No More Learning

The simplification of man in the nineteenth cen tury (The eighteenth century was that of elegance, subtlety, and generous feeling). --Not "return to
nature"; for no natural humanity has ever existed yet. Scholastic, unnatural, and antinatural values
beginning; - only
are the rule and the man reaches
'Nature after a long struggle
"back" to her. . . . To be natural means, to dare
to be as immoral as Nature is.
We are coarser, more direct, richer in irony
towards generous feelings, even when we are be neath them.
Our haute vole? e, the society consisting of our
rich and leisured men, is more natural: people hunt
each other, the love of the sexes is a kind of sport
in which marriage is both a charm and an obstacle;
people entertain each other and live for the sake of pleasure; bodily advantages stand in the first rank,
and curiosity and daring are the rule.
Our attitude towards knowledge is more natural;
we are innocent in our absolute spiritual debauchery, we hate pathetic and hieratic manners, we delight
in that which is most strictly prohibited, we should scarcely recognise any interest in knowledge if we
were bored in acquiring
Our attitude morality also more natural. Principles have become laughing-stock; no one
irony. But
? dares speak his "duty," unless
helpful,
located
highly instinct and the rest
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? NIHILISM.
99
despised. Besides this there are few points of honour. )
Our attitude to politics is more natural: we see problems of power, of the quantum of power, against
another quantum. We do not believe in a right "
that does not proceed from a power which is able to uphold We regard all rights conquests.
Our valuation great men and things more natural: we regard passion privilege; we can
conceive nothing great which does not involve
great crime; all greatness associated our minds with certain standing-beyond-the-pale morality.
Our attitude to Nature more natural: we no longer love her for her "innocence," her "reason,"
her "beauty," we have made her beautifully devilish
and "foolish. " But instead despising her
that account, since then we have felt more closely
related her and more familiar her presence.
She does not aspire virtue: we therefore respect her.
Our attitude towards Art more natural we do not exact beautiful, empty lies, etc. , from her; brutal positivism reigns supreme, and ascer tains things with perfect calm.
short: there are signs showing that the
European the nineteenth century less ashamed his instincts; he has gone long way towards
acknowledging his unconditional naturalness and immorality, without bitterness: on the contrary, he
strong enough endure this point view alone.
? To some ears this will sound
not drawn nearer to the "Nature" which Rousseau
though corruption had made strides: and certain that man has
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speaks about, but has gone one step farther in t civilisation before which Rousseau stood in horra
We have grown stronger, we have drawn nearer the seventeenth century, more particularly to t
taste which reigned towards its close (Dancou Le Sage, Regnard).
I 2 I.
Culture versus Civilisation. --The
culminati,
stages of culture and civilisation apart: must not be led astray regards the fundament antagonism existing between culture and civilis
? tion. From the moral
standpoint, great perio
the history culture have always been perio corruption; while on the other hand, those perio
which man was deliberately and compulsori
tamed ("civilisation") have always been perio of intolerance towards the most intellectual
lmost audacious natures. Civilisation desires som
thing
their aims may perhaps
different from what culture strives afte opposed.
22.
What warn people against confounding
instincts decadence with those
humanity
Confounding the dissolving means civilis
tion and those which necessarily promote decaden
with culture;
Confounding debauchery, and the princip
"laisser aller," with the Will Power latter the exact reverse the former).
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I 23.
The unsolved problems which I set anew : the - problem of civilisation, the struggle between Rous
seau and Voltaire about the year 1760. Man becomes deeper, more mistrustful, more "immoral,"
stronger, more self-confident--and therefore "more natural"; that is "progress. " In this way, by a
process of division of labour, the more evil strata
and the milder and tamer strata of society get
separated: so that the general facts are not visible
at first sight. . . . It is a sign of strength, and of
the self-control and fascination of the strong, that
these stronger strata possess the arts in order to
make their greater powers for evil felt as something
"higher. " As soon as there is "progress" there is
a transvaluation of the strengthened factors into
? the "good. "
I 24.
Man must have the courage of his natural instincts restored to him. --
The poor opinion he has of himself must be destroyed (not in the sense of the individual, but in the sense of the natural man . . . )--
The contradictions in things must be eradicated, after it has been well understood that we were
responsible for them-- -
Social idiosyncrasies must be stamped out of
(guilt, punishment, justice, honesty, freedom, love, etc. etc. )-- %
An advance towards "naturalness": in all politi
cal questions, even in the relations between parties, even in merchants', workmen's, or contractors'
existence
? ? ? 1 O2 THE WILL TO POWER.
parties, only questions of power come into play -- "what one can do" is the first question, what one ought to do is only a secondary consideration.
I 25.
Socialism--or the tyranny of the meanest and the most brainless,--that is to say, the superficial, the envious, and the mummers, brought to zenith,-is, matter fact, the logical con clusion of "modern ideas" and their latent anarchy: but the genial atmosphere demo cratic well-being the capacity for forming resolu
? tions paralysed.
even for coming an end all, Men follow--but no longer their
reason. That why socialism on the whole hopelessly bitter affair: and there nothing more amusing than observe the discord between
the poisonous and desperate faces present-day socialists--and what wretched and nonsensical
feelings does not their style reveal l--and the childish lamblike happiness their hopes and
likely be convulsed more than one spot,
and the Paris Commune, which finds defenders and
advocates even Germany, will seem have been but slight indigestion compared with what
come. Be this may, there will always be too many people property for socialism ever signify anything more than attack illness:
and these people property are like one man with one faith, "one must possess something
Nevertheless, many places Europe,
desires.
there may be violent hand-to-hand struggles and irruptions on their account: the coming century
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socialism "a will
NIHILISM.
IO3
order to be some one. " This, however, is the oldest
and most wholesome of instincts; should add: -?
"one must desire more than one has order to/
* ? e
become more. " For this the teaching which life . . . . . . : itself preaches living things: the morality *2"
teaching
but poorly concealed: botched men and races
they must be who have devised sort. fact, even wish might made show that
teaching this few experiments
socialistic society,
life denies itself, and itself cuts away its own roots.
big enough *
this sort were lives --to seem worth while me. Still, Socialism, like
the denial life. "
- *%
? The earth and man hausted enough practical lesson
still unex-Au-4
and demonstratio absurdum--even accomplished only vast expenditure
society wallowing stupidity, will able achieve something useful and salutary: delays "Peace
on Earth" and the whole process character softening the democratic herding animal;
forces the European have an extra supply intellect, --that say, craft and caution, and
prevents his entirely abandoning the manly and warlike qualities,--it also saves Europe awhile from
restless mole beneath the foundations
the marasmus femininus which
26.
threatening
The most favourable obstacles and remedies of modernity:
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THE WILL TO POWER.
(1) Compulsory military service with real wars in which all joking is laid aside.
(2) National thick-headedness (which simplifies and concentrates).
(3) Improved nutrition (meat).
(4) Increasing cleanliness and wholesomeness in the home.
(5) The predominance of physiology over theology, morality, economics, and politics.
(6) Military discipline in the exaction and the practice of one's "duty" no longer customary
praise).
127.
am delighted the military development
Europe, also the inner anarchical conditions: the period quietude and "Chinadom" which Galiani prophesied for this century now over. Personal and manly capacity, bodily capacity recovers its value, valuations are becoming more physical, nutrition consists ever more and more of flesh.
? possible. Bloodless sneaks (with mandarins their head,
Fine men have once more become
Comte imagined them) are now the past. The savage every one
matter
acknowledged, even the wild animal. Precisely
that account, philosophers will have better chance. -Kant scarecrow
28.
have not yet seen any reasons feel dis couraged. He who acquires and preserves
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IO5
strong will, together with a broad mind, has a more favourable chance now than ever he had.
For the plasticity of man has become exceedingly
great in democratic Europe: men who learn easily, who readily adapt themselves, are the rule: the
gregarious animal of a high order of intelligence
is prepared. He who would command finds those
who must obey: I have Napoleon and Bismarck in mind, for instance. The struggle against strong
and unintelligent wills, which forms the surest obstacle in one's way, is really insignificant. Who
would not be able to knock down these "objective"
gentlemen with weak wills, such as Ranke and Renan |
I 29.
Spiritual enlightenment is an unfailing means of
making men uncertain, weak of will, and needful
of succour and support; in short, of developing
the herding instincts in them. That is why all
great artist-rulers hitherto (Confucius in China, the Roman Empire, Napoleon, Popedom--at a
time when they had the courage of their worldliness and frankly pursued power) in whom the ruling
instincts, that had prevailed until their time, culminated, also made use of the spiritual enlighten
ment;--or at least allowed it to be supreme (after
the style of the Popes of the Renaissance). The self-deception of the masses on this point, in every
democracy for instance, is of the greatest possible value: all that makes men smaller and more
amenable is pursued under the title "progress. "
? ? ? ? IO6 THE WILL TO POWER.
I 3O.
The highest equity and mildness as a condit
of weakness (the New Testament and the ea Christian community--manifesting itself in
form of utter foolishness in the Englishmen, Dar. and Wallace). Your equity, ye higher men, dri you to universal suffrage, etc. ; your "humanit
urges you to be milder towards crime and stupid In the end you will thus help stupidity and hal lessness to conquer.
Outwardly : Ages of terrible wars, insurrectic explosions. Inwardly : ever more and more we
ness among men; events take the form of excita
The Parisian as the type of the European extre Consequences: (1) Savages (at first, of cou
in conformity with the culture that has reig hitherto); (2) Sovereign individuals (where pow
ful barbarous masses and emancipation from that has been, are crossed). The age of grea stupidity, brutality, and wretchedness in the mas and in the highest individuals.
I 3 I.
An incalculable number of higher individu
now perish: but he who escapes their fate is
strong as the devil. In this respect we are
minded of the conditions which prevailed in Renaissance.
I 32.
How are Good Europeans such as oursel distinguished from the patriots? In the first
? ? ? pl.
? NIHILISM.
Io?
we are atheists and immoralists, but we take care to support the religions and the morality which
we associate with the gregarious instinct: for by
means of them, an order of men speak,
being prepared, which must some time other
fall into our hands, which must actually crave for our hands.
Beyond Good and Evil,--certainly; but we insist upon the unconditional and strict preserva
herd-morality.
We reserve ourselves the right several kinds philosophy which necessary learn: under
certain circumstances, the pessimistic kind hammer; European Buddhism might perhaps be indispensable.
We should probably support the development
and the maturation democratic tendencies; for conduces to weakness of will: "Socialism
we recognise thorn which prevents smug ease.
Attitude towards the people. Our prejudices; we pay attention the results cross-breeding.
Detached, well-to-do, strong: irony concerning the "press" and its culture. Our care: that scientific men should not become journalists. We despise any
paper reading writing.
tion
? form culture that tolerates news We make our accidental positions (as Goethe
and Stendhal did), our experiences,
and we lay stress upon them, deceiveconcerning ourbackgrounds.
foreground,
that we may
Weourselves
wait and avoid putting our heart into them. They serve refuges,such wanderer might require
and use--but we avoid feeling home them.
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Io8 THE WILL TO POWER.
We are ahead of our fellows in that we have had
a disciplina voluntatis. All strength is directed to the development of the will, an art which allows us to wear masks, an art of understanding beyond the passions (also "super-European" thought at
times).
This is our preparation before becoming the
law-givers of the future and the lords of the earth; if not we, at least our children. Caution where marriage is concerned.
I 33.
The twentieth century. --The Abbe? Galiani says somewhere: "La pre? voyance est la cause des guerres actuelles de l'Europe, Si l'on voulait se donner la
peine de ne rien pre? voir, tout le monde serait tranquille, et je ne crois pas qu'on serait plus mal heureux parce qu'on ne ferait pas la guerre. " As I
in no way share the unwarlike views of my deceased friend Galiani, I have no fear whatever of saying something beforehand with the view of conjuring
up in some way the cause of wars.
A condition of excessive consciousness, after the
worst of earthquakes: with new questions.
I34.
It is the time of the great noon, of the most
appalling enlightenment: my particular Pessimism : the great starting-point.
(1) Fundamental contradiction between civil isation and the elevation of man.
? kind of
? ? ? NIHILISM,
IO9
(2) Moral valuations regarded as a history of
lies and the art of calumny in the service of the
Will to Power (of the will of the herd, which rises against stronger men).
every elevation in culture (the facilitation of a selection being made at the cost of a crowd) are the con
ditions of all growth.
(4). The multiformity of the world as a question of strength, which sees all things in the perspective
of their growth. The moral Christian values to be regarded as the insurrection and mendacity of slaves (in comparison with the aristrocratic values
of the ancient world).
(3) The conditions which determine
-----
? ? ? ? SECON D BOOK.
A CRITICISM OF THE HIGHEST VALUES THAT HAVE PREVAILED HITHERTO.
? ? ? ? I.
CRITICISM OF RELIGION.
ALL the beauty and sublimity with which we
have invested real and imagined things, I will show to be the property and product of man,
? apology. Man as a poet, as a thinker, as a god, as love, as power. Oh, the regal liberality with which he has lavished gifts upon things in order to im poverish himself and make himself feel wretched !
Hitherto, this has been his greatest disinterested ness, that he admired and worshipped, and knew how to conceal from himself that he it was who had created what he admired.
I. CONCERNING THE ORIGIN OF RELIGIONS.
I 35.
The origin of religion. --Just as the illiterate man of to-day believes that his wrath is the cause of his being angry, that his mind is the cause of his thinking, that his soul is the cause of his feeling, in short, just as a mass of psychological
entities are still unthinkingly postulated as causes; VOL. I. H
and this should be his most beautiful
? ? ? II. 4
THE WILL TO POWER.
so, in a still more primitive age, the same pher
mena were interpreted by man by means
personal
which seemed strange, overwhelming, and rapt.
entities. Those conditions of his st
ous, he regarded as obsessions and bewitchi
influences emanating from the power of so personality. (Thus the Christian, the m
puerile and backward man of this age, tra hope, peace, and the feeling of deliverance to psychological inspiration on the part of Gc
being by nature a sufferer and a creature in ne of repose, states of happiness, peace, and resign tion, perforce seem strange to him, and seem
? explanation. ) Among intellige strong, and vigorous races, the epileptic is mos the cause of a belief in the existence of so foreign power; but all such examples of appare
subjection--as, for instance, the bearing of
exalted man, of the poet, of the great crimin or the passions, love and revenge--lead to
invention of supernatural powers. A conditi is made concrete by being identified with
need some
personality,
anybody, it is ascribed to that personality. other words: in the psychological concept of G
a certain state of the soul is personified as a cat in order to appear as an effect.
The psychological logic is as follows: when t feeling of power suddenly seizes and overwhel
a man,--and this takes place in the case of the great passions,--a doubt arises in him co cerning his own person: he dare not think hims the cause of this astonishing sensation--and th
and when this condition overtal
? ? ? CRITICISM OF RELIGION.
II5
he posits a stronger person, a Godhead as its cause.
In short, the origin of religion lies in the extreme feelings of power, which, being strange, take men
by surprise: and just as the sick man, who feels one of his limbs unaccountably heavy, concludes that another man must be sitting on the ingenuous homo religiosus, divides himself up into several people. Religion an example the
"alte? ration personnalite? . " sort fear and sensation terror one's own presence. But also feeling inordinate rapture and exaltation. Among sick people, the sensation health suffices
awaken belief the proximity God.
136.
Rudimentary psychology of the religious man --
All changes are effects; all effects are effects
will (the notion "Nature" and "natural law," lacking); all effects presuppose agent. Rudimentary psychology: one only cause
oneself, something.
Result: States power impute man the
feeling that he not the cause them, that he
not responsible for them: they come without being willed do so--consequently we cannot
their originators: will that not free (that
say, the knowledge change our condition
which we have not helped bring about) requires strong will.
Consequence this rudimentary psychology: Man has never dared credit himself with his
4% Z+. -
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strong and startling moods, he has alwa. ceived them as "passive," as "imposed up
from outside": Religion is the offsho doubt concerning the entity of the per
alte? ration of the personality: in so far as thing great and strong in man was col
superhuman and foreign, man belittled his he laid the two sides, the very pitiable ar
side, and the very strong and startling sid
in two spheres, and called the one "Man" Other "God. "
And he has continued to act on thes during the period of the moral idiosync did not interpret his lofty and sublime
states as "proceeding from his own will the "work" of the person. Even the C
himself divides his personality into two p. one a mean and weak fiction which he ca
and the other which he calls God (Delive Saviour).
Religion has lowered the concept "ma ultimate conclusion is that all goodness, gi and truth are superhuman, and are only ob by the grace of God.
I 37.
One way of raising man out of his sel ment, which brought about the decline of t of view that classed all lofty and strong : the soul, as strange, was the theory of 1
ship. These lofty and strong states of
could at least be interpreted as the influ our forebears; we belonged to each other,
? ? ? ? CRITICISM OF RELIGION.
117
irrevocably joined; we grew in our own esteem, by acting according to the example of a model known to us all.
There is an attempt on the part of noble families to associate religion with their own feelings of self-respect. Poets and seers do the
same thing; they feel proud that they have been
worthy,-that they have been selected for such association,--they esteem it an honour, not to be
considered at all as individuals, but as mere mouthpieces (Homer).
Man gradually takes possession of the highest
and proudest states of his soul, as also of his acts and his works. Formerly it was believed that one paid oneself the greatest honour by denying
one's own responsibility for the highest deeds one accomplished, and by ascribing them to--God.
The will which was not free, appeared to be that which imparted a higher value to a deed: in those days a god was postulated as the author of the deed.
I38.
Priests are the actors of something which is supernatural, either in the way of ideals, gods, or
saviours, and they have to make people believe in them; in this they find their calling, this is the purpose of their instincts; in order to make it as credible as possible, they have to exert themselves
to the utmost extent in the art of posing; their actor's sagacity must, above all, aim at giving them a clean conscience, by means of which, alone, it is possible to persuade effectively.
? ? ? ? II8 THE WILL TO POWER
I39.
The priest wishes to make it an understood thing that he is the highest type of man, that he
rules--even over those who wield the power-that he is invulnerable and unassailable,--that he is the strongest power in the community, not by any
means to be replaced or undervalued.
Means thereto: he alone knows; he alone is the
man of virtue; he alone has sovereign power over himself; he alone certain sense, God, and ultimately goes back the Godhead; he alone
the middleman between God and others; the
Godhead administers punishment every one who puts the priest disadvantage, who
? thinks opposition him.
AMeans thereto: Truth exists. There
only
one way attaining and that become priest. Every good order, nature, tradition,
Holybe traced the wisdom the priests. The
Book their work. The whole nature
the maxims which contains. goodness exists than the priests. perfection, even the warrior's,
only
fulfilment No other source
Every other kind
different rank from that the priests. Consequence the priest the highest
type, then the degrees which lead his virtues must the degrees value among men. Study,
\-> emancipation from material things, inactivity, im Passibility, absence passion, solemnity; -- the
opposite this found the lowest type of Inan,
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? CRITICISM OF RELIGION.
II9
The priest has taught a kind of morality which conduced to his being considered the highest type of man. He conceives a type which is the reverse of his own: the Chandala. By making these as contemptible as possible, some strength is lent to
the order of castes. The priest's excessive fear of sensuality also implies that the latter is the most
serious threat to the order of castes (that is to say, order in general). . . . Every "free tendency" in
puncto puncti overthrows the laws of marriage.
I4O.
The philosopher considered as the development of the priestly type:--He has the heritage of the
priest in his blood; even as a rival he is compelled
to fight with the same weapons as the priest of his time;--he aspires to the highest authority.
What is it that bestows authority upon men who have no physical power to wield (no army, no
gain
authority over those who are in possession of material power, and who represent authority?
(Philosophers enter the lists against princes, vic
torious conquerors, and wise statesmen. )
They can do it only by establishing the belief
that they are in possession of a power which is higher and stronger--God. Nothing is strong
enough: every one is in need of the mediation and the services of priests. They establish themselves as indispensable intercessors. The conditions of their existence are: (1) That people believe in the absolute superiority of their god, in fact believe
? arms at all. . . )? How do such men
? ? ? I2O THE WILL TO POWER.
in their god; (2) that there is no other access, no direct access to god, save through them. The
second condition alone gives rise to the concept "heterodoxy"; the first to the concept "dis
believers" (that is to say, he who believes in another god).
I4 I.
A Criticism of the Holy Lie. --That a lie is allowed in pursuit of holy ends is a principle which belongs to the theory of all priestcraft, and the object of this inquiry is to discover to
what extent it belongs to its practice.
But philosophers, too, whenever they intend
taking over the leadership of mankind, with the
ulterior motives of priests in their minds, have never failed to arrogate to themselves the right to lie: Plato above all. But the most elaborate of lies is the double lie, developed by the typically
Arian philosophers of the Vedanta: two systems, contradicting each other in all their main points, but interchangeable, complementary, and mutually
expletory, when educational ends were in question. The lie of the one has to create a condition in
which the truth of the other can alone become
intelligible.
How far does the holy priests and philo sophers go? --The question here what hypo
theses do they advance regard education, and what are the dogmas they are compelled
invent order do justice these hypotheses? First they must have power, authority, and
absolute credibility on their side.
? . . .
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? CRITICISM OF RELIGION. I2 I
Secondly: they must have the direction of the whole of Nature, so that everything affecting the
individual seems to be determined by their law. Thirdly: their domain of power must be very
extensive, in order that its control may escape
the notice of those they subject: they must know
the penal code of the life beyond--of the life
"after death,"--and, of course, the means where
by the road to blessedness may be discovered.
They have to put the notion of a natural course of things out of sight, but as they are intelligent
and thoughtful people, they are able to promise a
host of effects, which they naturally say are con
ditioned by prayer or by the strict observance of their law. They can, moreover, prescribe a large
number of things which are exceedingly reasonable --only they must not point to experience of
empiricism as the source of this wisdom, but to revelation or to the fruits of the "most severe
exercises of penance. "
The holy lie, therefore, applies principally to the
purpose of an action (the natural purpose, reason,
is made to vanish: a moral purpose, the observ ance of some law, a service to God, seems to be
the purpose): to the consequence of an action (the natural consequence is interpreted as something
supernatural, and, in order to be on surer ground, other incontrollable and supernatural consequences are foretold).
In this way the concepts good and evil are
created, and seem quite divorced from the natural concepts: "useful," "harmful," "life-promoting,"
? "life-reducing,"--indeed,
inasmuch as another life
? ? ? I22 THE WILL TO POWER.
is imagined, the former concepts may even be antagonistic to Nature's concepts of good and evil.
In this way, the proverbial concept "conscience"
is created: an inner voice, which, though it makes
itself heard in regard to every action, does not
measure the worth of that action according to
results, but according its intention the con
Punishes and rewards, who recognises and carefully
observes the law-book the priests, and who
particular about sending them into the world his mouthpieces and plenipotentiaries; (2) After Life, which, alone, the great penal machine
man, understood the knowledge that good and evil are permanent values--that God himself
formity
this intention the "law. "
The holy therefore invented: (1) god who
? supposed
be active--to this end the immor tality the soul was invented; (3) conscience
speaks through
conformity with priestly precepts; (4) Morality
the denial all natural processes, the subjection phenomena moral order, the inter
pretation all phenomena
moral order things (that punishment and reward),
the effects
say, the concept
happiness
whenever its counsels are
the only power and only creator transformations; (5) Truth given, revealed, and identical with the teaching
the priests: the condition all salvation and
ment supposed due morality? --The
unhinging reason, the reduction all motives fear and hope (punishment and reward); dependence
this and the next world.
short: what the price paid for the improve
? ? of in
of of
toin
of
as as
a
to
of as
of a
as in
in
anas is
its
be
of
to to
In
as of to is all
of
lie
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as is
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it,
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? CRITICISM OF RELIGION.
I23
upon the tutelage of priests, and upon a formulary
exactitude which is supposed to express a divine will; the implantation of a "conscience" which establishes a false science in the place of experience and experiment: as though all one had to do or
had not to do were predetermined--a kind of castration of the seeking and striving spirit;--in short : the worst mutilation of man that can be imagined, and it is pretended -that "the good man" is the result.
Practically speaking, all reason, the whole heri tage of intelligence, subtlety, and caution, the first condition of the priestly canon, is arbitrarily re
? duced, when it is too late, to a simple mechanical
process: conformity with the law becomes a pur
pose in itself, it is the highest purpose; Life no
longer contains any problems;--the whole conception
of the world is polluted by the notion of punish
aversion to Life, and even a criticism and a con
temning of Truth transformed the mind, into priestly prevarication; the striving after truth,
into the study of the Scriptures, into the way
ment;--Life itself, owing
to the fact that the priest's life is upheld as the non plus ultra of
perfection, is transformed into a denial and pol lution of life;--the concept "God" represents an
theologian.
42.
become
whole book founded upon the holy lie. Was the well-being humanity that inspired the
whole this system? Was this kind man,
criticism of the Law-Book of Manu. --The
? ? of
it
A
of
is
a
it.
of
I
is
to
in
? I24
THE WILL TO POWER.
who believes in the interested nature of every action, interested or not interested in the success
of this system ? The desire to improve mankind
--whence comes the inspiration to this feeling? Whence is the concept improvement taken P
We find a class of men, the sacerdotal class, who
consider themselves the standard pattern, the highest example and most perfect expression of
the type man. The notion of "improving" man kind, to this class of men, means to make man
kind like themselves. They believe in their own superiority, they will be superior in practice: the
cause of the holy lie is The Will to Power. . . . Establishment of the dominion: to this end,
ideas which place a non plus ultra of power with the priesthood are made to prevail. Power ac quired by lying was the result of the recognition
? already possessed physically, in a military form. . .