Nietzsche for Creative Spirits
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Anti-Semites
...The damnable German anti-Semitism, this poisonous boil of nevrose nationale [national neurosis], has intruded into my existence almost ruinously... ...In vain do I look for some sign of tact, of delicatesse [delicacy], in relation to me: from Jews, yes; never yet from Germans. ...
...It is a matter of honor to me to be absolutely clean and unequivocal regarding anti-Semitism, namely opposed, as I am in my writings. ...Anti-Semitic Correspondence...my disgust with this party ... is as outspoken as possible...that in every Anti-Semitic Correspondence sheet the name Zarathustra is used, has already made me almost sick several times.
...the Wagnerians...In truth, a hair-raising company!...Not a single abortion is missing among them, not even the anti-Semite.
..."Let no more Jews come in!"...thus commands the instinct of a people whose nature is still feeble and uncertain...The Jews, however, are beyond all doubt the strongest, toughest, and purest race at present living in Europe...Meanwhile, they rather wish and desire...to be absorbed and assimilated by Europe...and this bent and impulse...should be well noted and accommodated: to that end it might be useful and fair to expel the anti-Semitic screamers from the country.
...the anti-Semites...are...men of resentment, these physiologically impaired and worm-eaten men, a totally quivering earthly kingdom of subterranean revenge, inexhaustible, insatiable in its outbursts against the fortunate...there could be no greater and more fateful misunderstanding than if...the fortunate, the successful, the powerful in body and spirit should start to doubt their right to happiness.
...The anti-Semites do not forgive the Jews for possessing "spirit" - and money. Anti-Semites - another name for the "underprivileged."
...Wagner ... had condescended step by step to everything I despise - even to anti-Semitism. ...
"Just now I am having all anti-Semites shot."
From an unused draft for Ecce Homo, (trans. W. Kaufmann, Appendix)
And from what side did all great obstructions, all calaities in my life emanate? Always from Germans. The damnable German anti-Semitism, this poisonous boil of nevrose nationale [national neurosis], has intruded
into my existence almost ruinously during that decisive time when not my destiny but the destiny of humanity was at issue. And I owe it to the same element that my Zarathustra entered this world as indecent literature - its publisher being an anti-Semite. In vain do I look for some sign of tact, of delicatesse, in relation to me: from Jews, yes; never yet from Germans.
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From a December, 1887 letter to Nietzsche's sister, who married an anti-Semite leader, Bernhard FosterOne of the greatest stupidities you have committed - for yourself and for me! Your association with an anti-Semitic chief expresses a foreignness to my whole way of life which fills me ever again with ire or melancholy. ... It is a matter of honor to me to be absolutely clean and unequivocal regarding anti-Semitism, namely opposed, as I am in my writings. I have been persecuted in recent times with letters and Anti-Semitic Correspondence sheets; my disgust with this party (which would like all too well the advantage of my name!) is as outspoken as possible, but the relation to Forster, as well as the after-effect of my former anti-Semitic publisher Schmeitzner, always brings the adherents of this disagreeable party back to the idea that I must after all belong to them. . . . Above all it arouses mistrust against my character, as if I publicly condemned something which I favored secretly - and that I am unable to do anything against it, that in every Anti-Semitic Correspondence sheet the name Zarathustra is used, has already made me almost sick several times.
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from Nietzsche's Ecce Homo, (trans. W. Kaufmann), p6 s2.What had happened? - Wagner had been translated into German! The Wagnerian had become master over Wagner. - German art! the German master! German beer! ... We others, who knew only too well to what subtle artists and what cosmopolitanism of taste Wagner's art speaks, exclusively, were beside ourselves when we found Wagner again, draped with German "virtues." - I think I know the Wagnerians; I have "experienced" three generations, from the late Brendel who confounded Wagner and Hegel, to the "idealists" of the Bayreuther Blätter who confounded Wagner and themselves, - I have heard every kind of confession of "beautiful souls" about Wagner. A kingdom for one sensible word! - In truth, a hair-raising company! Nohl, Pohl, Kohl - droll with charm, in infinitum! Not a single abortion is missing among them, not even the anti-Semite. - Poor Wagner! Where had he landed! - If he had at least entered into swine! But to descend among Germans! ... Really, for the instruction of posterity one ought to stuff a genuine Bayreuther or, better yet, preserve him in spirits, for spirits are lacking - , with the label: that is how the "spirit" looked on which the "Reich" was founded
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from Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil, (trans. H. Zimmerman), 251"Let no more Jews come in! And shut the doors, especially towards the East (also towards Austria)!"--thus commands the instinct of a people whose nature is still feeble and uncertain, so that it could be easily wiped out, easily extinguished, by a stronger race. The Jews, however, are beyond all doubt the strongest, toughest, and purest race at present living in Europe, they know how to succeed even under the worst conditions (in fact better than under favourable ones), by means of virtues of some sort, which one would like nowadays to label as vices--owing above all to a resolute faith which does not need to be ashamed before "modern ideas", they alter only, WHEN they do alter, in the same way that the Russian Empire makes its conquest--as an empire that has plenty of time and is not of yesterday--namely, according to the principle, "as slowly as possible"! A thinker who has the future of Europe at heart, will, in all his perspectives concerning the future, calculate upon the Jews, as he will calculate upon the Russians, as above all the surest and likeliest factors in the great play and battle of forces. That which is at present called a "nation" in Europe, and is really rather a RES FACTA than NATA (indeed, sometimes confusingly similar to a RES FICTA ET PICTA), is in every case something evolving, young, easily displaced, and not yet a race, much less such a race AERE PERENNUS, as the Jews are such "nations" should most carefully avoid all hot-headed rivalry and hostility! It is certain that the Jews, if they desired--or if they were driven to it, as the anti-Semites seem to wish--COULD now have the ascendancy, nay, literally the supremacy, over Europe, that they are NOT working and planning for that end is equally certain. Meanwhile, they rather wish and desire, even somewhat importunely, to be absorbed and assimilated by Europe, they long to be finally settled, authorized, and respected somewhere, and wish to put an end to the nomadic life, to the "wandering Jew",--and this bent and impulse (it possibly betokens a mitigation of the Jewish instincts) should be well noted and accommodated: to that end it might be useful and fair to expel the anti-Semitic screamers from the country.
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from Nietzsche's Genealogy of Morals, (trans. I. Johnston), e3 s14Take a look into the background of every family, every corporation, every community - everywhere you see the struggle of the sick against the healthy, a quiet struggle, for the most part, with a little poison powder, with needling, with deceitful expressions of long suffering, but now and then also with that sick man's Pharisaic tactic of loud gestures, whose favourite role is "noble indignation." It likes to make itself heard all the way into the consecrated rooms of science, that hoarse, booming indignation of the pathologically ill hound, the biting insincerity and rage of such "noble" Pharisees (once again I remind readers who have ears of Eugene Duhring, that apostle of revenge from Berlin, who in today's Germany makes the most indecent and most revolting use of moralistic gibberish - Duhring, the pre-eminent moral braggart we have nowadays, even among those like him, the anti-Semites). They are all men of resentment, these physiologically impaired and worm-eaten men, a totally quivering earthly kingdom of subterranean revenge, inexhaustible, insatiable in its outbursts against the fortunate, and equally in its masquerades of revenge, its pretexts for revenge. When would they attain their ultimate, most refined, most sublime triumph of revenge? Undoubtedly, if they could succeed in pushing their own wretchedness, all misery in general, into the consciences of the fortunate, so that the latter one day might begin to be ashamed of their good fortune and perhaps would say to themselves, "It's a shameful to be fortunate. There's too much misery!" . . .But there could be no greater and more fateful misunderstanding than if, through this process, the fortunate, the successful, the powerful in body and spirit should start to doubt their right to happiness. Away with this "twisted world"! Away with this disgraceful softening of feelings! That the invalids do not make the healthy sick - and that would be such a softening - that should surely be ruling point of view on earth. But that would require above everything that the healthy remain separated from the sick, protected even from the gaze of sick people, so that they don't confuse themselves with the ill. Or would it perhaps be their assignment to attend on the sick or be their doctors?
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from Nietzsche's Will to Power (trans. W. Kaufmann), s. 864
Esprit: quality of late races: Jews, Frenchmen, Chinese. (The anti-Semites do not forgive the Jews for possessing "spirit" - and money. Anti-Semites - another name for the "underprivileged.")
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from Nietzsche's Nietzsche Contra Wagner
...since Wagner had moved to Germany, he had condescended step by step to everything I despise - even to anti-Semitism.
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In a quick note to his friend Overbeck, right before Nietzsche's insanity
"Just now I am having all anti-Semites shot."
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