Part 9

Nietzsche is like a schoolboy whose teacher is an inefficient pedant. He rebels against his authority and having had but poor instruction proclaims that the multiplication table is a mere superstition with which the old man tries to enslave the free minds of his scholars. Are there not different solutions possible of the same example and has not every one to regard his own solution as the right solution? How can the teacher claim that he is the standard of truth? Why, the very attempt at setting up a standard of any kind is tyranny and the recognition of it is a self-imposed slavery. There is no rightness save the rightness that can be maintained in a general hand-to-hand contest, for it is ultimately the fist that decides all controversies.

Nietzsche calls himself an atheist; he denies the existence of God in any form, and thus carries atheism to an extreme where it breaks down in self-contradiction. We understand by God (whether personal, impersonal, or superpersonal) that something which determines the course of life; the factors that shape the world, including ourselves; the law to which we must adjust our conduct. Nietzsche enthrones the self in the place of God, but for all practical purposes his God is blunt success and survival of the fittest in the crude sense of the term; for according to his philosophy the self must heed survival in the struggle for existence alone, and that, therefore, is his God.

Nietzsche's God is power, i. e., overwhelming force, which allows the wolf to eat the lamb. He ignores the power of the still small voice, the effectiveness of law in the world which makes it possible that man, the over-brute, is not the most ferocious, the most muscular, or the strongest animal. Nietzsche regards the cosmic order, in accommodation to which ethical codes have been invented, as a mere superstition. Thus it will come to pass that Nietzsche's type of the overman, should it really make its appearance on earth, would be wiped out as surely as the lion, the king of the beasts, the proud pseudo-overbrute of the animals, will be exterminated in course of time. The lion has a chance for survival only behind the bars of the zoölogical gardens or when he allows himself to be tamed by man, that weakling among the brutes whose power has been built up by a comprehension of the sway of the invisible laws of life, physical, mental and moral.

What is the secret of Nietzsche's success? While other men of greater consistency, among them his predecessor Stirner, failed, he attained an unparalleled fame, and his philosophy exercised an extraordinary influence upon large classes of people not only in Germany but also abroad, in Russia, in France, in the United States and even in conservative England.

We must concede that Nietzsche possesses a poetic power of oratory; he appeals to sentiment; he is not much of a thinker, not a philosopher, but a leader and a prophet, and as such he stands for the most extreme egoism. Nietzsche attempts to establish the absolute sovereignty of the individual and grants a most irresponsible freedom to the man who dares; and this principle of doing away with moral maxims has made him popular.

The truth is that our moral sanctions are no longer accepted. People still believe in God, in the authority of church and state, but their belief is no longer a living faith. Whatever they may think of God, the old God, the God of traditional dogmatism, is gone. He is no longer a living power in the hearts of the people; and so, large masses rejoice to have the proclamation frankly stated that God is dead, that they need no longer fear hell, and that the chains of their slavery are broken.

Nietzsche is consistent in his denial of the traditional sanctions. He understands not only that there are no gods, that the powers of nature as personifications do not exist, but that the laws of nature are mere abstract generalizations. We need no longer believe in Hephaestos, the god of fire; there is no use to bow the knee to him or do homage to his divinity. Nor is there any truth in the existence of a phlogiston, a metaphysical fire-stuff, or any fire essence; there are only scattered facts of burning. Everything else is mere superstition. Generalizations exist only in our imagination, and so we should get rid of the idea that there is any truth at all. Science is a pretender which is apt to make cowards of us. That man is wise who is not hampered by scruple or doubt of any kind and simply follows the bent of his mind, subjecting to himself every thing he finds, including his fellow human beings.

This bold and reckless proposition appeals to egoism and it seems so true that abstract formulas and generalizations are empty. Weight exists; there is gravity; there are particular phenomena of masses in mutual attraction, but gravitation, the law of these actual happenings, is a mere formula, an imaginary quantity, a mere thought about which we need not worry. The law of gravitation is a human invention and has no real existence in the realm of facts.

And the same would of course be true about the interrelations among human beings in their social intercourse, too. All the several maxims of conduct, which are called moral and constitute our code of ethics, are built upon generalizations. There is no sanction for them. The gods who were formerly supposed to be responsible for the several domains of facts have died long ago. The Jewish deity called Elohim, the Lord, entered upon the inheritance of the ancient gods, but he too had to die. Thereupon his place was taken by metaphysical essences, pale ghosts of a mysterious nature, but they too died and so the last shadow of anything authoritative is gone. We are _en face du rien_; therefore let us boldly enjoy our freedom. Let us be ourselves; let our passions take their course; let us do wrong if it suits us; let us live without consideration of anything, just as we please. There is no sanction of moral maxims to be respected; there is no authority of conduct; there is no judge; there is no evil, no wrong.

This seems pretty plausible to our modern generation raised in the traditions of nominalism, but would we really ignore the law of gravitation because the Newtonian formula is a man-made abstraction and a mere generalization? Yet, if we do not give heed to it we fall, and the same is true of any law of nature. Our sciences are mental constructions; they are mind-made, and so far as they are built out of the material of our experience they tally with facts and we call them true. Our social interrelations, too, constitute conditions observable in experience; they can be formulated in Jaws and applied to practical life; they can be expressed in maxims of conduct and have received various sanctions successively, the sanctions of religion, the sanctions of metaphysics, the sanctions of science. In the age of savagery the sanction of moral maxims was offered us in a mythological dress. With the rise of monotheism our moral sanction came to us as the command of a supreme ruler of the universe; in the age of abstract philosophy as metaphysical principles, and in the age of science these should be recognized as lessons of experience.

[1] May 13, 1809. Detroit, 949 Gratiot Ave.

CONCLUSION.

We will gladly grant that personifications are mythological fictions, that metaphysical entities are products of a philosophical imagination and that the scientific formulas are abstract generalizations, but we deny that generalizations are unmeaning; they signify some actual features of reality. Abstract ideas are not purely fictitious; they denote significant qualities or occurrences, and the relations in life, the forms of things, combinations, or in general the non-material configurations, co-operations, combinations and functions are the most important and the most significant aspects of existence. Indeed, matter and energy are only the clumsy conditions of being; they denote actuality and reality, but all things, all events, all facts are such as they are on account of their form--on account of that feature which is non-material and non-energetic.

According to Nietzsche the whole history of mankind, especially the development of reason, knowledge and science, is a great blunder, and the dawn of day begins with a radical break with the past. We see in the evolution of life a gradual ascent with a slow but constant approximation to truth. In the history of religion we see in the dawn of civilization the beginning of a comprehension of truth. Mythology is not error pure and simple, not a conglomeration of superstitions; it is plainly characterized by a groping after great truths, and myths become foolish inventions only when the poetic character of the tale is misunderstood. So dogmas become dangerous errors when the symbol is taken literally, when the letter is exalted and the spirit forgotten. It is true that science has taken away the charm of many religious beliefs, but the great lesson of the doctrine of evolution is to show us that our onward march in the humanization of man does not stop, that the periods of mythology and dogma are stages in the progress of our recognition of the truth. There is no need to fear a collapse of past results but we may boldly build higher. We must search for truth and we shall have a clearer vision of it, and the future will bring new glories, new fulfilments of old hopes and grander realization of our fondest dreams.

Verily, the overman will come, although he is not quite so near at hand as one might wish. He is at hand though, but he will not come, as Nietzsche announces him, in the storm of a catastrophe. The fire and the storm may precede the realization of a higher humanity; but the higher humanity will be found neither in the fire nor in the storm. The overman will be born of the present man, not by a contempt for the shortcomings of the present man, but by a recognition of the essential features of man's manhood, by developing and purifying the truly human by making man conform to the eternal norm of rationality, humaneness and rightness of conduct.

What we need first is the standard of the higher man; and on this account we must purify our notions of the norm of truth and righteousness,--of God. Let us find first the over-God, and the overman will develop naturally. The belief in an individual God-being is giving way to the recognition of a superpersonal God, the norm of scientific truth, the standard of right and wrong, the standard of worth by which we measure the value of our own being; and the kingdom of the genuine overman will be established by the spread of the scientific comprehension of the world, in matters physical, social, intellectual, moral, and religious.

INDEX

Abbott, Leonard Alexander All-too-human Ambition; for originality; for power Anacreon Anarchism Anarchists _Ancilla Voluntatis_, intellect Animals superior to man Aphorisms, no preference for Aristocracy Aristocratic tastes Aristotle Art; nature of Assassins Atheism Authority of conduct Average, the

Back-worlds-men Ballerstedt, H. F. L. Basch, V. Bauer, Bruno Beethoven Bergson, Henri Blood is spirit Body, self is Bruno, Edgar and Egbert Buddha's Decalogue; gospel of love Buhl, Ludwig Burke, Edmund Burtz, Agnes Clara Kunigunde Byington, Stephen T.

Cæsar Carus, _Foundation of Mathematics_; _Lao-Tse's Too Teh King_; _The Nature of the State,_; _Personality_ Catilinary existences Catilene Chaos, universe a Change of views _Chiün jen_ Christ, overman the Christ's gospel of love Christian economics Christianity a rebellion of slaves Classical taste Commandments, negative Common, Thomas; _Nietzsche as Critic, Philosopher, Poet and Prophet_ Comte, Auguste Confucius Consistency, N. scorns; of N.; of Stirner Contempt for, democratic ideals; man; past; philosophy; the all-too-human; truth; world Contradictions natural Contrast between life and theory Cosmic order Cosmos, universe not a Criterion of right action Crosby, Ernest H. Cynic, N. not a Dähnhardt, Helmuth Ludwig Dähnhardt, Marie Damocles, sword of Darwin Decadence Democracy _Der arme Teufel_ _Der Eigene_ _Der Wanderer und sein Schatten_ Deussen, Paul; his opinion of N. _Die Freien_ Dionysiac enthusiasm Doctrine of the eternal return Dolson, Grace Neal Dream, N.'s real world a Dreamers catching at shadows _Drunken Song_ Duty not recognized

Eagle and Serpent _Eagle and the Serpent, The_ Eliot, George Elis, Coins of Emerson Emotional attitude Engels, Friedrich Error, a liberator; mythology not Eternal return Eternity, love for Ethics, denial of; denounced; identical; no sanction for; of the strong; result of N.'s; test of philosophy. See also s. v. "Morality." Evolution, defined; lesson of Examination at school Expediency

Faucher, Julius Faust Fichte, _Duties of the scholar_ Financier, standard of _Flatus vocis_ Form, importance of Forms in themselves Förster-Nietzsche, Elisabeth, _Das Leben Friedrich Nietzsche's_ _Free Comrade_ Freedom fettered by convictions; limitless love of; spiritual

Garden of marriage Gargantua _Genealogy of morals_ Generalizations, abstract; not unmeaning Genius not abnormal Geometry Gerecke, Adolph German things, dislike of Germany a philosophical storm center God, a poet's lie; authority of conduct; created by man; denial of; idea of; is dead; norm of truth; self in place of Goethe; imitation of; quotations from, Good, and evil; and evil, overman beyond; men never true _Good Europeans, notes for_ Good will Goody-goodyness _Götzendämmerung_ Gravitation a human invention

Hammer and anvil Health, N.'s desire for Hegel Herd animal (_Heerdentier_) Hero, overman the Hippel's Homer Hypocrisy, Plato accused of Hypocrisy to obtain power

_I_ Ideal, Christianity incarnates Ideals are superstitions; needed, positive; significance in Identical ethics; world-conceptions Idols of the past shattered Imaginary, scientist's world Immature minds, influence on Immaturity; appeal of; of N. Immortality, desire for Individual defined Individualism; aristocratic; error of extreme; ineffective Influence of N. Insanity Instinct higher than reason; N. the philosopher of; self a bundle of Intellect _ancilla voluntatis_ International Intelligence Institute Intoxicants Ionian physicist

James, William "Joyful science"

Kant Karma Key to the universe, reason the Kochius Köppen, C. F. Klein's statue Kraust, Károly

_La Gaya Scienza_ Lange, _History of Materialism_ Lao-tze Lauterbach Leasing Levy, Oscar Lichtenberger, Henri Life, truth for the sake of Lightning, overman the Lion and lamb _Lion's Paw_ Lindlof, Hans Lloyd, J. Wm. Logic untrue Lombroso Love, freedom of; not your neighbor; Stirner's view of Ludovici, Anthony M.

McCall, Erwin (pseud.) Mackay, John Henry Man, beast of prey; a muddy stream; a part of society; animals' opinion of; contempt for; his own master; humanization of; personality of Marot Marriage, a poet's objection to; an abomination; N.'s view of Masses, are pragmatists; distinction for; enslaved by overman Mathematics Measure of truth Mencken, Henry L. Mephistopheles Messiah, overman the Meyen Meyer, a fellow student Mill, John Stuart Moore, George, and N. compared; _Confessions of a Young Man_ "_Moral ist Nothlüge_," Morality, denial of; immoral; limited to mediocrity; See also s. v. "Ethics." _Morgenröthe_ Mozart Mueller, Adolph Müller, Dr. Arthur Mügge, M. A. Mussak Mythology not an error

Napoleon Nature, uniformities of Negation, of will; spirit of Negative, commandments Neighbor, love not Nietzsche, a model of virtue; a modern; a mystic; abnormal, not a genius; ancestors of; and George Moore compared; and Stirner compared; confirmation of; consistency of; contrast between life and theory; destroyer of morality; his doctrine of self; immaturity of; insanity of, not an accident; nominalistic tendencies of; philosophy of, agreement with; philosophy of, result of nominalism; religious character of; requiem composed by; subjectivity of; success of; tender-hearted Nihilism _Nomina_ Nominalism, and realism; of Lombroso; traditions of Normal man the exception Nothingness, trust in Nurse, N. as a

Obedience Objectivism, subjective Objectivity of truth Ocean, overman the _Ohne Staat_ _Open Court, The_ Orage, A. R. Order; cosmic Originality; ambition for; hankering after Overman love of; the true

Particularism Patriotism Personality of man Pessimism Philologist, N. a Philosophy as a science; contempt for; three features of Pig, usefulness of Plato; accused of hypocrisy; ideal of; ideas of Platonism Pleasure and pain Poet, God the lie of Poet, N. a; N. not really a Positive ideals needed Positivism Power, acquisition of; desire for; God is; hypocrisy to obtain; will for Pragmatism Pragmatists, masses are Pride Probability but no truth Progress, evolution is; in epicycles; in the world Protest, against himself; against truth; philosopher of; philosophy of Proudhon

Quarrels at school

Real world Realism and nominalism Reason, a blunder; key to the universe; origin of; subjective; tool of body; universality of Redbeard, Ragnar, _Might is Right_ Relativity Religion, hatred of Revaluation of values Richard III Right but might, no Rules of N.'s philosophical warfare

Salome, Lou Andreas Sandwich, anecdote Schellwien, R. Schiller Schlegel Schmidt, Albert Christian Heinrich Schmidt, Johann Caspar. See Stirner, Max. Schmitt, Eugen Heinrich Schopenhauer Schulpforta; a pupil at Schümm, George and Mrs. Emma H. Science, a blunder; a means; a mental construction; a pretender; despised; for its own sake, 3; triumph of; unavailableness of; world of Sciences of form, the Scientist, standard of Sebastopol, fall of Self, an authority above; is body; sovereignty of; truth creature of Self-assertion, right of, 24; the ethics of the strong Serpent; eagle and Slavism Smith, William Benjamin Snuffing brotherhood Socialism Society; man a part of Socrates Soldier, N. as a Sophists Spectacles not the world Spirit, blood is; Stirner on Spoiled child Standard, of measurement; of valuation; of values needed State, a despotism; growth of Steiner, Rudolph Sticht, Johann Caspar _Stimmungsbild_ Stirner, Max, and Nietzsche compared; arguments of; consistent; contrast between life and theory; death of; _Der Einzige und sein Eigentum_; description of; life of; marriage of; pencil sketch of; the name; works of Straus, Richard Subjective standard Subjectivism Subjectivity of N. Superman Superpersonal God Superpersonalities Swartz, Clarence L. Switzerland, a citizen of

Things in themselves Three, features of philosophy; periods in N.'s development; rules of philosophical warfare _Thus Spake Zarathustra_ Tieck Tille, Alexander Tolstoy Tradition defied; opposed to; sanction of; sanction of denied Tragic, element; figure Transvaluation of values True world Truth, as authority; creature of self; defined; existence of; flashes of; for the sake of life; need of; non-existent; objectivity of; probability but no; protests against Tucker, Benjamin R. _Twilight of the Idols_ Tyrant, morality a; N. loves a; overman a

Ulfila's bible Uniformities dominate existence Universality of reason Universe a chaos Unmoralist; development into; the first Unmoralism Unmorality Unseitgemässe Betrachtungen

Valuation, principle of Vedantism interpreted by a materialist Virtue, a model of

Wagner Walker, James, L.; _The Philosophy of Egoism_ Warren, Josiah Wenley, R. M. Whitman Will, ennoblement of; for power; intellect slave of; negation of Woman; Stirner's attitude toward World-conceptions identical

Zarathustra