
insurgent[213] strives to become constitutionless.
While, to get greater clearness, I am thinking up a comparison, the
founding of Christianity comes unexpectedly into my mind. On the liberal
side it is noted as a bad point in the first Christians that they
preached obedience to the established heathen civil order, enjoined
recognition of the heathen authorities, and confidently delivered a
command, "Give to the emperor that which is the emperor's." Yet how much
disturbance arose at the same time against the Roman supremacy, how
mutinous did the Jews and even the Romans show themselves against their
own temporal government! in short, how popular was "political
discontent"! Those Christians would hear nothing of it; would not side
with the "liberal tendencies." The time was politically so agitated
that, as is said in the gospels, people thought they could not accuse
the founder of Christianity more successfully than if they arraigned him
for "political intrigue," and yet the same gospels report that he was
precisely the one who took least part in these political doings. But why
was he not a revolutionist, not a demagogue, as the Jews would gladly
have seen him? why was he not a liberal? Because he expected no
salvation from a change of _conditions_, and this whole business was
indifferent to him. He was not a revolutionist like _e. g._ Cæsar, but
an insurgent; not a State-overturner, but one who straightened _himself_
up. That was why it was for him only a matter of "Be ye wise as
serpents," which expresses the same sense as, in the special case, that
"Give to the emperor that which is the emperor's"; for he was not
carrying on any liberal or political fight against the established
authorities, but wanted to walk his _own_ way, untroubled about, and
undisturbed by, these authorities. Not less indifferent to him than the
government were its enemies, for neither understood what he wanted, and
he had only to keep them off from him with the wisdom of the serpent.
But, even though not a ringleader of popular mutiny, not a demagogue or
revolutionist, he (and every one of the ancient Christians) was so much
the more an _insurgent_, who lifted himself above everything that seemed
sublime to the government and its opponents, and absolved himself from
everything that they remained bound to, and who at the same time cut off
the sources of life of the whole heathen world, with which the
established State must wither away as a matter of course; precisely
because he put from him the upsetting of the established, he was its
deadly enemy and real annihilator; for he walled it in, confidently and
recklessly carrying up the building of _his_ temple over it, without
heeding the pains of the immured.
Now, as it happened to the heathen order of the world, will the
Christian order fare likewise? A revolution certainly does not bring on
the end if an insurrection is not consummated first!
My intercourse with the world, what does it aim at? I want to have the
enjoyment of it, therefore it must be my property, and therefore I want
to win it. I do not want the liberty of men, nor their equality; I want
only _my_ power over them, I want to make them my property, _i. e._
_material for enjoyment_. And, if I do not succeed in that, well, then I
call even the power over life and death, which Church and State
reserved to themselves,--mine. Brand that officer's widow who, in the
flight in Russia, after her leg has been shot away, takes the garter
from it, strangles her child therewith, and then bleeds to death
alongside the corpse,--brand the memory of the--infanticide. Who knows,
if this child had remained alive, how much it might have "been of use to
the world"! The mother murdered it because she wanted to die _satisfied_
and at rest. Perhaps this case still appeals to your sentimentality, and
you do not know how to read out of it anything further. Be it so; I on
my part use it as an example for this, that _my_ satisfaction decides
about my relation to men, and that I do not renounce, from any access of
humility, even the power over life and death.
As regards "social duties" in general, another does not give me my
position toward others, therefore neither God nor humanity prescribes to
me my relation to men, but I give myself this position. This is more
strikingly said thus: I have no _duty_ to others, as I have a duty even
to myself (_e. g._ that of self-preservation, and therefore not suicide)
only so long as I distinguish myself from myself (my immortal soul from
my earthly existence, etc.).
I no longer _humble_ myself before any power, and I recognize that all
powers are only my power, which I have to subject at once when they
threaten to become a power _against_ or _above_ me; each of them must be
only one of _my means_ to carry my point, as a hound is our power
against game, but is killed by us if it should fall upon us ourselves.
All powers that dominate me I then reduce to serving me. The idols
exist through me; I need only refrain from creating them anew, then
they exist no longer: "higher powers" exist only through my exalting
them and abasing myself.
Consequently my relation to the world is this: I no longer do anything
for it "for God's sake," I do nothing "for man's sake," but what I do I
do "for my sake." Thus alone does the world satisfy me, while it is
characteristic of the religious standpoint, in which I include the moral
and humane also, that from it everything remains a _pious wish_ (_pium
desiderium_), _i. e._ an other-world matter, something unattained. Thus
the general salvation of men, the moral world of a general love, eternal
peace, the cessation of egoism, etc. "Nothing in this world is perfect."
With this miserable phrase the good part from it, and take flight into
their closet to God, or into their proud "self-consciousness." But we
remain in this "imperfect" world, because even so we can use it for
our--self-enjoyment.
My intercourse with the world consists in my enjoying it, and so
consuming it for my self-enjoyment. _Intercourse_ is the _enjoyment of
the world_, and belongs to my--self-enjoyment.