r/Nietzsche • u/SohamTheHuman • 16h ago
Meme Happy Birthday Nietzsche!
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r/Nietzsche • u/[deleted] • Mar 18 '26
All Uses of A Priori
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Non-Critical Uses of A Priori
NF-1871,9[42] — Posthumous Fragments, 1871.
Indeed, one can assert a priori that truly celebrated artists acquire their veneration from those very foundations and are themselves enjoyed precisely as moral beings, and their works of art as moral reflections of the world.
NF-1871,10[1] — Posthumous Fragments, Early 1871.
But the Greeks, in view of the singular pinnacle of their art, we must construct a priori as "political men par excellence": and indeed, history knows no other example of such a terrible unleashing of the political drive, such an unconditional sacrifice of all other interests in the service of this civic instinct; At most, one could, by comparison and for similar reasons, designate the people of the Renaissance in Italy with the same title.
GT-16 — The Birth of Tragedy: § 16. First publication 02/01/1872.
In this respect, it resembles geometric figures and numbers, which, as the general forms of all possible objects of experience and applicable to all a priori, are nevertheless not abstract, but intuitively and consistently determined. All possible strivings, arousals, and expressions of the will, all those processes within man which reason casts into the broad negative concept of feeling, are to be expressed by the infinitely many possible melodies, but always in the generality of mere form, without the matter, always only according to the intrinsic, not according to appearance, as it were, its innermost soul, without body.
CV-CV3 — Five Prefaces to Five Unwritten Books: § 3. The Greek Republic. Completed circa 24/12/1872.
But the Greeks, in view of the singular pinnacle of their art, we must already a priori consider to be the "political people par excellence"; and indeed, history knows no other example of such a terrible unleashing of the political impulse, such an unconditional sacrifice of all other interests in the service of this civic instinct—except perhaps that, by comparison and for similar reasons, one could ascribe the same title to the people of the Renaissance in Italy.
Criticisms of A Priori
NF-1881,11[286] — Posthumous Fragments Spring–Autumn 1881.
Without the immense certainty of faith and the readiness of faith, neither man nor beast would be able to survive. To generalize based on the slightest induction, to make a rule for one's conduct, to believe that what has been done once, that which has proven itself, is the only means to an end—this, essentially crude intellect, is what has preserved man and beast. To err countless times in this way and to suffer from fallacies is far less damaging overall than skepticism, indecisiveness, and caution. To regard success and failure as proof and counter-proof against faith is a fundamental human trait: "What succeeds, its idea is true." — How surely, as a result of this furious, greedy faith, the world stands before us! How surely we carry out all our actions! "I strike"—how surely one feels that! — Thus, low intellectuality, the unscientific nature, is a condition of existence, of action; we would starve without it. Skepticism and caution are only permitted late and always only rarely. Habit and unconditional belief that things must be as they are are the foundation of all growth and strengthening. — Our entire worldview arose in such a way that it was proven by success; we can live with it (belief in external things, freedom of will). Likewise, all morality is only proven in this way. — Here, then, arises the great counter-question: there can probably be countless ways of life and, consequently, of imagining and believing. If we establish everything necessary in our current way of thinking, then we have proven nothing for the "truth in itself," but only "the truth for us," that is, that which makes our existence possible on the basis of experience—and the process is so ancient that rethinking is impossible. Everything a priori belongs here.
NF-1881,12[63] — Posthumous Fragments, Autumn 1881.
Cause and effect. We understand by this, essentially, precisely what we think of when we consider ourselves the cause of a blow, etc. "I will" is the prerequisite; it is, in fact, the belief in a magically acting force, this belief in cause and effect—the belief that all causes are as personally willful as human beings. In short, this a priori proposition is a piece of primal mythology—nothing more!
NF-1881,16[16] — Posthumous Fragments December 1881 — January 1882.
Aftereffects of the oldest religiosity. — We all firmly believe in cause and effect; and some philosophers, because of its rigidity and firmness, call this belief an "a priori knowledge" — doubting and considering whether perhaps a knowledge and wisdom of superhuman origin might be assumed here: in any case, they find man incomprehensibly wise on this point. Now, however, the origin of this unconquerable belief seems to me quite transparent and more a subject for laughter than for pride. Man believes that when he does something, for example, throws a punch, it is he who is striking, and he struck because he wanted to strike, in short, his will is the cause. He perceives no problem with this at all, but the feeling of will is sufficient for him to understand the connection between cause and effect. He knows nothing of the mechanism of events and the myriad intricate processes that must be undertaken for the event to occur, nor of the will's inherent inability to perform even the slightest part of this work. For him, the will is a magically acting force: belief in the will as the cause of effects is belief in magically acting forces, in the direct influence of thoughts on stationary or moving matter. Now, originally, wherever humankind perceived an event, it conceived of a will as the cause; in short, it believed in personally willing beings acting in the background—the concept of mechanics is entirely foreign to it. But because for immense periods of time, humankind believed only in persons (and not in matter, forces, things, etc.), the belief in cause and effect became its fundamental belief, which it applies wherever something happens—even now, instinctively and as a form of atavism of ancient origin. The propositions "no effect without a cause" and "every effect has its cause" appear as generalizations of much narrower propositions: "where there is an effect, there has been a will," "one can only be influenced by willing beings," and "there is never a purely consequence-free suffering of an effect, but all suffering is an arousal of the will" (to action, defense, revenge, retribution). However, in the earliest times of humankind, these propositions were identical; the former were not generalizations of the latter, but rather the latter's explanations of the former: all based on the idea that "nature is a sum of persons." If, on the other hand, humankind had perceived all of nature from the outset as something impersonal, and consequently non-willing, then the opposite belief—that of fieri e nihilo, effect without cause—would have developed, and perhaps it would then have acquired the reputation of superhuman wisdom. — That “a priori knowledge” is therefore not knowledge at all, but a deeply ingrained primal mythology from the time of deepest ignorance!
BVN-1882,195 — Brief AN Heinrich Köselitz: 05/02/1882.
"Sense of causality"—yes, friend, that's something different from that "a priori concept" I'm talking (or babbling about!) about. Where does the unconditional belief in the universal validity and applicability of that sense of causality come from? People like Spencer believe it is an expansion based on countless experiences across many generations, an induction that ultimately emerges as absolute. I believe this belief is a remnant of an older, much narrower faith. But why bother! I cannot write about such things, my dear friend, and must refer you to the 9th book of Dawn, so that you can see that I deviate least from the thoughts your letter presents to me—I was pleased by these thoughts and our agreement.
FW-99 — The Gay Science: § 99. First published 10/09/1882.
Schopenhauer's Followers. — What one observes when civilized peoples and barbarians come into contact: that the lower culture regularly adopts the vices, weaknesses, and excesses of the higher culture first, feels an attraction to them, and finally, by means of these acquired vices and weaknesses, allows some of the valuable power of the higher culture to flow into it: — this can also be observed near and without traveling to barbarian peoples, albeit somewhat refined and spiritualized, and not so easily grasped. What do Schopenhauer's followers in Germany usually adopt first from their master? — that they, in comparison to his superior culture, must consider themselves barbaric enough to be initially fascinated and seduced by him in a barbaric way. Is it his hard-nosed sense of facts, his good will to clarity and reason, that often makes him seem so English and so little German? Or the strength of his intellectual conscience, which endured a lifelong contradiction between being and will and compelled him to constantly contradict himself in his writings, almost on every point? Or his purity in matters concerning the Church and the Christian God? —for in this he was purer than any German philosopher before him, so that he lived and died “as a Voltairean.” Or his immortal doctrines of the intellectuality of intuition, of the a priori nature of the law of causality, of the instrumental nature of the intellect, and of the unfreedom of the will? No, none of this is enchanting, nor is it perceived as enchanting: but Schopenhauer's mystical embarrassments and evasions, in those passages where the fact-thinker allowed himself to be seduced and corrupted by the vain impulse to be the unraveler of the world, the unprovable doctrine of One Will ("all causes are merely occasional causes of the appearance of the will at this time, in this place," "the will to live is present in every being, even the smallest, wholly and undivided, as completely as in all that ever were, are, and will be, taken together"), the denial of the individual ("all lions are fundamentally only One lion," "the multiplicity of individuals is an illusion"; just as development is only an illusion: — he calls de Lamarck's idea "a brilliant, absurd error"), the fervor for genius ("in aesthetic contemplation, the individual is no longer an individual, but pure, will-less, "Painless, timeless subject of knowledge"; "the subject, by being completely absorbed in the contemplated object, has become that object itself"); the nonsense of compassion and the supposed breakthrough of the principii individuationis as the source of all morality made possible by it; and added such assertions as "dying is actually the purpose of existence" and "it cannot be denied a priori that a magical effect could not also emanate from someone who is already dead": these and similar excesses and vices of the philosopher are always the first to be accepted and made into matters of faith. For vices and excesses are always the easiest to imitate and require no lengthy preparation. But let us speak of the most famous of the living Schopenhauerians, Richard Wagner. He suffered the same fate as many an artist: he erred in the interpretation of the figures he created and misunderstood the unspoken philosophy of his own art. Richard Wagner allowed himself to be misled by Hegel until the middle of his life; he did the same again later when he extracted Schopenhauer's doctrine from his characters and began to define himself with "will," "genius," and "compassion." Nevertheless, it will remain true: nothing goes so much against the spirit of Schopenhauer as what is truly Wagnerian about Wagner's heroes: I mean the innocence of the highest selfishness, the belief in great passion as in goodness itself, in a word, the Siegfried-like quality in the faces of his heroes. "All this smells more of Spinoza than of me"—Schopenhauer might say. However good reasons Wagner might have had to look to other philosophers besides Schopenhauer, the enchantment he felt regarding this thinker blinded him not only to all other philosophers but even to science itself. His entire art increasingly seeks to present itself as a counterpart and complement to Schopenhauer's philosophy, and ever more explicitly it renounces the higher ambition of becoming a counterpart and complement to human knowledge and science. And it is not only the entire mysterious splendor of this philosophy, which also attracted Cagli, that tempts him.
NF-1884,25[307] — Posthumous Fragments, Spring 1884.
Principle 1. All previous valuations have sprung from false, supposed knowledge of things: — they no longer bind us, even if they function as feelings, instinctively (as conscience).
Principle 2. Instead of faith, which is no longer possible for us, we place a strong will above us, which holds a provisional set of basic valuations as a heuristic principle: to see how far we can get with it. Like the sailor on an unknown sea. In truth, all that "faith" was nothing else: only formerly, the discipline of the mind was too weak to withstand our great caution.
Principle 3. The courage of head and heart is what distinguishes us Europeans: acquired in the struggle with many opinions. Greatest flexibility in the struggle against increasingly subtle religions, and a harsh rigor, even cruelty. Vivisection is a test: whoever cannot endure it does not belong to us (and there are usually other signs that they do not belong, e.g., tax collectors).
Principle 4. Mathematics contains descriptions (definitions) and inferences from definitions. Its objects do not exist. The truth of its inferences rests on the correctness of logical reasoning. — When mathematics is applied, the same thing happens as with "means and ends" explanations: reality is first manipulated and simplified (falsified).
Principle 5. That which we believe most strongly, everything a priori, is not more certain simply because it is so strongly believed. Rather, it may emerge as a condition of existence for our species—some fundamental assumption. Therefore, other beings could make different fundamental assumptions, e.g., four dimensions. Therefore, all these assumptions could still be false—or rather: to what extent could anything be "true in itself"? This is the fundamental absurdity!
Principle 6. It is part of attained manhood that we do not deceive ourselves about our human position: rather, we want to strictly adhere to our measure and strive for the greatest degree of power over things. Recognizing that the danger is immense: that chance has reigned thus far—
Principle 7. The task of governing the earth is coming. And with it the question: how do we want the future of humanity to be? New value systems are needed. And the fight against the representatives of the old "eternal" values is of paramount importance!
Principle 8. But where do we get our imperative from? It is not a "you shall," but the "I must" of the all-powerful, creative force.
NF-1884,26[74] — Posthumous Fragments Summer–Autumn 1884.
The law of causality a priori—that it is believed may be a condition of existence for our species; this does not prove it.
NF-1884,30[10] — Posthumous Fragments Autumn 1884 — Beginning 1885.
The necessity, under great danger, to make oneself understood, whether to help one another or to submit, has only been able to bring closer to one another those kinds of primitive humans who could express similar experiences with similar signs; if they were too different, they misunderstood each other when attempting to communicate through signs: thus, the rapprochement, and ultimately the herd, failed. From this it follows that, on the whole, the communicability of experiences (or needs or expectations) is a selective, breeding force: the more similar people survive. The necessity to think, all consciousness, only arose on the basis of the necessity to communicate. First signs, then concepts, finally “reason,” in the ordinary sense. In itself, the richest organic life can play its game without consciousness; but as soon as its existence is linked to the co-existence of other animals, a necessity for consciousness arises. How is this consciousness possible? I am far from devising answers (i.e., words and nothing more!) to such questions; at the right moment, I remember old Kant, who once posed the question: "How are synthetic a priori judgments possible?" He finally answered, with wonderful "German profundity": "Through a capacity for it." — How is it, then, that opium makes one sleepy? That doctor in Molière's play answered: it is the vis soporifica. Opium, or at least the vis soporifica, lay in Kant's answer about the "capacity" as well: how many German "philosophers" have fallen asleep over it!
NF-1885,34[62] — Posthumous Fragments April–June 1885.
“How are synthetic a priori judgments possible?” — “By means of a capacity for it” was Kant’s famous answer, which has given many such satisfaction.
NF-1885,34[70] — Posthumous Fragments April–June 1885.
Hume (to use Kant's words) challenges reason to answer him by what right it believes that something can be such that, if it is posited, something else must necessarily be posited as well, for that is what the concept of cause says. He proved irrefutably that it is quite impossible for reason to conceive such a connection a priori and from concepts, etc. — But the folly was to ask for reasons for the right of justification. He performed the very act he wanted to examine.
NF-1885,34[171] — Posthumous Fragments April–June 1885.
Synthetic a priori judgments are indeed possible, but they are — false judgments.
NF-1885,34[183] — Posthumous Fragments April–June 1885.
How is it that women give birth to live children? I always thought that, given the meager nature of their resistance, the poor creatures must be born suffocated. The gate is narrow and the way is hard, as it is written: or, how are living children a priori possible? — And as I asked this, I awoke completely from my dogmatic slumber, gave the god a nudge in the belly, and asked, with the earnestness of a Chinese man from Königsberg: “In short: how are synthetic judgments a priori possible?” “Through a capacity for it,” answered the god, clutching his belly.
NF-1885,35[56] — Posthumous Fragments May–July 1885.
Time is not given a priori. [Afrikan] Spir 2, p. 7.
The illogical nature of our knowledge of bodies. Cf. 2, p. 93.
NF-1885,38[7] — Posthumous Fragments June–July 1885.
Everywhere now, efforts are being made to divert attention from the truly great influence Kant exerted in Europe—and, in particular, to cleverly gloss over the value he attributed to himself. Kant was above all and first and foremost proud of his table of categories and said, holding this table in his hands: “This is the most difficult thing that could ever be undertaken for the sake of metaphysics” (one must understand this “could be undertaken”!)—he was proud of having discovered in man a new faculty, the faculty of synthetic a priori judgments. It is not our concern here how much he deceived himself in this: but German philosophy, as it has been admired and exerted its influence throughout Europe for the past hundred years, clings to this pride and to the rivalry of younger thinkers to discover something even prouder—and certainly new faculties! The true glory of German philosophy thus far has been that it taught people to believe in a kind of "intuitive and instinctive grasp of truth"; and even Schopenhauer, however much he resented Fichten, Hegel, and Schelling, was essentially on the same path when he discovered a new faculty in an old, familiar one, the will—namely, to be "the thing-in-itself." This meant, in fact, grasping firmly and sparing no effort, going right into the heart of "essence"! Bad enough that this essence proved unpleasant in the process, and, as a result of these burnt fingers, pessimism and the denial of the will to live seemed entirely necessary! But Schopenhauer's fate was an incident that had no bearing on the overall significance of German philosophy, on its higher "effect": for its main purpose, it meant throughout Europe a jubilant reaction against the rationalism of Descartes and against the skepticism of the English, in favor of the "intuitive," the "instinctive," and everything "good, true, and beautiful." It was believed that the path to knowledge had now been shortened, that one could directly address "things," and that one could "save work": and all the happiness that noble idlers, virtuous people, dreamers, mystics, artists, half-Christians, political obscurantists, and metaphysical conceptualists are capable of experiencing was attributed to the Germans. The good reputation of the Germans was suddenly established in Europe: through their philosophers! — I hope it is still known that the Germans had a bad reputation in Europe? That they were thought to possess servile and pathetic qualities, an inability to develop "character," and the famous servant's soul? But suddenly, people learned to say: "The Germans are profound, the Germans are virtuous—just read their philosophers!" Ultimately, it was the Germans' restrained and long-suppressed piety that finally exploded in their philosophy, unclear and uncertain, of course, like everything German, sometimes in pantheistic vapors, as with Hegel and Schelling, as Gnosis, sometimes mystical and world-denying, as with Schopenhauer: but primarily a Christian piety, and not a pagan one—for which Goethe, and before him Spinoza, had shown so much goodwill.
NF-1886,7[4] — Posthumous Fragments End of 1886 — Spring of 1887.
Kant's theological prejudice, his unconscious dogmatism, his moralistic perspective as ruling, guiding, and commanding
The πρῶτον ψεῦδος (prōton pseudos) [first falsehood]: how is the fact of knowledge possible?
Is knowledge even a fact?
What is knowledge? If we don't know what knowledge is, we cannot possibly answer the question of whether knowledge exists. Very good! But if I don't already "know" whether knowledge exists, or can exist, I cannot rationally ask the question "what is knowledge?" Kant believes in the fact of knowledge: what he wants is naiveté: the knowledge of knowledge!
"Knowledge is judgment!" But judgment is a belief that something is such and such! And not knowledge!
"All knowledge consists in synthetic judgments"—a necessary and universally valid connection of different ideas—
with the character of universality (the matter is always this way and not otherwise)
with the character of necessity (the opposite of the assertion can never occur)
The legitimacy of belief in knowledge is always presupposed, just as the legitimacy of a conscience-based judgment is presupposed. Here, moral ontology is the prevailing prejudice.
Thus, the conclusion is:
the character of necessity and universality cannot originate from experience
consequently, it must be grounded elsewhere, without experience, and must have another source of knowledge!
Kant concludes
- that this condition is that they do not originate from experience, from pure reason
So: the question is, where does our belief in the truth of such assertions get its foundations? No, where does it get its judgments from! But the formation of a belief, a strong conviction, is a psychological problem: and very limited and narrow experience often brings about such a belief!
He already presupposes that there are not only "data a posteriori" but also data a priori, "before experience." Necessity and universality can never be given through experience: how then is it clear that they exist at all without experience?
There are no individual judgments!
A single judgment is never "true," never knowledge; only in connection, in the relationship of many judgments, does a guarantee arise.
What distinguishes true and false belief?
What is knowledge? He "knows" it—that's heavenly!
Necessity and universality can never be given through experience. Therefore, independent of experience, prior to all experience!
That insight which occurs a priori, that is, independently of all experience, through mere reason, is "pure knowledge."
The principles of logic, the law of identity and contradiction, are pure knowledge because they precede all experience. — But these are not knowledge at all! They are regulative articles of faith!
To establish the a priori nature (the pure rationality) of mathematical judgments, space must be understood as a form of pure reason.
Hume had declared: "There are no synthetic a priori judgments." Kant says: Yes, there are! Mathematical ones! And if such judgments exist, then perhaps there is also metaphysics, a knowledge of things through pure reason! Quaeritur.
Mathematics is possible under conditions under which metaphysics is never possible.
All human knowledge is either experience or mathematics.
A judgment is synthetic: that is, it combines different representations.
It is a priori: that is, that combination is a universal and necessary one, which can never be given by sensory perception, but only by pure reason.
If there are to be synthetic a priori judgments, reason must be capable of combining: combining is a form. Reason must possess formative faculties.
Space and time as conditions of experience.
Kant describes the French Revolution as the transition from the mechanical to the organic state!
The inventive and pioneering minds in the sciences, the so-called "great minds," Kant judges, are specifically different from genius: what they discovered and invented could also have been learned and has been completely understood and learned. There is nothing unlearnable in Newton's work; Homer is not as comprehensible as Newton! "In science, therefore, the greatest inventor differs from the most laborious imitator and apprentice only in degree." Psychological idiocy!!
"Music has a certain lack of urbanity," "it imposes itself, as it were," "it infringes on freedom."
Music and the art of color form a separate genre under the name of "beautiful play."
"As a matter of feeling"Painting and garden art are brought together.
The question of whether humanity has a tendency toward good is preceded by the question of whether there is an event that can only be explained by that moral disposition of humanity. This is revolution. "Such a phenomenon in human history is never forgotten because it has revealed a disposition and a capacity in human nature for the better, the likes of which no politician could have devised from the previous course of events."
If humanity increasingly deteriorates, its goal is absolute evil: the terroristic mode of thinking, in contrast to the eudaimonistic mode of thinking or "chiliasm." If history oscillates between progress and regression, its entire activity is purposeless and aimless, nothing but busy folly, so that good and evil neutralize each other and the whole appears as a farce: Kant calls this the Abderite mode of thinking.
... sees nothing in history other than a moral movement.“A conscientious judge of heretics is a contradiction in terms.”
Psychological idiocy
Without rebirth, all human virtues are, according to Kant, shining examples of wretchedness. This improvement is possible only by virtue of the intelligible character; without it, there is no freedom, neither in the world, nor in the human will, nor for redemption from evil. If redemption does not consist in improvement, it can only consist in annihilation. The origin of the empirical character, the propensity for evil, and rebirth are, for Kant, acts of the intelligible character; the empirical character must undergo a reversal at its very root.
The whole of Schopenhauer.
Pity is a waste of feelings, a parasite harmful to moral health; “it cannot possibly be a duty to increase the evils in the world.” If one does good out of mere pity, one is actually doing good to oneself and not to the other. Pity is not based on maxims, but on emotions; it is pathological; the suffering of others is contagious, pity is contagious.
All the gestures and words of subservience; "as if the Germans have gone further in pedantry than any other people on earth"—"aren't these proofs of a widespread tendency toward servility among people?" "But he who makes himself into a worm cannot later complain that he is trampled underfoot."
"Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and persistently we contemplate them: the starry heavens above us and the moral law within us."
"Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and reverence, the more often and persistently we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above us and the moral law within us."
NF-1887,10[150] — Posthumous Fragments, Autumn 1887.
Morality as the Highest Devaluation
Either our world is the work and expression (the mode) of God: then it must be supremely perfect (Leibniz's conclusion…) — and there was no doubt about what constitutes perfection, about knowing it — then evil can only be apparent (more radically, Spinoza's concepts of good and evil) or must be derived from God's highest purpose (—perhaps as a consequence of a special favor from God, who permits us to choose between good and evil: the privilege of not being an automaton; "freedom" at the risk of erring, of choosing wrongly… e.g., in Simplicius's commentary on Epictetus)
Or our world is imperfect, evil and guilt are real, are determined, are absolutely inherent in its nature; Then it cannot be the true world: then knowledge is merely the path to negating it, then it is an error which can be recognized as such. This is Schopenhauer's opinion based on Kantian premises. Naive! That would simply be another miraculum! Pascal, even more desperately, understood that knowledge itself must then be corrupt, falsified—that revelation is necessary in order to even conceive of the world as negable…
To what extent Schopenhauer's nihilism is still the consequence of the same ideal that created Christian theism
The degree of certainty regarding the highest desirability, the highest values, the highest perfection was so great that philosophers proceeded from them as from an absolute a priori certainty: “God” at the forefront as given truth. “To become like God,” “to be absorbed into God”—for millennia, these were the most naive and convincing desires (—but something that is convincing is not necessarily true: it is merely convincing. Note for the donkeys).
We have forgotten how to grant that ideal the reality of personhood: we have become atheists. But have we actually renounced the ideal? — The last metaphysicians still fundamentally seek in it the true “reality,” the “thing-in-itself,” in relation to which everything else is only apparent. Their dogma is that because our phenomenal world is so clearly not the expression of that ideal, it is not “true”—and fundamentally does not even lead back to that metaphysical world as its cause. The unconditioned, insofar as it is that highest perfection, cannot possibly be the ground for everything conditioned. Schopenhauer, who wanted it differently, needed to conceive of that metaphysical ground as the antithesis of the ideal, as an "evil, blind will": in this way, it could then be "that which appears," which reveals itself in the world of appearances. But even with this, he did not abandon that absolute of the ideal—he crept through it… (Kant seemed to need the hypothesis of "intelligible freedom" to absolve the ens perfectum of responsibility for the way this world is, in short, to explain evil and wickedness: a scandalous logic in a philosopher…)
NF-1887,10[158] — Posthumous Fragments, Autumn 1887.
“There is thought: therefore, there is thinking”: this is the point of Descartes’ argument. But this means presupposing our belief in the concept of substance as “true a priori”: that if there is thought, there must be something “that thinks,” is simply a formulation of our grammatical habit, which posits a doer to an action. In short, a logical-metaphysical postulate is being made here—not merely stated… Following Descartes' path, one doesn't arrive at something absolutely certain, but only at a fact of very strong belief.
If one reduces the statement to "there is thought, therefore there are thoughts," one has a mere tautology: and precisely what is in question, the "reality of thought," remains untouched—namely, in this form, the "apparentness" of thought cannot be dismissed. But what Descartes wanted was for thought to possess not only an apparent reality, but reality in itself.
NF-1888,14[105] — Posthumous Fragments, Spring 1888.
Our knowledge has become scientific to the extent that it can apply number and measure…
The attempt should be made to see whether a scientific order of values could not simply be built upon a numerical and metrical scale of power…
— all other “values” are prejudices, naiveties, misunderstandings…
— they are everywhere reducible to that numerical and metrical scale of power
— an upward movement on this scale signifies any increase in value:
a downward movement on this scale signifies a decrease in value
Here, appearances and prejudices are refuted.
A morality, a way of life tested and proven through long experience and trial, finally emerges into consciousness as a law, as dominant…
And with it, the entire group of related values and conditions enters into it: it becomes venerable, unassailable, sacred, true.
It is part of its development that its origin is forgotten… It is a sign that it has become master…
The very same thing could have happened with the categories of reason: they could, after much trial and error, have proven themselves through relative usefulness… A point came where they were summarized, brought into consciousness as a whole—and where they were commanded… that is, where they acted as commanding…
From then on, they were considered a priori… beyond experience, irrefutable…
And yet, perhaps they express nothing more than a certain racial and species-specific purposiveness—merely their usefulness is their “truth”—
NF-1888,14[109] — Posthumous Fragments, Spring 1888.
Science and Philosophy
All these values are empirical and conditional. But those who believe in them, who venerate them, refuse to acknowledge this very nature…
The philosophers all believe in these values, and one form of their veneration was the attempt to make them a priori truths.
The falsifying nature of this veneration…
Veneration is the ultimate test of intellectual integrity: but there is no intellectual integrity in the entire history of philosophy.
Instead, there is the “love of the good”…
: the absolute lack of a method to test the measure of these values.
Secondly: the reluctance to test these values, or even to accept them conditionally.
In the case of moral values, all anti-scientific instincts came together to exclude science…
How to explain the incredible scandal that morality represents in the history of science…
Nietzsche's Personal "A Priori"
GM-Preface-3 — On the Genealogy of Morality: Preface, § 3. First published November 16, 1887.
Given a particular apprehension of mine, which I am reluctant to admit—it relates to morality, to everything that has hitherto been celebrated as morality on earth—a apprehension which arose in my life so early, so unprompted, so inexorably, so contrary to my surroundings, age, example, and origins, that I would almost be justified in calling it my "a priori"—my curiosity, as well as my suspicion, had to stop short of the question of what the true origin of our good and evil actually is. Indeed, even as a thirteen-year-old boy, I was preoccupied with the problem of the origin of evil: to it I dedicated, at an age when one has "half children's games, half God in one's heart," my first literary children's game, my first philosophical writing exercise—and as for my then "solution" to the problem, well, as is only right, I gave God the glory and made him the father of evil. Was that precisely what my "a priori" wanted of me? That new, immoral, or at least immoralistic "a priori" and the oh! so anti-Kantian, so enigmatic "categorical imperative" that speaks from it, to which I have meanwhile given ever more attention, and not only attention?… Fortunately, I learned in good time to separate theological prejudice from moral and no longer sought the origin of evil behind the world. Some historical and philological training, coupled with an innate discerning sense regarding psychological questions in general, quickly transformed my problem into another: under what conditions did humankind invent those value judgments of good and evil? And what value do they themselves possess? Have they thus far hindered or promoted human development? Are they a sign of hardship, of impoverishment, of the degeneration of life? Or conversely, do they reveal the fullness, the strength, the will of life, its courage, its confidence, its future? — To this I found and dared to explore various answers within myself; I distinguished between times, peoples, and ranks of individuals; I specialized my problem; from the answers arose new questions, investigations, conjectures, and probabilities: until I finally had my own land, my own soil, a whole secret, growing, blossoming world, secret gardens, as it were, of which no one was allowed to suspect anything… Oh, how happy we are, we who know, provided that we only know how to remain silent long enough!…
r/Nietzsche • u/[deleted] • Jan 01 '21
Effort post My Take On “Nietzsche: Where To Begin?”
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My Take on “Nietzsche: Where to Begin"
At least once a week, we get a slightly different variation of one of these questions: “I have never read Nietzsche. Where should I start?”. Or “I am reading Zarathustra and I am lost. What should I do?”. Or “Having problems understanding Beyond Good and Evil. What else should I read?”. I used to respond to these posts, but they became so overwhelmingly repetitive that I stopped doing so, and I suspect many members of this subreddit think the same. This is why I wrote this post.
I will provide a reading list for what I believe to be the best course to follow for someone who has a fairly decent background in philosophy yet has never truly engaged with Nietzsche's books.
My list, of course, is bound to be polemical. If you disagree with any of my suggestions, please write a comment so we can offer different perspectives to future readers, and thus we will not have to copy-paste our answer or ignore Redditors who deserve a proper introduction.
My Suggested Reading List
1) Twilight of the Idols (1888)
Twilight is the best primer for Nietzsche’s thought. In fact, it was originally written with that intention. Following a suggestion from his publisher, Nietzsche set himself the challenge of writing an introduction that would lure in readers who were not acquainted with his philosophy or might be confused by his more extensive and more intricate books. In Twilight, we find a very comprehensible and comprehensive compendium of many — many! — of Nietzsche's signature ideas. Moreover, Twilight contains a perfect sample of his aphoristic style.
Twilight of the Idols was anthologised in The Portable Nietzsche, edited and translated by Walter Kaufmann.
2) The Antichrist (1888)
Just like to Twilight, The Antichrist is relatively brief and a great read. Here we find Nietzsche as a polemicist at his best, as this short and dense treatise expounds his most acerbic and sardonic critique of Christianity, which is perhaps what seduces many new readers. Your opinion on this book should be a very telling litmus test of your disposition towards the rest of Nietzsche’s works.
Furthermore, The Antichrist was originally written as the opening book of a four-volume project that would have contained Nietzsche's summa philosophica: the compendium and culmination of his entire philosophy. The working title of this book was The Will to Power: the Revaluation of All Values. Nietzsche, nonetheless, never finished this project. The book that was eventually published under the title of The Will to Power is not the book Nietzsche had originally envisioned but rather a collection of his notebooks from the 1880s. The Antichrist was therefore intended as the introduction to a four-volume magnum opus that Nietzsche never wrote. For this reason, this short tome condenses and connects ideas from all of Nietzsche's previous writings.
The Antichrist was also anthologised in The Portable Nietzsche. If you dislike reading PDFs or ePubs, I would suggest buying this volume.
I have chosen Twilight and The Antichrist as the best primers for new readers because these two books offer a perfect sample of Nietzsche's thought and style: they discuss all of his trademark ideas and can be read in three afternoons or a week. In terms of length, they are manageable — compared to the rest of Nietzsche's books, Twilight and The Antichrist are short. But this, of course, does not mean they are simple.
If you enjoyed and felt comfortable with Twilight of the Idols and The Antichrist, you should be ready to explore the heart of Nietzsche’s oeuvre: the three aphoristic masterpieces from his so-called "middle period".
3) Human, All-Too Human (1878-1879-1880)
4) Daybreak (1881)
5) The Gay Science (1882-1887)
This is perhaps the most contentious suggestion on my reading list. I will defend it. Beyond Good and Evil and Thus Spoke Zarathustra are, by far, Nietzsche’s most famous books. However, THEY ARE NOT THE BEST PLACE TO BEGIN. Yes, these two classics are the books that first enamoured many, but I believe that it is difficult to truly understand Beyond Good and Evil without having read Daybreak, and that it is impossible to truly understand Zarathustra without having read most — if not all! — of Nietzsche’s works.
Readers who have barely finished Zarathustra tend to come up with notoriously wild interpretations that have little or nothing to do with Nietzsche. To be fair, these misunderstandings are perfectly understandable. Zarathustra's symbolic and literary complexity can serve as Rorschach inkblot where people can project all kinds of demented ideas. If you spend enough time in this subreddit, you will see.
The beauty of Human, All-Too Human, Daybreak and The Gay Science is that they can be browsed and read irresponsibly, like a collection of poems, which is definitely not the case with Beyond Good and Evil, Zarathustra, and On the Genealogy of Morals. Even though Human, All-Too Human, Daybreak and The Gay Science are quite long, you do not have to read all the aphorisms to get the gist. But do bear in mind that the source of all of Nietzsche’s later ideas is found here, so your understanding of his philosophy will depend on how deeply you have delved into these three books.
There are many users in this subreddit who recommend Human, All-Too Human as the best place to start. I agree with them, in part, because the first 110 aphorism from Human, All-Too Human lay the foundations of Nietzsche's entire philosophical project, usually explained in the clearest way possible. If Twilight of the Idols feels too dense, perhaps you can try this: read the first 110 aphorisms from Human, All-Too Human and the first 110 aphorisms from Daybreak. There are plenty of misconceptions about Nietzsche that are easily dispelled by reading these two books. His later books — especially Beyond Good and Evil and On the Genealogy of Morals — presuppose many ideas that were first developed in Human, All-Too Human and Daybreak.
On the other hand, Human, All-Too Human is also Nietzsche's longest book. Book I contains 638 aphorisms; Book II 'Assorted Opinions and Maxims' , 408 aphorisms; and 'The Wanderer and His Shadow', 350 aphorisms. A book of 500 or more pages can be very daunting for a newcomer.
Finally, after having read Human, All-Too Human, Daybreak and The Gay Science (or at least one of them), you should be ready to embark on the odyssey of reading...
6) Beyond Good and Evil (1886)
7) On the Genealogy of Morals (1887)
8) Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883-1885)
What NOT to do
- I strongly advise against starting with The Birth of Tragedy, which is quite often suggested in this subreddit: “Read Nietzsche in chronological order so you can understand the development of his thought”. This is terrible advice. Terrible. The Birth of Tragedy is not representative of Nietzsche’s style and thought: his early prose was convoluted and sometimes betrayed his insights. Nietzsche himself admitted this years later. It is true, though, that the kernel of many of his ideas is found here, but this is a curiosity for the expert, not the beginner. I cannot imagine how many people were permanently dissuaded from reading Nietzsche because they started with this book. In fact, The Birth of Tragedy was the first book by Nietzsche I read, and it was a terribly underwhelming experience. I only understood its value years later.
- Please do not start with Thus Spoke Zarathustra. I cannot stress this enough. You might be fascinated at first (I know I was), but there is no way you will understand it without having read and deeply pondered on the majority Nietzsche's books. You. Will. Not. Understand. It. Reading Zarathustra for the first time is an enthralling aesthetic experience. I welcome everyone to do it. But we must also bear in mind that Zarathustra is a literary expression of a very dense and complex body of philosophical ideas and, therefore, Zarathustra is not the best place to start reading Nietzsche.
- Try to avoid The Will to Power at first. As I explained above, this is a collection of notes from the 1880s notebooks, a collection published posthumously on the behest of Nietzsche’s sister and under the supervision of Peter Köselitz, his most loyal friend and the proofreader of many of his books. The Will to Power is a collection of drafts and notes of varying quality: some are brilliant, some are interesting, and some are simply experiments. In any case, this collection offers key insights into Nietzsche’s creative process and method. But, since these passages are drafts, some of which were eventually published in his other books, some of which were never sanctioned for publication by Nietzsche himself, The Will to Power is not the best place to start.
- I have not included Nietzsche’s peculiar and brilliant autobiography Ecce Homo. This book's significance will only grow as you get more and more into Nietzsche. In fact, it may very well serve both as a guideline and a culmination. On the one hand, I would not recommend Ecce Homo as an introduction because new readers can be — understandably — discouraged by what at first might seem like delusions of grandeur. On the other hand, Ecce Homo has a section where Nietzsche summarises and makes very illuminating comments on all his published books. These comments, albeit brief, might be priceless for new readers.
Which books should I get?
I suggest getting Walter Kaufmann's translations. If you buy The Portable Nietzsche and The Basic Writings of Nietzsche, you will own most of the books on my suggested reading list.
The Portable Nietzsche includes:
- Thus Spoke Zarathustra
- Twilight of the Idols
- The Antichrist
- Nietzsche contra Wagner
The Basic Writings of Nietzsche includes:
- The Birth of Tragedy
- Beyond Good and Evil
- On the Genealogy of Morals
- The Case of Wagner
- Ecce Homo
The most important books missing from this list are:
- Human, All-Too Human
- Daybreak
- The Gay Science
Walter Kaufmann translated The Gay Science, yet he did not translate Human, All-Too Human nor Daybreak. For these two, I would recommend the Cambridge editions, edited and translated by R.J. Hollingdale.
These three volumes — The Portable Nietzsche, The Basic Writings of Nietzsche and The Gay Science — are the perfect starter pack.
Walter Kaufmann's translations have admirers and detractors. I believe their virtues far outweigh their shortcomings. What I like the most about them is their consistency when translating certain words, words that reappear so often throughout Nietzsche's writings that a perceptive reader should soon realise these are not mere words but concepts that are essential to Nietzsche's philosophy. For someone reading him for the first time, this consistency is vital.
Frequently Asked Questions
Finally, there are a few excellent articles by u/usernamed17, u/essentialsalts and u/SheepwithShovels and u/ergriffenheit on the sidebar:
A Chronology of Nietzsche's Books, with Descriptions of Each Work's Contents & Background
Selected Letters of Nietzsche on Wikisource
Nietzsche's Relation to Nazism and Anti-Semitism
Nietzsche's Position on Socrates
Multiple Meanings of the Term "Morality" in the Philosophy of Nietzsche
The Difference Between Pity & Compassion — A study in etymology
These posts cover most beginner questions we get here.
Please feel free to add your suggestions for future readers.
r/Nietzsche • u/NeedleworkerOne1218 • 11h ago
Happy 182nd birthday, Friedrich Nietzsche — and welcome to Nietzschat
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Nietzsche remarks in Ecce Homo that he was born on 15 October, the birthday of the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm IV, after whom he was named. There was, he says, at least one advantage:
“My birthday was a feast day throughout my whole childhood.”
— Ecce Homo, “Why I Am So Wise” §3, 1908 text
So today seems as fitting a day as any to finally make this project public.
I’ve been an enthusiastic reader of Nietzsche for more than ten years. Over that time I’ve tried to get my hands on everything he wrote, and to follow the questions wherever they led: what he meant, what he intended, what he was responding to, the philosophers and traditions he argued with, the history surrounding him, and further back to the Greeks who mattered so much to him.
Nietzschat itself began, oddly enough, with a name.
I’ve always felt that there is something fundamental in giving a thing the right name — that once something has been named, thought can begin to move around it differently.
Nietzsche has a passage in The Gay Science that came strikingly close to what I had in mind:
“Unspeakably more depends on what things are called than on what they are.”
And at the end of the aphorism:
“It is enough to create new names and estimations and probabilities in order, in the long run, to create new ‘things’.”
— The Gay Science §58, “Only as creators!”
The name Nietzschat came first. Then, over the next few years, I wrestled with what that name ought actually to become.
Part of the project grew out of a frustration I suspect many people here will recognize: Nietzsche is endlessly summarized.
“Nietzsche believed X.”
“Nietzsche was a nihilist.”
“Nietzsche was an existentialist.”
“Nietzsche thought morality was…”
And very quickly Nietzsche himself disappears.
Nietzsche complained about something remarkably similar:
“Whoever believed he had understood something of me has fashioned something out of me for himself, after his own image, — not infrequently an opposite of me…”
— Ecce Homo, “Why I Write Such Good Books” §1
That became one of the central ideas behind Nietzschat:
keep returning to what Nietzsche actually wrote.
So Nietzschat is built first around finding Nietzsche’s own words.
Ask a question and inspect the passages from which the answer was built. Search through the works themselves instead of stopping at a summary. Read supported passages in the original German with English help. Put Nietzsche beside other philosophers, schools and traditions and examine where they converge, conflict, inherit from one another, or merely appear similar from a distance.
Around that core are the rest of the project: new Nietzschat English editions of his works, longer investigations, curated quotations, and a personal library for keeping the passages that matter to you.
But I didn’t want Nietzschat’s first public appearance to be a product demonstration.
I wanted to begin with an actual Nietzsche question:
Was Nietzsche himself a nihilist?
So the first film is:
Nihilism — Nietzsche in His Own Words
Was He a Nihilist?
There is no narrator giving the answer. The film lets Nietzsche’s own passages lead through the meaning, causes and forms of nihilism — and through his own difficult relation to it.
Nihilism — Nietzsche in His Own Words | Was He a Nihilist?
The project itself is at nietzschat.com.
This is Nietzschat’s first day in public, so criticism is genuinely welcome — of the interpretation, the translations, the sources, or the project itself. If something is wrong, or if there is a passage I’ve missed that changes the picture, I’d genuinely like to know.
And perhaps the right way to end today is with a blessing.
Nietzsche wrote on his own birthday, 15 October 1888:
“On this perfect day, when everything is ripening and not only the grape is turning brown, a ray of sunlight fell upon my life just now: I saw backwards, I saw outwards, I never saw so many and such good things at once. [...] How could I not be grateful to my whole life?”
— Ecce Homo, opening page
Happy birthday, Nietzsche.
r/Nietzsche • u/DanteGOW • 7h ago
Question I just finished my first book which was Beyond good and evil translated by Hollingdale and I’m afraid I understand maybe half of it any tips?
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r/Nietzsche • u/koko12345a • 20h ago
How to read Thus Spoke Zarathustra as a complete beginner
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So, I don't have a degree in philosophy, I am not studying for a degree in philosophy or literature, I just picked this book up from a bookstore after finding out a little about nihilism and Nietzsche from....wait for it....YouTube
How tf am I supposed to approach this to actually be able to comprehend it? As of now, reading it feels like reading the bible. Any tips?
r/Nietzsche • u/rod-resiss • 22h ago
Happy 182nd Birthday to Nietzsche!
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But to those who know, it is really his 126th birthday...
Had he still been alive, I would have gotten him a tophat, as it was said:
"In those days Englishmen were considered the summit of everything marvelous, and they then used to wear grey gloves and grey top hats; so Nietzsche went about in a grey redingote, a grey top hat, and grey gloves, and thought he looked like an Englishman. And with that moustache!" - From Jung's Seminar on Zarathustra (Jung had attended Basel University while N was still alive, and not long after he had taught there).
Record of previous gifts on the sub: https://www.reddit.com/r/Nietzsche/comments/1onnz8r/help_finding_the_gift_list_for_nietzsches/
(Top hat visible in N's hand in the Rohde+Gersdorff photo, full articles most like the crossed-arms photo
Resources/photo dating: http://www.thenietzschechannel.com/
Pity that there are no photographs of N from 1882 to 1888.
Fun fact: His birthday is the reason his name is Friedrich Wilhelm, as this was the birthday of Emperor Friedrick Wilhelm IV
r/Nietzsche • u/Legal_Heron9418 • 10h ago
Fritz and 15 October: The Greatest Birthday Boy Thoughts and Mentions Part II (1877 - 1888)
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1877
19 Nov 1877 · BVN-1877,671 · To Paul Rée
You will laugh when you hear what Seydlitz's kindness presented me for my birthday: a Turkish coffee set, just as droll and impractical as the one we got to know at the Hôtel Vittoria. These friends' wanderings have come to an end; they have settled and set up house in Salzburg, and already have my word that I will visit them there next year.
[Sie werden lachen, wenn Sie hören, was die Güte Seydlitzens mir zu meinem Geburtstage präsentirte: ein türkisches Kaffeegeschirr, ganz so drollig und unpractisch wie das, welches wir im Hôtel Vittoria kennen lernten. Die Wanderung dieser Freunde hat ein Ende erreicht, sie haben sich in Salzburg niedergelassen und eingerichtet, auch schon mein Wort bekommen, dass ich sie im nächsten Jahr dort besuche.]
1878
20 Oct 1878 · BVN-1878,762 · To Paul Rée
You are better than I am, I have always believed that; and that from your sickbed you remembered my birthday and wrote to me, I shall no more forget as a psychologist than as a friend. With all my heart yours, F. Nietzsche.
[Sie sind besser als ich, das habe ich immer geglaubt; und daß Sie sich vom Krankenbette aus meines Geburtstages erinnerten und mir schrieben, werde ich als Psychologe ebenso wenig wie als Freund vergessen. Von ganzem Herzen der Ihrige F Nietzsche]
7 Dec 1878 · BVN-1878,778 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
No news from Rée since the birthday. (The excerpt gives no further context.)
[Von Rée seit Geburtstag keine Nachricht.]
1879
15 Oct 1879 · BVN-1879,892 · To Ernst Schmeitzner
(Today is my birthday.)
[(heute ist mein Geburtstag.)]
22 Oct 1879 · BVN-1879,894 · To Franz Overbeck
First, a violent attack (the day after my birthday), otherwise the old familiar small-arms fire of my suffering — day after day. Since I left the Engadine, not a pill or an enema has entered my body; it was no longer necessary. The whole birthday I thought of you and tried, in real affection, to add up the sum of benefits you have done me in the past year, that is, in media vita [in the middle of life] according to church belief. In the midst of life I was surrounded by the good "Overbeck" — perhaps otherwise the other companion would have appeared — Mors [Death].
[Erst Ein heftiger Anfall (am Tag nach meinem Geburtstage), sonst das altgewohnte Kleingewehrfeuer meines Leidens — Tag für Tag. Seit ich das Engadin verlassen habe, ist keine Pille und kein Klysma mehr in den Leib gekommen, es war nicht mehr nöthig . Den ganzen Geburtstag habe ich Deiner gedacht und recht in Liebe versucht, die Summe der Wohlthaten zu ziehen, welche Du mir in dem letzten Jahre, also in media vita nach dem Kirchenglauben, erwiesen hast. Mitten im Leben war ich vom guten „Overbeck umgeben“ — vielleicht hätte sich sonst der andre Gefährte eingestellt — Mors.]
1880
20 Oct 1880 · BVN-1880,55 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
I had forgotten my birthday, for the first time. Please go to the forwarding agent; we must change the destination of the luggage, since I shall not make the sea voyage from Genoa (I cannot stand it, as things are). He should send a routing slip after it and address it thus: Castellamare (presso di Napoli) Italia.
[Meinen Geburtstag hatte ich vergessen, zum ersten Male. Bitte, geh zum Spediteur, wir müssen das Reiseziel des Gepäcks verändern , da ich die Seereise von Genua nicht machen werde (ich halte sie nicht aus, so wie es steht) Er soll einen Laufzettel nachsenden und nun so addressiren: Castellamare (presso di Napoli) Italia.]
31 Oct 1880 · BVN-1880,58 · To Franz Overbeck
My dear friends, this time I had forgotten my birthday, for the first time — why was that? Probably my head is too full of other thoughts, and these make me call out to myself ten times a day: "what does it matter about me!"
[Meine lieben Freunde, meinen Geburtstag hatte ich diesmal vergessen, zum ersten Male — woran lag dies? Wahrscheinlich habe ich den Kopf zu voll von anderen Gedanken, und diese bringen es mit sich, daß ich mir zehnmal jedes Tags zurufe „was liegt an mir!”]
16 Nov 1880 · BVN-1880,62 · To Gustav Krug
Moreover, as the calendar has just taught me, it is your birthday — you will look back on your life today with a special melancholy! We grow older and with that lonelier: precisely that love leaves us which loved us like an unconscious necessity, not for our particular qualities but often despite them. You may believe, when you think of me (as you did for my birthday, which I myself had forgotten this time), that I do not lack courage and patience and that I strive for high, very high goals, even as matters now stand — you may equally firmly believe that I am and remain your friend, bound to you in heartfelt love. Friedrich Nietzsche.
[Dazu ist es, wie mich eben der Kalender belehrt, Dein Geburtstag — Du wirst mit einer besondren Wehmuth heute auf Dein Leben zurückblicken! Wir werden älter und damit einsamer : gerade jene Liebe verläßt uns, die uns wie eine unbewußte Nothwendigkeit liebte, nicht wegen unsrer besondren Eigenschaften, sondern oft trotz derselben. Du darfst glauben, wenn Du an mich denkst (wie Du es zu meinem Geburtstage gethan hast, den ich selber diesmal vergessen hatte) daß ich nicht des Muthes und der Geduld ermangele und hohen, sehr hohen Zielen auch so, wie es nun einmal steht und geht, nachstrebe — Du darfst ebenso bestimmt glauben, daß ich Dein Freund bin und bleibe In herzlicher Liebe mit Dir verbunden Friedrich Nietzsche.”]
1881
2 Sep 1881 · BVN-1881,145 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
My finest thanks, my good dear ones — but that was my birthday parcel! Since you wrote that you wanted to send one, I had sent you my wish list. Everything is right and partly already in use and consumed. Now about 3 more weeks, then it will be over here again, on the 26th of this month.
[Den schönsten Dank, meine Guten Lieben — aber das war mein Geburtstagspaket! Da Ihr mir schriebt, eins schicken zu wollen, hatte ich Euch ja daraufhin meinen Wunschzettel geschickt. Alles ist recht und zum Theil schon im Gebrauch und im Verbrauch. Nun noch c. 3 Wochen, dann ist es wieder hier vorbei, am 26 ten d.]
14 Oct 1881 · BAN-1881,86 · Letter FROM Heinrich Köselitz to Nietzsche
I return only today to your kind card of the 4th: in order to bring you, together with the reply, my warmest congratulations on your birthday tomorrow! How much these, and especially the wish that you may live long and under better conditions, come from the heart, may at least be attested to you by the one circumstance that I am clearly aware of what I became through you — and what I would have remained had I not been allowed to take you and your whole world into my experience.
[Auf Ihre gütige Karte vom 4. komme ich erst heut zurück: um Ihnen mit der Antwort zugleich die herzlichsten Glückwünsche zu Ihrem morgigen Geburtstage darzubringen! Wie sehr diese, und namentlich der Wunsch, dass Sie noch lange und unter besseren Bedingungen leben, von Herzen kommen, mag Ihnen wenigstens der eine Umstand bezeugen, dass ich mir deutlich bewusst bin, was ich durch Sie wurde — und was ich geblieben wäre, wenn ich Sie und Ihre ganze Welt nicht hätte in meine Erfahrung aufnehmen dürfen.]
15 Oct 1881 · NF-1881,13[16] · Nachgelassene Fragmente, autumn 1881 (notebook entry)
What have I learned up to today (15 October 1881)? To do myself good in every situation and not to need others.
[Was habe ich gelernt, bis heute (15. Oktober 1881)? Mir selber aus allen Lagen heraus wohlzuthun und Anderer nicht zu bedürfen .]
1883
13 Oct 1883 · BAN-1883,211 · Letter FROM Heinrich Köselitz to Nietzsche
Heartfelt congratulations on your birthday! I fear that you are ill, and this thought pains me. What I can wish and bring about with the most understanding must relate to myself, in relation to you.
[Herzlichen Glückwunsch zu Ihrem Geburtstag! Ich besorge, dass Sie krank sind, und habe Schmerz bei diesem Gedanken. Das, was ich mit dem meisten Verständniss wünschen und herbeiführen „kann“, muss sich auf mich selbst, im Verhältniss zu Ihnen, beziehen.]
1884
2 Sep 1884 · BVN-1884,530 · To Franziska Nietzsche
My dear Mother, your gift, which I received as a birthday present, truly touched me, and I would gladly be able to meet your wish and come to Naumburg. As for the reasons against it, you will have been sufficiently informed by my last letter.
[Meine liebe Mutter, Deine Gabe, die ich als Geburtstagsgeschenk empfangen habe, hat mich wahrhaft gerührt , und ich möchte gern im Stande sein, auch Deinem Wunsche zu entsprechen und nach Naumburg zu kommen. Was die Gegengründe betrifft, so wirst Du durch meinen letzten Brief hinreichend unterrichtet sein.]
[14 Oct 1884] · BVN-1884,544 · To Franz Overbeck in Basel
Dear friend, in all haste the news that this Saturday, at half past ten in the morning, the overture to "The Lion of Venice" can be heard in the Tonhalle. — — — — — — At the same time as a greeting of thanks on receiving your birthday wishes. Heartily, F. N.
[Lieber Freund, in aller Geschwindigkeit die Mittheilung, daß diesen Samstag, Morgens 1/2 11 Uhr in der Tonhalle die Ouvertüre zum „Löwen in Venedig“ zu hören ist. — — — — — — Zugleich als Dankes-gruß beim Empfang Deiner Geburtstagswünsche. Von Herzen F.N.]
19 Oct 1884 · BVN-1884,547 · To Elisabeth Nietzsche
Heartiest thanks for your birthday letter; and how much you have given me this time! Every day nothing else but always giving! It has been a very successful autumn so far. My most beautiful thanks! Your F.
[. — Herzlichsten Dank für Deinen Brief zum Geburtstag; und wie viel hast Du mir dies Mal geschenkt! Alle Tage gar nichts Anderes als immer schenken! Es war ein recht wohl gerathner Herbst bisher. Meinen allerschönsten Dank! Dein F.]
1885
30 Jan 1885 · BVN-1885,571a · To Elisabeth Nietzsche
Regarding the birthday I quite agree: but the Bismarck continuation not now! rather, perhaps, s'il vous plaît, for 15 October! Heartily your F.
[In Betreff des Geburtstags bin ich sehr einverstanden: die Bismarck-Fortsetzung aber jetzt nicht ! sondern, vielleicht s’il vous plait, zum 15. Oktober! Von Herzen Dein F.]
17 Oct 1885 · BVN-1885,636 · To Franz Overbeck
Your congratulation that has just arrived is also in my heart! It was the only congratulation entrusted to paper that I received this time: — I thought for a long while about this fact of a forty-one-year life. Two days in Naumburg, for the "celebration" of my birthday. Always ill; it cannot be determined at all whether from outside in or from inside out. Thick hazy sky and, perhaps, Naumburg for the last time. Dr. Förster was not unsympathetic to me; he has something cordial and noble in his nature and seems made for action.
[Dein eben gekommener Glückwunsch auch in meinem Herzen! Es war der einzige dem Papiere anvertraute Glückwunsch, den ich dies Mal erhielt: — ich dachte länger über dieses Factum eines ein und vierzigjährigen Lebens nach. Zwei Tage in Naumburg, zur „Feier“ meines Geburtstages. Immer krank, es ist gar nicht auszumachen, ob von außen nach innen oder von innen her. Dicker dunstiger Himmel und, vielleicht, Naumburg zum letzten Male. Dr. Förster war mir nicht unsympathisch, er hat etwas Herzliches und Edles in seinem Wesen und scheint recht zum Handeln gemacht.]
1886
8 Sep 1886 · BVN-1886,743 · To Franziska Nietzsche
With love, your Fritz — Could you not, in autumn (perhaps for the celebration of my birthday?), send a nice little box of grapes to Herr and Frau E. W. Fritzsch in Leipzig, Königsstrasse 6? They are from Lützen; and Fritzsch has shown great trust in me.
[In Liebe Dein Fritz — Könntest Du nicht im Herbst (vielleicht zur Feier meines Geburtstags?) ein schönes Weintrauben -Kistchen an Herrn und Frau E. W. Fritzsch in Leipzig schicken? Königsstrasse 6. Sie sind aus Lützen; und Fritzsch hat doch ein großes Vertrauen zu mir bewiesen. —]
13 Oct 1886 · BVN-1886,762 · To Ernst Wilhelm Fritzsch
Nervi, 13 October 1886. Most esteemed Herr Publisher, looking back on the past year — for 15 October is my birthday — I recall with gratitude that in it no one gave me a greater sign of trust than you. May it be repaid to you as is fitting, in every sense!
[Nervi, 13. Oktober 1886 Werthester Herr Verleger, beim Rückblick auf das letztvergangene Jahr — denn der 15. October ist mein Geburtstag — erinnere ich mich mit Dankbarkeit daran, daß mir in demselben von Niemandem ein größeres Zeichen von Vertrauen gegeben worden ist als von Ihnen. Möge Ihnen dasselbe vergolten werden, wie sich’s gebührt, in jedem Sinne!]
1887
15 Oct 1887 · BVN-1887,925 · To Elisabeth Förster
To Elisabeth Förster in Asunción. Venice, 15 Oct 1887. My dear Llama, today is, if I am not entirely mistaken, my birthday: what better can I do on it than write a letter to the old Llama? For one should at least hold on to the small good remainder of natural "little bonds", even if, as is the fate of a philosopher, one is condemned to live as unattached and apart as possible.
[An Elisabeth Förster in Asuncion Venedig 15 Okt 1887 Mein liebes Lama, heute ist, wenn mich nicht Alles täuscht, mein Geburtstag: was kann ich Besseres an ihm thun, als dem alten Lama einen Brief schreiben? Denn man soll wenigstens den kleinen guten Rest von natürlichen „Bindebänderchen“ noch festhalten, wenn man übrigens, wie es im Schicksal eines Philosophen liegt, verurtheilt ist, so unangebunden und abseits wie möglich zu leben.]
18 Oct 1887 · BVN-1887,929 · To Franziska Nietzsche
My dear Mother, your letter, arriving on my birthday, found me at an activity you would have enjoyed: I was just writing a little note to the South American Llama. Your letter and your good wishes were, by the way, the only ones that reached me: which has given me a good idea of the "independence" I have meanwhile attained: and the latter is, for a philosopher, a condition of the first rank.
[Meine liebe Mutter, Dein Brief, am Geburtstage eintreffend, fand mich bei einer Thätigkeit, an der Du Vergnügen gehabt hättest: ich schrieb gerade ein Briefchen an das südamerikanische Lama. Dein Brief und Deine Glückwünsche waren übrigens die einzigen, die bei mir anlangten: was mir einen guten Begriff von meiner inzwischen erreichten „Unabhängigkeit“ gegeben hat: letztere aber ist für einen Philosophen die Bedingung ersten Ranges .]
3 Nov 1887 · BVN-1887,944 · To Heinrich Köselitz
Deussen received from Athens a laurel leaf and a fig leaf, picked on 15 October at the spot where Plato's Academy once stood.
[Deussen kam aus Athen ein Lorbeer- und ein Feigenblatt an, gepflückt am 15. Oktober an der Stelle, wo ehedem die Akademie Plato’s gestanden hat.]
11 Nov 1887 · BVN-1887,949 · To Elisabeth Förster
Most beautiful thanks for your birthday letter, which surprised me refreshingly on the first morning of my Nice winter stay. To my esteemed Herr brother-in-law I immediately expressed my thanks for his wishes by letter: he extended his hand to me very amiably in his letter — and I tried to do the same: a spectacle that, given the considerable lengthening of our respective arms that was needed, might not have been without charm for the watching Llama.
[Allerschönsten Dank für Deinen Geburtstagsbrief, der mich am ersten Morgen meines Nizzaer Winter-Aufenthaltes in erquicklicher Weise überraschte. Meinem werthen Herrn Schwager habe ich sofort meinen Dank für seine Wünsche brieflich ausgedrückt: er hat mir sehr liebenswürdig in seinem Briefe die Hand gereicht — und ich habe versucht, dasselbe zu thun: ein Schauspiel, das in Hinsicht auf die bedeutende Verlängerung unsrer beiderseitigen Arme, die dazu noth that , für das zuschauende Lama nicht ohne Reiz gewesen sein dürfte.]
16 Nov 1887 · BVN-1887,954 · To Paul Deussen
The beautiful symbolism of your act on 15 Oct. moved me deeply: perhaps this old Plato is my real great opponent?
[Die schöne Symbolik Deiner Handlung am 15. Okt. hat mich tief gerührt: — vielleicht ist dieser alte Plato mein eigentlicher großer Gegner ?]
1888
10 Apr 1888 · BVN-1888,1014 · To Georg Brandes
I was born on 15 Oct. 1844, on the battlefield of Lützen. The first name I heard was that of Gustavus Adolphus.
[Ich bin am 15. Okt. 1844 geboren, auf dem Schlachtfelde von Lützen . Der erste Name , den ich hörte, war der Gustav Adolfs.]
19 Oct 1888 · BVN-1888,1133 · To Franziska Nietzsche
Oct. 1888. This time the old mother has forgotten the birthday of the old creature, which, if I am not mistaken, falls on the 15th of October. Your good letter has just arrived; I am glad that the domestic worries have grown a little smaller.
[Okt. 1888 Dies Mal hat die alte Mutter den Geburtstag des alten Geschöpfs vergessen, der, wenn ich mich nicht irre, auf den 15ten Oktober fällt. Eben traf Dein guter Brief ein, es freut mich, daß die häuslichen Sorgen ein wenig kleiner geworden sind.]
6 Nov 1888 · BVN-1888,1139 · To Constantin Georg Naumann [15 Oct reference]
So I have solved an extremely difficult task — namely to narrate myself, my books, my views, in fragments as far as was required, my life — between 15 Oct. and 4 Nov.
[So habe ich eine extrem schwere Aufgabe — nämlich mich selber, meine Bücher, meine Ansichten, bruchstücksweise, so weit es dazu erfordert war, mein Leben zu erzählen — zwischen dem 15. Okt. und 4. November gelöst .]
13 Nov 1888 · BVN-1888,1142 · To Heinrich Köselitz
"Wie man wird, was man ist" [How one becomes what one is] leapt forth between 15 October, my most gracious birthday and lord of the birthday, and 4 November, with an ancient self-sovereignty and good humour so that it seems too well-turned for me to be allowed to make a joke of it. The last parts, by the way, are already set in a tone that must have been lost to the Meistersingers, "the melody of the world-ruler"… The final chapter bears the disagreeable title: Why I am a destiny.
[„Wie man wird, was man ist“ sprang innerhalb des 15. Oktobers, meines allergnädigsten Geburtstags und -Herrn, und dem 4. November mit einer antiken Selbstherrlichkeit und guten Laune hervor, daß es mir zu wohlgerathen scheint, um einen Spaaß dazu machen zu dürfen. Die letzten Partien sind übrigens bereits in einer Tonweise gesetzt, die den Meistersingern abhanden gekommen sein muß, „die Weise des Weltregierenden “… Das Schlußcapitel hat die unerquickliche Überschrift: Warum ich ein Schicksal bin.]
[c. 25 Dec 1888] · BVN-1888,1210 · To Cosima Wagner
This does not stop my sister from writing to me for 15 October with utmost scorn that I evidently want to start becoming "famous" too.
[Dies hindert meine Schwester nicht , mir zum 15. Oktober mit äußerstem Hohne zu schreiben, ich wolle wohl auch anfangen „berühmt“ zu werden.]
29 Dec 1888 · BVN-1888,1223 · To Meta von Salis
My sister declared to me, for my birthday, with utmost scorn, that I evidently want to start becoming "famous" too… "That will be a fine rabble that believes in me"… This has now lasted seven years… — Yet another case.
[meine Schwester hat mir zu meinem Geburtstage mit äußerstem Hohne erklärt, ich wolle wohl auch anfangen, „berühmt“ zu werden… Das werde ein schönes Gesindel sein, das an mich glaube… Dies dauert jetzt sieben Jahre… — Noch ein andrer Fall.]
r/Nietzsche • u/Legal_Heron9418 • 10h ago
Fritz and 15 October: The Greatest Birthday Boy Thoughts and Mentions Part I (1857 - 1876)
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1857
1 Nov 1857 · BVN-1857,16 · To David Ernst and Wilhelmine Oehler
I spent my birthday very nicely, only somewhat more quietly than usual. We had postponed the celebration because Wilhelm Pinder was still unwell, but he has already improved a great deal.
[Meinen Geburtstag habe ich sehr hübsch verlebt, nur etwas ruhiger als gewöhnlich. Wir hatten nämlich die Feier aufgeschoben, weil Wilhelm Pinder noch unwohl war, jetzt aber sich schon sehr gebessert hat.]
1858
9 Oct 1858 · BVN-1858,23 · To Franziska Nietzsche
Alumnus Portensis. Don't forget my birthday! You can quite well send me a cake, since there are only 8 in my room. A box would also be very welcome, like my green one, in which I could put everything such as pencil, scissors, sewing things.
[Alumnus Portensis Vergiss meinen Geburtstag nicht! Du kannst mir recht gut einen Kuchen schicken, da blos 8 in meiner Stube sind. Sehr lieb wäre mir auch ein Kasten, ähnlich wie mein Grünen, wo ich alles wie Bleistift, Schere, Nähzeug hineinstecken könnte.]
11 Oct 1858 · BVN-1858,24 · To Franziska Nietzsche
For my birthday just send me something substantial, that is, roughly 40 letters and 20 crates and boxes full of presents. Then do write and tell me what to do about the laundry, where to pack it, etc. (If, by the way, you don't know the books, just tell Wilhelm, he'll find them.) Don't wait for my birthday first; two crates will fill up as well. Then send me neckerchiefs, shirt-fronts and other small things. So far I like it at Pforta quite tolerably, even if the thought "if only I had stayed in Naumburg" sometimes creeps in.
[Zu meinen Geburtstag schickt mir nur was Tüchtiges, das heißt ungefähr 40 Briefe und 20 Kisten und Kasten voll Geschenke. Dann schreib mir doch wie ich’s mit der Wäsche halten soll, wohin sie packen usw. (Wenn ihr übrigens die Bücher nicht kennt, so sagt’s nur Wilhelm, der wird sie schon finden.) Warte nicht erst meinen Geburtstag ab, zwei Kisten werden auch wohl voll werden. Dann schicke mir doch Halstücher, Vorhemdchen und andre Kleinigkeiten. Bis jetzt gefällt es mir in Pforta ganz leidlich, wenn sich auch mitunter der Gedanke „War’ ich doch in Naumburg geblieben“ hineinmischt.]
16 Oct 1858 · BVN-1858,25 · To Franziska Nietzsche
I am writing only to thank you many times again for everything you sent me for my birthday. You gave me great joy with all of it. How lovely the beautiful cake was, packed in wine, nuts and flowers! With what joy I looked over the dear books!
[Ich schreibe nur, um dir noch recht viele Mal für alles, was du mir zu meinem Geburtstag geschickt, zu danken. Du hast mir mit allen große Freude bereitet. Wie nett war der schöne Kuchen in Wein, Nüssen und Blumen eingepackt! Mit welcher Freude habe ich mir die lieben Bücher angesehn!]
7 Nov 1858 · BVN-1858,32 · To David Ernst Oehler
Forgive me for thanking you only today for your good wishes and the thaler for my birthday. I had long meant to do so. But you wouldn't believe how tightly our time is filled, and if a moment is free, I have to write to Mamma in Naumburg, since I still lack various necessities. — As I heard, Grandmamma was in Naumburg, and I was very sorry not to be able to see her.
[Verzeihe, daß ich erst heute dir für Deine Glückwünsche und den Thaler zu meinem Geburtstag danke. Schon längst hatte ich vor, dies zu thun. Aber du glaubst nicht, wie genau unsre Zeit ausgefüllt ist und ist einmal ein Augenblick leer, so muß ich nach Naumburg an die Mamma schreiben, da mir noch manches Nothwendige fehlt. — Wie ich gehört habe, ist die Großmamma in Naumburg geweßen und es hat mir sehr leid gethan, sie nicht sehen zu können.]
1859
[Late Mar – early Apr 1859] · BVN-1859,62 · To Wilhelm Pinder
I have now thought of a birthday wish — admittedly far, far off — but I prefer my wishes to be settled long beforehand rather than wavering forever. You will be surprised: I wish for Gaudy's works.
[Ich habe mich jetzt auf einen Geburtstagswunsch besonnen — allerdings weit, weit noch hinaus — aber dennoch ist es mir lieber, wenn meine Wünsche lange vorher, feststehen, als wenn sie ewig umherwanken. Du wirst dich wundern — ich wünsche mir nämlich — Gaudy’s Werke.]
15 Aug 1859 · BVN-1859,87 · To Franziska Nietzsche
Today two shirts, bedding and stockings follow. Since you want to leave in 4 weeks, I will send you my birthday list. First I wish for Don Quixote, translated by Tieck, 25 Sgr. Then, if dear Uncle, Lisbeth and Wilhelm Pinder want to give me something, I wish for Platen's biography, 15 Sgr.
[Es folgen heute zwei Hemden, Bettzeug, Strümpfe Da ihr in 4 Wochen schon fort wollt will ich euch meinen Geburtstagszettel schicken. Zuerst wünsche ich mir den Don Quixote übersetzt von Tiek, 25 Sgr. Dann wenn mir der liebe Onkel, Lisbeht und Wilhelm Pinder etwas schenken wollen, so wünsche ich mir Platens Biographie 15 Sgr.]
22 Aug 1859 · BVN-1859,89 · To Wilhelm Pinder
What should I wish for my birthday? Wishing you a very prompt reply, your friend F. N. Semper nostra amicitia manet! [Our friendship endures always!]
[Was soll ich mir zum Geburtstag wünschen? Recht baldige Antwort wünscht Dein Freund F. N. Semper nostra amicitia manet!]
8 Sep 1859 · BVN-1859,93 · To Franziska Nietzsche
How are things going for my birthday?? A shirt follows. Likewise two napkins, a coat and a waistcoat.
[Wie stehts zu meinem Geburtstag? ? Ein Hemd folgt. Ebenso zwei Servietten, Rock und Weste.]
25 Sep 1859 · BVN-1859,97 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
Now what is actually going to happen with my birthday? I am very curious, especially as I deliberately wish for nothing in particular. But I do get a letter from Corensen? — Today I am sending you 1 pair of stockings, 1 shirt, a duvet cover, 3 shirt-fronts and 1 handkerchief.
[. — Nun wie wird es eigentlich mit meinem Geburtstag? Ich bin sehr neugierig, besonders da ich eigentlich mir absichtlich nichts bestimmtes wünsche. Einen Brief von Corensen bekomme ich aber doch? — Ich schike euch heute 1 Paar Strümpfe 1 Hemd Bettüberzug, und 3 Vorhemdchen und 1 Taschentuch.]
1860
20 Oct 1860 · BVN-1860,188 · To Franziska Nietzsche
That is altogether very nice about my birthday, that I always still have something to look forward to. — I have also written to Wilhelm and Gustav. Would you be so kind as to forward the letter there. — Now farewell, dear Mamma!
[Das ist überhaupt sehr hübsch bei meinem Geburtstag, daß ich immer noch etwas zu erwarten habe. — An Wilhelm und Gustav habe ich auch geschrieben. Du bist wohl so gütig und besorgst den Brief dahin. — Nun leb wohl, liebe Mamma!]
1861
[Early Sept 1861] · BVN-1861,264 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
One must soon think of the birthday as well. Farewell! Write to me very soon! Your Fritz.
[Man muß jetzt nächstens auch an den Geburtstag denken. Lebt recht wohl! Schreibt mir recht bald! Dein Fritz.]
12 Oct 1861 · BVN-1861,281 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
I expect everything by Tuesday at the latest, when, by the way, I want absolutely no congratulations, not a syllable of them. For my birthday is only on Friday. It will be time to stop, by the way; I am quite well, and I hope you are too. So still no improvement? That is bad. Give Uncle my best, and Lisbeth too, who may perhaps take care of the matter in question for me on Tuesday.
[Alles erwarte ich spätestens Dienstag, wo ich übrigens durchaus keine Gratulation haben will, aber auch mit keiner Sylbe. Denn mein Geburtstag ist erst Freitag. Es wird übrigens Zeit sein, aufzuhören; es geht mir ganz wohl, mag es euch immer auch so gehn. Also immer noch keine Besserung? Das ist schlimm. Grüß den Onkel recht schön von mir, Lisbeth gleichfalls, die mir vielleicht Dienstag das Betreffende besorgt.]
1862
[c. 18 Jan 1862] · BVN-1862,293 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
I would admittedly rather have saved the money for a summer-holiday trip (for which there are still 2 thalers from my Nuremberg trip and 3 thalers from my birthday), but I need it more urgently now. Give Lisbeth my best and tell her she really should come with me to Almrich tomorrow; I have something to ask her. — By the way, I did not break the box, but found it demolished in this way at Pforta when I came from Naumburg after the holidays.
[Ich hätte mir das Geld freilich lieber zu einer Hundstagsreise aufgespart, (zu der noch 2 Th. von meiner Nürnbergreise und 3 Th. vom Geburtstag da sind) aber ich brauche es jetzt notwendiger. Grüße Lisbeth recht schön von mir und sage ihr, sie möchte doch ja morgen mit nach Almrich kommen, ich hätte sie etwas zu fragen. — Den Kasten übrigens habe ich nicht zerbrochen, sondern in dieser Weise demolirt in Pforta vorgefunden, wie ich von Naumburg aus den Ferien kam.]
1863
25 Sep 1863 · BVN-1863,382 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
Just this practical remark: this time I want and have to share much of my birthday cake with others. The last birthday that we will spend so close together. Next time you will send me my presents who knows where. I thank Lisbeth warmly for her letter, which, with various starts of mood and just as many paragraph breaks, looked quite odd. So for this birthday, too, I really wish only for scholarly works, namely these: Die Nibelungen, edited by Lachmann, with glossary, 1851, Berlin, Gsellius, 1 thaler 6 Sgr. G.
[Nur noch diese sachliche Bemerkung, daß ich diesmal vielen von meinem Geburtstagskuchen mittheilen will und muß. Der letzte Geburtstag, den wir so nah zusammen verleben. Das nächste Mal sendet ihr mir meine Geschenke wer weiß wohin. Lisbeth danke ich recht für ihren Brief, der mit verschiedenen Stimmungsansätzen und ebensoviel Absätzen sich recht wunderlich ausnahm. So werde ich auch jetzt zu meinem Geburtstage mir eigentlich nur wissenschaftliche Werke wünschen, und zwar sind es folgende: Die Nibelungen. Herausgegeben von Lachmann. Mit Glossar. 1851. Berlin, Gsellius, 1 Thl. 6 Srg. G.]
[c. 13 Oct 1863] · BVN-1863,387 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
As far as I know — I believe I am not mistaken — next Thursday, when we have a thoroughly work- and effort-filled day of lessons, I celebrate my birthday. [...] Do write me a really detailed letter for my birthday; I am so looking forward to it. — Next Monday is our ceremony for the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Leipzig. This time I do not care to recite a poem. Hoffmann v.
[Soviel ich weiß — ich glaube mich nicht zu irren — feire ich nächsten Donnerstag, wo wir einen rechten Arbeit- und Mühereichen Lektionstag haben, mein Geburtsfest. [...] Schreibt mir doch zu meinem Geburtstag einen recht ausführlichen Brief, ich freue mich so darüber. — Nächsten Montag ist unser Aktus zur fünfzigjähr. Feier der Leipziger Schlacht. Ich mag diesmal kein Gedicht vortragen. Hoffmann v.]
16 Oct 1863 · BVN-1863,389 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
So I have once again happily lived through my birthday, and apart from the fact that it was a thoroughly full day of lessons, and that the feeling of being 19 years old is not among the most agreeable, I felt quite well and cheerful all day.
[So habe ich denn meinen Geburtstag wieder einmal glücklich verlebt, und abgesehn davon, daß es eben ein recht tüchtiger Lektionstag war, und daß das Gefühl 19 Jahre alt zu sein nicht zu den angenehmsten gehört: ist es mir den ganzen Tag recht wohl und heiter gewesen und ergangen.]
1864
4 Jul 1864 · BVN-1864,432 · To Wilhelm Pinder
Dear Wilhelm, Gustav's and my birthday we have never celebrated together in our threesome in recent years; yours, still most often, almost always. That too is now over. A sheet of paper must now say what the mouth once said; and if the mouth did not say it, the glance did; and if the glance did not, your own thought.
[Lieber Wilhelm, Gustavs und meinen Geburtstag haben wir in den letzten Jahren nie zusammen in unsrer Dreiheit gefeiert, den Deinigen noch am häufigsten, ja fast immer. Das ist nun auch vorüber. Ein Blatt muß nun aussprechen, was sonst der Mund sagte; und sagte es der Mund nicht, so der Blick; und sagte es der Blick nicht, so Dein eigner Gedanke.]
8 Oct 1864 · BVN-1864,446 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
Dear Mamma and Lisbeth, I would so like to give you news of myself before my birthday, which unfortunately I cannot spend in Bonn; rather, since Frau Pastorin Deussen has her birthday on the same day, I shall celebrate it here, as far as that is possible, and travel to Bonn early on 16 Oct. So this time I may expect neither letters nor presents on my birthday. Transport to these parts is too difficult. How shall I now describe my life so far to you? The impressions are strong, colourful, highly varied.
[Liebe Mamma und Lisbeth, Gar zu gern möchte ich Euch Nachricht von mir vor meinem Geburtstage geben, den ich leider nicht in Bonn verleben kann; vielmehr werde ich, da an demselben Tage die Frau Pastorin Deussen ihren Geburtstag hat, ihn hier feiern, soweit dies möglich ist, und am 16 Ot. früh nach Bonn abreisen. Weder Briefe noch Geschenke darf ich also dies mal an meinem Geburtstage erwarten. Der Transport ist so nach diesen Gegenden zu sehr schwer. Wie soll ich Euch nun mein bisheriges Leben beschreiben? Die Eindrücke sind stark, bunt, höchst mannigfaltig.]
12 Oct 1864 · BVN-1864,447 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
As for my birthday, it is best that you simply write to me and send nothing to Oberdreis. Any transport here is extraordinarily difficult. Altenkirchen is about 2 hours away. I shall write to Pastor Kletschke for his birthday on 1 Nov. I would think you should be a little grateful that I spare you some inconveniences in a forgivable way. Or do you think otherwise? — Greet and congratulate the dear Breslaus. Deussen and I share a birthday.
[Was meinen Geburtstag betrifft, so ist es das beste, ihr schreibt mir bloß, schickt mir indeß nichts nach Oberdreis. Jeder Transport hier ist außerordentlich schwierig. Altenkirchen ist gegen 2 Stunden entfernt. An Pastor Kletschke schreibe ich zu seinem Geburtstag zum 1 Nov. Ich dächte, ihr müßtet mir ein klein wenig dankbar sein, daß ich euch auf verzeihliche Weise manche Unannehmlichkeiten ersparte. Oder denkt ihr anders? — Grüße und gratuliere den lieben Breslaus. Deussen und ich haben zusammen Geburtstag.]
17–18 Oct 1864 · BVN-1864,448 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
I can pass more quickly over my birthday; early in the morning we sang, in front of Frau Pastor Deussen's bedroom, a four-part chorale, "Lobe den Herrn, o meine Seele" [Praise the Lord, O my soul], which I had rehearsed with the ladies and gentlemen.
[Ueber meinen Geburtstag kann ich schneller hinweggehn; früh morgens sangen wir vor dem Schlafzimmer der Frau Pastor Deussen einen vierstimmigen Choral „Lobe den Herrn, o meine Seele“, den ich mit den Damen und Herren eingeübt hatte.]
[Dec 1864] · BVN-1864,454 · To Friederike Daechsel
Finally I must, if somewhat late, still make up my thanks for your heartfelt birthday wishes, and above all for the dear picture of the late Grandmamma, which pleased me exceedingly. The picture of the late Father hangs above my piano, under a colour-print painting depicting the Deposition from the Cross. So I will tell you, my dear aunts, what will especially interest you, as I must expect from your dear birthday letter, my Aunt Rosalie: namely, about the religious conditions in Bonn.
[Zuletzt muß ich, wenn gleich etwas spät, noch meinen Dank für Eure herzlichen Geburtstagswünsche nachholen, und vor allem für das Liebe Bild der selgen Großmama, über das ich mich ausnehmend gefreut habe. Das Bild vom selgen Vater hängt über meinem Pianino unter einem Farbendruckgemälde, das die Kreuzesabnahme darstellt. Darum erzähle ich Euch, meine lieben Tanten, was Euch besonders interessiren wird, wie ich es ja nach Deinem lieben Geburtstagsbrief, meine Tante Rosalie, erwarten muß. Nämlich über die religiösen Zustände in Bonn.]
1865
22 Oct 1865 · BVN-1865,483 · To Franziska Nietzsche
How to thank you for the pleasant birthday gifts, some of which I can only use once my household is set up. I must remark, though, that I found no gloves, and just as little what you call a ball ornament. On my birthday we drank your health in champagne. Now adieu! Greet Uncle and Aunt for me — I would almost write "unknown", so little have we seen each other in recent years.
[Wie Dir zu danken für die angenehmen Geburtstagsgaben, die ich zum Theil erst gebrauchen kann, wenn mein Hausstand eingerichtet ist. Dabei muß ich doch bemerken, daß ich keine Handschuhe gefunden habe, ebenso wenig das, was Du als Ballschmuck bezeichnest. An meinem Geburtstag haben wir Euer Wohl in Champagner getrunken. Nun adieu! Grüße mir den Onkel und die Tante, ich möchte beinahe schreiben, unbekannter Weise, so wenig haben wir uns in den letzten Jahren gesehn.]
26 Oct 1865 · BVN-1865,484 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
Now I have thought over what I recently wrote about your dear birthday presents. Can it really have sounded so ungrateful? It pains me that I must believe so. And yet I can assure you that I am never grateful for presents to the degree that they please me, that they suit my mood.
[Nun habe ich darüber nachgedacht, was ich neulich über Deine lieben Geburtstagsgeschenke geschrieben. Sollte es wirklich so wenig dankbar geklungen haben? Es ist schmerzlich daß ich dies glauben muß. Und ich kann doch betheuern, daß ich nie für Geschenke in dem Grade dankbar bin, wie sie mir gefallen, wie sie etwa meiner Laune zusagen.]
[Late Oct – early Nov 1865] · BVN-1865,485 · To Friederike Daechsel and Rosalie Nietzsche
My dear aunts, our meeting last Sunday was so short that I could not even say what lay closest at hand: my best thanks for your dear birthday gifts. Although I did not spend this festive day among relatives, those who celebrated it with me were certainly very dear and excellent people. And I was certain that your thoughts and wishes were near me too.
[Meine lieben Tanten, unsre Begegnung am vorigen Sonntage war so kurz, daß ich nicht einmal das aussprechen konnte, was doch am nächsten lag: nämlich meinen besten Dank für Eure lieben Geburtstagsgaben. Obschon ich diesen festlichen Tag nicht im Kreise von Verwandten zubrachte, so waren es doch sicherlich sehr liebe und ausgezeichnete Menschen, die ihn mit mir feierten. Und ich war ja sicher, daß auch Eure Gedanken, auch Eure Wünsche mir nahe waren.]
12 Nov 1865 · BVN-1865,487 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
In your big crate there was also a parcel from Gersdorff; it contained Grimm's Festrede auf Schiller [commemorative speech on Schiller], one of my favourite speeches, beautifully bound, as a birthday gift. I have received few letters yet. Fairly often, though, greetings from Pforta boys. Recently it was the Almrich fair! Did you invite Wunderlich? With that the bag of questions, wishes and answers is emptied for now, and I have only to ask for a letter soon, especially about Gorenzen, the length of your stay and your return. Something belated from my birthday I have not yet told you.
[In Eurer großen Kiste war doch auch ein Paquet von Gersdorff; dies enthielt Grimms Festrede auf Schiller, eine meiner Lieblingsreden, schön gebunden, als Geburtstagsgabe. Briefe habe ich noch wenig bekommen. Ziemlich häufig aber Grüße von Pförtnern. Neulich war Almricher Kirmes! Habt Ihr denn Wunderlich eingeladen? Somit wäre der Beutel voller Fragen, Wünschen und Antworten einstweilen geleert und ich habe Euch nur noch um einen baldigen Brief zu bitten, besonders auch wegen Gorenzen, über die Dauer Eures Aufenthalts und eure Zurückkunft. Etwas Nachträgliches von meinem Geburtstag her habe ich Euch noch nicht gesagt.]
1866
[Nov 1866] · BVN-1866,526 · To Hermann Mushacke
Dear friend, your excellent last letter, with which you adorned my birthday table, was the only one that stood in for my friends, and it reminded me vividly of the many hours of stimulation, uplift and inner joy that I owe them so richly; and if it called your image most clearly to my soul, the reason is very obvious.
[Lieber Freund, Dein vortrefflicher letzter Brief, mit dem Du meinen Geburtstagstisch schmücktest, war der einzige, der meine Freunde vertrat und erinnerte mich recht lebhaft an die vielen Stunden der Anregung, der Erhebung und der innerlichen Freude, die ich ihnen so reichlich schulde: und wenn er mir gerade Dein Bild am deutlichsten vor die Seele rief, so liegt die Ursache dazu sehr nahe.]
1868
8 Oct 1868 · BVN-1868,591 · To Erwin Rohde
My only excuse is that I come of age only on 15 Oct. of this year, on which day I will also take off the military coat.
[Zu meiner Entschuldigung dient nur, daß ich erst am 15 Okt. d. Jahres mündig werde: an welchem Tage ich auch den militärischen Rock ausziehe.]
1869
1 Feb 1869 · BVN-1869,612 · To Wilhelm Vischer(-Bilfinger)
I, the son of a Protestant country pastor, was born on 15 October 1844 in the village of Röcken, not far from Merseburg, and spent the first four years of my life there.
[Ich, der Sohn eines protestantischen Landgeistlichen, wurde am 15ten Oktober 1844 in dem Dorfe Röcken, unweit Merseburg, geboren und verlebte hier die ersten vier Jahre meines Lebens.]
25 Sep 1869 · BVN-1869,29 · To Elisabeth Nietzsche
I also remember that my birthday falls in the time of our being together. Incidentally, the request to have a pair of trousers made for me at Haverkamp's, light, really light and strongly woollen. Then a dark waistcoat with a small neckline.
[Auch erinnere ich mich, daß mein Geburtstag in die Zeit unsres Zusammenseins fällt. Beiläufig die Bitte, mir bei Haverkamp ein Beinkleid machen zu lassen, hell, recht hell und stark wollig. Dann eine dunkle Weste mit kleinem Ausschnitt.]
16 Oct 1869 · BVN-1869,35 · To Friedrich Ritschl
Dear and most revered Herr Geheimrat, let me just reveal what very special joy your cordial letter gave me yesterday, which came "with utmost haste" at just the right moment, namely on the morning of my birthday. A fine and happy omen! But now I hurry to answer the particulars you mention. Since I leave here for Basel on Monday noon, I might still manage to obtain the Andresen manuscript beforehand, if such hastened dispatch is not inconvenient for you.
[Lieber und verehrtester Herr Geheimrath, daß ich Ihnen nur verrathe, welche ganz besondere Freude mir gestern Ihr herzlicher Brief machte, der gerade, mit „allster Eile“ zur allerrechtesten Zeit kam, nämlich am Morgen meines Geburtstages. Ein schönes und fröhliches Wahrzeichen! Ich mache mich aber nun eilig darüber, auf die angeführten Einzelheiten zu antworten. Da ich Montag Mittag von hier nach Basel abreise, so möchte es mir wohl noch möglich sein, vorher in den Besitz des Andresen’schen Ms’s. zu kommen: falls Ihnen eine solche beschleunigte Absendung nicht unbequem ist.]
18 Oct 1869 · BVN-1869,37 · To Wilhelmine Oehler
Dear and revered Grandmamma, today at noon my short stay in my homeland ends: it was so laborious and busy that I could hardly make any visits even on the spot, let alone have been able to give you personally my very best thanks for the kind attentions on my birthday. To do so at least in writing is the purpose of this last hour, and at the same time to express my heartfelt wish that I may long hear of your warm, benevolent feeling for me and of your comfortable, healthy and cheerful life among your children.
[Liebe und verehrte Großmama, heute Mittag geht mein kurzer Aufenthalt in der Heimat zu Ende: er war so arbeitsam und vielgeschäftig, daß ich selbst an Ort und Stelle fast keinen Besuch machen konnte, geschweige, daß es mir möglich gewesen wäre, Dir persönlich meinen allerbesten Dank für die liebenswürdigen Aufmerksamkeiten an meinem Geburtstage abzustatten. Dies nun wenigstens brieflich zu thun, soll mir noch diese letzte Stunde dienen, zugleich um Dir meinen herzlichen Wunsch auszudrücken, daß ich noch recht lange von Deiner warmen wohlwollenden Gesinnung für mich und von Deinem behaglichen gesunden und heiteren Leben im Kreise Deiner Kinder zu hören bekomme.]
19 Dec 1869 · BVN-1869,47 · To Carl von Gersdorff
Dearest friend, that I write so late this time I truly reproach myself: but believe me, the life of a young lecturer rushes by with tearing speed, so that unnoticed two months have suddenly passed since my birthday, and today's letter comes very post festum [after the feast], yet at the same time ad festum [for the feast], namely for the celebration of your own birthday. Unfortunately the printer is to blame that I cannot send a small gift with this letter, namely my Basel inaugural lecture, which I had printed only for the closest circle of friends and whose public circulation is entirely inadvisable.
[Theuerster Freund, dass ich diesmal so spät schreibe, mache ich mir wahrhaft zum Vorwurf: aber glaube mir, dass das Leben eines jungen Docenten mit reissender Schnelle vorüberrauscht, so daß unter der Hand plötzlich zwei Monate seit meinem Geburtstage vergangen sind, und mein heutiger Brief sehr post festum kommt, aber doch zugleich ad festum, nämlich zur Feier Deines eignen Geburtstages. Leider ist der Buchdrucker Schuld, dass ich nicht mit diesem Briefe gleichzeitig auch eine kleine Gabe absenden kann, nämlich meine Baseler Antrittsrede, die ich nur für den engsten Kreis meiner Freunde habe drucken lassen, und deren öffentliches Bekanntwerden durchaus unräthlich ist.]
1870
4 Nov 1870 · BVN-1870,106 · To Wilhelmine Oehler
My dear Grandmamma, you remembered me so kindly and with such rich gifts for my birthday that I very much wished to express my thanks to you in person. But my time had already run out; even an earlier plan, calculated for the celebration of your birthday, to come to Merseburg failed at the last moment. So it remains only to inform you of my grateful feelings in writing from here. On my return to Basel I found at once a wealth of business that had piled up during my long absence and now awaited me.
[Meine liebe Großmama Du hast mich zu meinem Geburtstage so freundlich und mit so reichen Gaben bedacht, daß ich sehr wünschen mußte, Dir persönlich meinen Dank auszudrücken. Aber meine Zeit war schon abgelaufen; ja ein früher gemachter, auf die Feier Deines Geburtstags berechneter Plan, nach Merseburg zu kommen, mißlang im letzten Moment. So bleibt mir denn nur übrig, von hier aus Dich brieflich von meinen dankbaren Empfindungen zu benachrichtigen. Bei meiner Rückkehr nach Basel fand ich sofort eine Fülle von Geschäften vor, die sich während meiner langen Abwesenheit aufgehäuft hatten und nun auf mich warteten.]
[23 Nov 1870] · BVN-1870,110 · To Erwin Rohde
Third joy: on my birthday I had the best philological idea I have had so far — well, that does not sound proud, and is not meant to. Now I am working on it. If you will believe me, I can tell you that there is a new metrics which I have discovered, compared to which the entire recent development of metrics from G. Hermann to Westphal or Schmidt is an aberration. (Letter headed "Basel, Wednesday, c. 27 Nov."; the edition gives 23 Nov. 1870.)
[Dritte Freude: an meinem Geburtstag hatte ich den besten philologischen Einfall, den ich bis jetzt gehabt habe — nun, das klingt freilich nicht stolz, soll’s auch nicht sein! Jetzt arbeite ich an ihm herum. Wenn Du mir es glauben willst, so kann ich Dir erzählen, daß es eine neue Metrik giebt, die ich entdeckt habe, der gegenüber die ganze neuere Entwicklung der Metrik von G.Hermann bis Westphal oder Schmidt eine Verirrung ist.]
[c. 23-27 Nov 1870] · BVN-1870,110 · To Erwin Rohde (this is the only one that isn't about N's birthday but it's funny so I left it)
To report my festive birthday greeting too: I wish you health, a professorship and, if it pleases, a wife.
[Meinen festlichen Geburtstagsgruß noch zu vermelden, ich wünsche Gesundheit, eine Professur und si placet — eine Frau.]
1871
16 Oct 1871 · BVN-1871,160 · To Paul Deussen
I wish you heartfelt luck for your journey, and thank you warmly for thinking of my birthday. I spent it with the friendly support of Rohde, v. Gersdorff, Krug and Pinder, with unusual solemnity. It was the last day of a reunion with the friends named: we spent the preceding week in Leipzig, in blissful commemoration.
[Für Deine Reise wünsche ich Dir von Herzen Glück, danke Dir auch bestens dafür, daß Du an meinen Geburtstag gedacht hast. Ich verlebte ihn unter dem freundschaftlichen Beistande von Rohde, v Gersdorff, Krug und Pinder, mit einer ungewöhnlichen Solennität. Es war der letzte Tag eines Wiedersehn’s mit den genannten Freunden: wir haben die vorhergehende Woche in Leipzig verbracht, in seliger Erinnerungsfeier.]
26 Oct 1871 · BVN-1871,164 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
And what solemnity and lavishness on my birthday! And generally, how comfortably you have arranged my existence there. Woe to you if you spoil me like this! I shall then come to Naumburg every holiday, and Lisbeth would never come to Basel again!
[Und welche Solennität und Üppigkeit an meinem Geburtstage! Und überhaupt wie behaglich habt Ihr meine Existenz dort eingerichtet. Wehe Euch, wenn Ihr mich so verwöhnt! Ich komme dann alle Ferien nach Naumburg: und Lisbeth käme nie wieder nach Basel!]
1872
15 Oct 1872 · BVN-1872,260 · To Richard Wagner
Today is for me the first day of a new year of life; so you will surely understand my heartfelt longing to send you a few words and thereby begin the new period.
[es ist heute für mich der erste Tag eines neuen Lebensjahres; da verstehen Sie gewiss meine herzliche Sehnsucht, ein paar Worte an Sie zu entsenden und damit den neuen Zeitraum zu beginnen.]
16 Oct 1872 · BVN-1872,262 · To Franziska Nietzsche
My dear good Mother, now the birthday is over, the new year begun — let us see that we conclude it honourably. I thank you from my heart for all the good you wished me and gave me. The benefit of the warm, comfortable stockings I enjoy at this very moment, a boon for "the trembling limbs". Your first letter, touching in its description of the expectation and tragic through the catastrophic appearance of the postman, reached me already in Basel — or rather, it wandered up the snowed-in Splügen and back to Basel, where I arrived already last Friday. My birthday brought me letters from Bayreuth; then from Romundt, from Gustav Krug, from Gersdorff, who goes to Italy in January and will spend next summer in Basel (to study chemistry and "culture", as he writes). Finally from our Lisbeth, who from Dreifelden makes herself heard, very content and detailed, promising still more detail.
[Meine liebe gute Mutter, nun ist der Geburtstag vorbei, das neue Jahr begonnen — sehen wir zu, daß wir es rechtschaffen beschließen. Ich danke Dir von Herzen für alles Gute, das Du mir gewünscht und das Du mir geschenkt hast. Die Wohlthat der warmbequemen Strümpfe genieße ich in diesem Augenblick, eine Wohlthat für „das schlotternde Gebein“. Dein erster Brief, rührend durch die Schilderung der Erwartung, und tragisch durch das katastrophenartige Erscheinen des Briefträgers, traf mich bereits in Basel — oder vielmehr — er wanderte auf den eingeschneiten Splügen und von da wieder zurück nach Basel, wo ich bereits am Freitag voriger Woche eintraf. Mein Geburtstag hat mir Briefe aus Bayreuth gebracht; dann von Romundt, dann von Gustav Krug, dann von Gersdorff, der um Januar nach Italien geht und nächsten Sommer in Basel zubringen wird (um Chemie und „Cultur“ wie er schreibt, zu studiren) Endlich von unserer Lisbeth, die von Dreifelden aus, sehr zufrieden und ausführlich, noch Ausführlicheres versprechend, sich vernehmen läßt.]
[c. 18 Oct 1872] · BVN-1872,263 · To Elisabeth Nietzsche
Sela. Your birthday present met me on the evening of 11 October on my return from the mountains and has since sufficiently proved itself — as a respectable vessel with no tendency to tip over and scald me! Likewise for your birthday letter — everything came this time as if dripping, slowly — but heavy drops, a kind of honey rain. Your letter, too, belonged to the thick drops. One is still awaited, my tongue is ready (like the Lällenkönig's) to receive it — Rohde's essay, which is finished but not yet in my hands.
[Sela. Dein Geburtstagsgeschenk empfieng mich am 11ten Oktober Abends bei meiner Rückkehr aus den Bergen und hat sich seitdem schon hinreichend legitimiert — als ein ehrsames Gefäß ohne Neigung umzufallen und mich zu verbrühen! Insgleichen für Deinen Geburtstagsbrief — es kam diesmal alles wie getröpfelt, langsam — aber schwere Tropfen, eine Art Honigregen. Auch Dein Brief gehörte zu den dicken Tropfen. Einer wird immer noch erwartet, meine Zunge ist bereit (wie die des Lällenkönigs) ihn zu empfangen — Rohde’s Schrift, die fertig, aber noch nicht in meinen Händen ist.]
18 Oct 1872 · BVN-1872,264 · To Carl von Gersdorff
Frau Wagner wrote to me from Bayreuth for my birthday; she was ill and has been lying in bed. A sore throat struck her after the exertions of moving into the second provisional home. At the beginning of November the round trip of all the theatre stations begins.
[Aus Bayreuth hat mir Frau Wagner zum Geburtstag geschrieben, sie war krank und hat zu Bett gelegen. Eine Halsentzündung überfiel sie, nach den Beschwerden des Umzugs in’s zweite Provisorium. Anfang November beginnt die Rundreise an allen Theaterstationen.]
1873
18 Oct 1873 · BVN-1873,318 · To Carl von Gersdorff
Heartfelt thanks for your birthday letter: on the day itself I was pretty badly off, as generally since your departure, but I fight my way through, especially now, when it is once again necessary to be healthy. I am asked for an "Appeal to the German Nation" in favour of Bayreuth; "will be seen to", as Tausig said. — From Fritzsch, despite repeated letters and Rohde's visit, no news; on the other hand I have come upon an altogether uncanny machination that demands my swift personal intervention in Leipzig.
[Herzlichen Dank für Deinen Geburtstagsbrief: am Tage selbst gieng mir’s schlecht genug, wie überhaupt seit Deiner Abreise, aber ich schlage mich durch, besonders jetzt, wo es wieder einmal noth thut, gesund zu sein. Man verlangt von mir einen „Aufruf an die deutsche Nation“ zu Gunsten Bayreuth’s; „wird besorgt“, wie Tausig sagte. — Von Fritzsch, trotz wiederholtem Brief und Rohde’s Besuch keine Nachricht: dagegen bin ich hinter eine ganz und gar unheimliche Machination gekommen, die meine schleunige persönliche Intervention in Leipzig verlangt.]
18 Oct 1873 · BVN-1873,319 · To Erwin Rohde
Since your departure I have dragged myself through with difficulty, had to lie in bed every third day, and was unable to celebrate your birthday as is fitting, with letters and gifts of wine. As for mine, I have resolved always to celebrate only the passing of a year and to watch the future approach with some resignation.
[Seit Deiner Abreise habe ich mich mühsam durchgeschleppt, mußte alle drei Tage zu Bett liegen und war außer Stande, Deinen Geburtstag, wie sichs gebührt, durch Briefe und Weinspenden zu feiern. In Betreff des meinigen habe ich mir vorgenommen, immer nur das Vorübersein eines Jahres zu feiern und die Zukunft mit einiger Resignation herankommen zu sehn.]
20 Oct 1873 · BVN-1873,321 · To Franziska Nietzsche
I received birthday letters from Wilhelm, from Gustav, from Gersdorff in Italy, from Deussen in Geneva and from Rohde, and from Bayreuth. With yours, seven in all. Dr. Fuchs from Berlin, too, recently gave very detailed news again and sends you greetings. October 1873. My dear Mother, I come so late to thank you for your good wishes and lovely gifts with which you remembered my birthday: so late because I was unwell for a good while and especially on the day itself, and now any kind of illness shows itself also in greater irritability of the eyes. (Excerpt order as supplied.)
[Briefe zum Geburtstage bekam ich von Wilhelm, von Gustav, von Gersdorff aus Italien, von Deussen aus Genf und von Rohde, sowie aus Bayreuth. Mit dem Deinigen also sieben Stück. Auch Dr. Fuchs aus Berlin gab neuerdings wieder sehr ausführliche Nachricht und läßt Dich grüßen. Oktober 1873 Meine liebe Mutter, ich komme so spät dazu Dir für Deine guten Wünsche und schönen Geschenke, mit denen Du meinen Geburtstag bedacht hast, zu danken: so spät, weil ich längere Zeit und zumal auch an dem genannten Tage selbst unwohl war, und jetzt jede Art von Erkrankung sich auch durch größere Reizbarkeit der Augen bemerkbar macht.]
1874
16 Oct 1874 · BVN-1874,397 · To Franziska and Elisabeth Nietzsche
I am writing right away a few words as a sign of my heartfelt joy and thanks for your wishes and gifts. The crate came entirely at just the right time…
[ich schreibe gleich ein Paar Worte zum Zeichen meiner herzlichen Freude und meines Dankes für Eure Wünsche und Gaben. Die Kiste kam ganz und gar zur rechten Zeit…]
3 Nov 1874 · BVN-1874,401 · To Elisabeth Nietzsche
What was the little bristle brush for among my birthday presents? Here there is plenty of fruit and still grapes. I do not know Prof. von der Mühll's bride; it is said to have gone quite normally Basel-style. Tell our dear Mother something good from me, and keep me dear. Your Fritz.
[Wozu war denn der kleine Borstwisch bei meinen Geburtstagsgeschenken? Hier giebt es viel Obst und immer noch Weintrauben. Die Braut des Prof. Von der Mühl kenne ich nicht, es soll ganz normal-baslerisch zugegangen sein. Sage unsrer lieben Mutter etwas Gutes von mir und behalte mich lieb Dein Fritz]
1875
18 Oct 1875 · BVN-1875,491 · To Franziska Nietzsche
The most unpleasant variations are only my relapses of illness (so I unfortunately lay in bed again on my birthday, with all the old symptoms). But leaving these bad guests aside, we have much joy in our guests, most recently Gersdorff. It seems Lisbeth and I run side by side like two good little horses in harness and do each other no harm; quite the contrary.
[Die unangenehmsten Abwechslungen bilden nur meine Krankheits-Rückfälle (so lag ich leider wieder meinen Geburtstag zu Bett, mit all den alten Symptomen) Aber wenn diese bösen Gäste abgerechnet werden, erleben wir viel Freude an unsern Gästen, so zuletzt noch an Gersdorff. Es scheint, Lisbeth und ich, wir laufen wie zwei gute Pferdchen im Geschirr neben einander her und thun uns kein Leides; vielmehr im Gegentheil.]
1876
16 Oct 1876 · BVN-1876,560 · To Franziska Nietzsche
I thank you from my heart for letter, greetings, wishes and gifts and would like to do so at greater length; only letter-writing is simply impossible for me…
[Ich danke von Herzen für Brief Grüsse Wünsche und Gaben und möchte es gern ausführlicher thun: nur ist mir Briefschreiben geradezu unmöglich…]
r/Nietzsche • u/SumerianAnthonomus • 1d ago
an EPUB reader great for exploring Nietzsche's thought
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https://reddit.com/link/1x5yv5j/video/hs503mux2hvh1/player
This epub reader is great for reading Nietzsche and getting more out of the text. It's really easy to add new books (they are pulled from project Gutenberg). the app remembers your conversations throughout the book so you can continue to explore themes as you read and discuss. You can also export all of your conversations and upload them to chat gpt for deeper analysis.
I've found it very useful for better understanding what Nietzsche is talking about. Perhaps this will be useful to some folks here.
free and live, no signup required
r/Nietzsche • u/dunkeater • 2d ago
The Real Traits of an Ubermensch
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I’ve read a lot of misunderstanding of the Ubermensch idea here, so offering my take on the key qualities as described in Thus Spoke Zarathustra:
Universal affirmation of the world. An Ubermensch thinks everything in the world, and everything that has ever occurred in the past, is perfect. Including all tragedies, pain, and their own will frustration.
The Great Redeemer. The will to power looks forward to make the future match the will, but when the world does not follow the will, an Ubermensch changes their will so that it matches whatever happened (maintaining universal affirmation). This perfect control of the will makes an Ubermensch immune to fate since nothing can happen that would be against their will.
Child like state. The last stage of the metamorphosis is a clue to what it feels like to be an Ubermensch. Everything in the world, including pain, is a novel toy to play with. Forgetting past attachments and treating life like a game. This universal appetite for everything contrasts with the comparatively shallow values of hedonists.
In a nutshell, the Ubermensch is an imagined super human who has such perfect control of their mind that they can value anything they want, and they use this power to maximally extract value from everything that happens. It’s a downstream consequence of abandoning the idea of objective value and reasoning through what the pinnacle of deciding your own values would be, free from all external influence. It doesn’t require any physical domination or world achievements, as it’s purely about the mind, and could in theory be emulated by a disabled person or a child.
r/Nietzsche • u/No_Operation_6166 • 1d ago
Question Will To Power and the Soul
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Is Neitzche's Philosophy only goal is to grow? To expand until the entity died? Can a person who follows Neitzche just live his life to the fullest, good or bad, until the died? In perfect balance?
I came from eastern philosophy like Advaita Vedanta and Taoism in search of something that can help me in regulating my thoughts, emotions in daily life, I think I found it. But now, I am stuck, I cultivate my inner while neglecting my outer side (I hope you get my point. This is the only I can describe it).
Now, my idea on Neitzche is limited and I don't even know if it's right, but the image that stay with me that I can use in his ideas is a Hungry werewolf that it's whole existence is for expansion and consumption. That the whole existence is about material etc.
Now, I know my understanding of Neitzche is not correct and I will accept it. I'm just here to find something that aid me in my daily life. I don't aim for fame, novelty, and thing that relates to another person. For me it's just bonus and can't live without. I am just aiming for greatness, greatness of living my whole life, from relationship to people, my duty to them, and cultivating compassion and boundaries. Like a perfect soul.
r/Nietzsche • u/Essa_Zaben • 1d ago
Original Content Such a Nietzschean-Walserian-Jungian concept: Nietzschean and Jungian because the price of individuation is high and excruciating, and Walserian given his hatred of any school of thought and the lack of form and style in his writings...
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r/Nietzsche • u/FireComingOutA • 2d ago
Nightmare Before Christmas, a Nietzshian masterpiece?
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I recently watched that the nightmare before Christmas for the first time in like 25 years with my kids and I noticed it is rather Nietzshian. Arguably Jack skeleton becomes the overman by the end of it and that is the whole story.
In the beginning Jack is an artist, a creator of fright and in his own words, he is the best at what he does. Arguable he is the main creative drive of Halloween given that his performance is the central piece of the first song.
But eventually the challenge of Halloween becomes routine for him and he grows bored and loses himself to nihilism, wandering into the forest where he finds Christmas town. There he is enchanted but being a value creator he tries to make Christmas his own. However, he does this rationally with experimentation. Sally, who operates in the story more like the greek choice of instinct, keeps telling him that she FEELS this is wrong and Jack rationalized this away.
But this is where I think it becomes better, once he is shot down his song is sad, looking at what he does he feels bad, lamenting on his failures, but he quickly realizes that Halloween would never have understood Christmas and he tried his best on soared to great heights anyway and returns to being the pumpkin king, affirming what he previously rejected and being excited again for the eternal return of Halloween and saying (essentially) amor fati.
Anyway there are more things too, Halloween town is very dionysinan. The mayor is essentially the last man, he can't make any decisions without Jack, which also mirrors Nietzshe's view on politics.
I'm not sure how Christmas town and Santa Claus fit into this framing, or the villain Mr Oogie Boogie, but Jack's story is very much about him becoming the overman.
Oh and I just realized this, Jack and Sally get together at the end, which is the Overman and Instinct becoming one.
r/Nietzsche • u/DeepCedarShadow • 3d ago
Original Content "I am a forest, and a night of dark trees..." — Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Part 2, "The Night-Song")
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Quote source:
Errata corrige - Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, from the Dance Song - not the Nigth Song.
r/Nietzsche • u/Essa_Zaben • 2d ago
Original Content Nietzsche used to through the "genius of nostrils" smell what a writer was upto, and I couldn't sense the trembling, hesitancy, and nervousness Kafka was in while writing these words.
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r/Nietzsche • u/cronenber9 • 3d ago
Post-structuralist thought seems far more to be the legacy of Nietzsche than right wingers like BAP
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I suppose I do understand how they might see their traditionalist values as social constructs necessary for the preservation and flourishing of life, but doesn't seeing life is primarily biological seem like a very surface level reading of Nietzsche? I think this passage is reflected in a much richer way in Deleuze's definition of philosophy as the construction of new concepts, and in his ontology as the return and differentiation of active forces. Post-structuralist theory and, to a degree, critical theory, is the legacy of Nietzsche, which makes this century a Nietzschean century. BAP is the legacy of Elisabeth Förster.
r/Nietzsche • u/Due_Juggernaut_6261 • 3d ago
Question Would it be Nietzschean to scream at women and call them foids?
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I never read Nietzsche btw
r/Nietzsche • u/LibertyJ10 • 3d ago
Question From this subreddit, what do you gain?
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I gain laughter.
r/Nietzsche • u/Fleur_Die_Lit • 3d ago
Community Update
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I just wanted to let all the smarty pants philosophers in this sub know that I’ve made leaps in bounds when it comes to my reading of Nietzsche, thanks to this community.
I used to really get tripped up trying to spell his name. Would usually spell it like Nietsche or worse Nietzche and then let auto correct find that missing eZ for me. A few days of arguing with the scholars here has made me realize that the “Ch” part of his name is where that hard ZS goes. NietZSche. Like that.
I can feel the self-improvement washing over my body as I type this. I haven’t read Nietzsche yet but I hear that he speaks of this. I just finished How To Win Friends And Influence People, but I wanted something more edgy in the self help genre, so now I’m starting Beyond Good and Evil. Maybe the libs would understand a thing or two if they read that one am I right?
r/Nietzsche • u/EcstaticCherry4159 • 2d ago
Nietzsche: Enchanting Ideas, Morbid Morals, How They Can Be Separated
zachsuffish.substack.com
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Would love for Any nietzsche readers or those interested to check this out!