TRANSLATIONS FROM NIETZSCHE'S NACHLASS 1881-1884
Author(s): Keith Ansell-Pearson
Source: Journal of Nietzsche Studies, No. 1, 'Whose Nietzsche?' (Spring 1991), pp. 5-14
Published by: Penn State University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20717540
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TRANSLATIONS FROM NIETZSCHE'S NACHLASS 1881-1884
Keith Ansell-Pearson*
Introduction
The following translations are by myself and R. J. Hollingdale. A
number of them will appear in my book, Nietzsche contra Rousseau,
forthcoming from Cambridge University Press, 1991. The
translations cover topics such as the Greek agon, Nietzsche's
critique of socialism, notions of rights and duties, the only
notice in Nietzsche's work which shows the importance of his
reading of the work of the German legal theorist Rudolf von
Jhering, whose two-volume study Der Zweck im Recht constitutes a
major influence on his ethical and political thought and is a
major source behind the composition of the Genealogy of Morals.1
The bulk of the translations (most of which are of complete
sections) cover material from the Zarathustra-Nachlass, and are
crucial for any proper appreciation of the difficult and
mysterious relationship between the two fundamental teachings or
doctrines of Also Sprach Zarathustra, namely the eternal return
of the same and the Ubermensch (here translated as overman).^ So
far as I know, this selection contains the first ever complete
translation of a Nachlass note of 1881 in which Nietzsche
outlines the doctrine of the eternal return in terms of a
critique of socialism. It is a remarkable suggestive passage.
The edition used for all the translations is the Kritische
Studienausqabe (abbreviated to KSA), published in 15 volumes,
edited by G. Colli and M. Montinari (Walter de Gruyter and
Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Berlin and Munich, 1967-77, 1988).
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1. KSA 9, 11 [163]# pp.504-5 (Early 1881 to Autumn 1881)
The political delusion, at which I smile, in just the way
that my contemporaries smile at the religious delusion of
earlier ages, is above all secularization, belief in the
world and a deliberate ignoring of the beyond' and the
afterworld*. Its goal is the well-being of the transient
individual: consequently its fruit is socialism, i.e.
transient individuals desire to encompass their happiness
through socialization, they have no reason to wait, as do
men with eternal souls and eternal becoming and future self
betterment. My teaching says: the task is to live your life
in such a way that you have to wish to live again - you will
in any case.' To he whom striving gives the highest feeling,
let him strive; to he whom repose gives the highest feeling,
let him rest? to he whom ordering, following, obedience give
the highest feeling, let him obey. Only may he become aware
of what gives him the highest feeling and he recoils back
before nothing] Eternity is at stake!
2. Ibid, 9, 11 U86], pp.514-15
The Greek lawgivers promoted the agon as they did in order
to divert the idea of competition away from the State and
thus acquire political quietude. (Now we think of the
competition in the realm of commerce). Reflection on the
State was to be diverted through agonal excitation - people
were to be occupied with gymnastics and poetry - this had
the incidental consequence that the citizens became strong,
beautiful and refined. - They likewise promoted pederasty,
firstly in order to prevent over-population (which produced
restive impoverished circles even within the nobility) and
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then as a means of training for the agon: the boys and the
older men were to remain together, not separate, and adhere
to the interests of the boys - otherwise the ambitions of
the separated older men would have been directed towards the
State. Thus Richelieu perhaps made use of the gallantry of
men in order to divert the ambitious drives and to give
currency to conversations about something other than the
State.
3. Ibid, 11 [188], p.515
In general the tendency of socialism is, as is that of
nationalism, a reaction against the becoming-individual.
The ego, the immature crazy ego, is no end of trouble: one
wants to get it back under control.
4. Ibid, 11 [195-197], pp.519-20
Midday and Eternity
Indications towards a new life
Zarathustra, born on Lake Urmi, left his home in his
thirtieth year, went to the Province Aria and composed the
Zend-Avesta in the ten years of his solitude in the
mountains.
The sun of knowledge stands once again at Midday: and coiled
lies the serpent of eternity in its light - it is your time,
brethren of midday.
On 'the Constitution of a New Way of Life*
First book in the style of the first movements of the ninth
symphony. Chaos sive natura: 'of the dehumanization of
nature'. Prometheus is shackled to the Caucasus. Written
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with the cruelty of kratos, 'of power'.
Second book. Transient-sceptical-mephistophelean. 'of the
annexation of experiences'. Knowledge = error, which
becomes organic and organized.
Third book. The most ardent and supra-celestial work which
has ever been composed: 'concerning the last happiness of
the solitary man' - that is he, who has changed from the
belonging to' to the 'self-determination' of the highest
degree: the perfect ego: only this ego has love, on the
previous levels, where the highest degree of solitude and
self-determination has not yet been reached, there is
something other than love.
Fourth book. Dithyrambic-comprehensive. 'Annulus
aeternitatis'. Desire, to experience everything once again
and an infinite number of times.
Ceaseless metamorphosis -in a short space of time you have
to pass through many individuals. The means is ceaseless
struggle.
Sils-Maria 26 August 1881
5. Ibid, 11 1200], pp.521-22
Rights: the more powerful establishes the functionaries in
relation to one another: and duties: the more powerful
establishes the functionaries in relation to himself:
everyone has something to perform, and in order to achieve
this regularly the more powerful desists from further
encroachments and accommodates himself to an order: this
appertains to self-regulation. In regard to the duties of
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the functions the more powerful and the functions are in
accord. There is nothing 'unegoistic' in it.
6- Ibid,, 11 (2111, p.525
My task: the dehumanizing of nature and then the
naturalizing of humanity after it has acquired the pure
concept "nature'.
7- KSA 10, 4 [132], pp.152-53 (November 1881 to February 1883)
'Recurrence' taught - ' I forgot the misery of life'. His
pity increases. He sees that the theory is not to be
endured
Climax: the sacred murder. He devises the theory of the
overman.
Return home: visit to the hermit 'why do you not teach
severity? And hatred of the petty?'
Zarathustra: you should teach that. I am no longer that.
That is how I was when I came to man. I have become too
poor for it - I gave everything away, even my severity. Thus the hermits think: I entreat you by your trembling lip
and the furrows of torment on your brow, by the smile of the
dying - he weeps. (As God lives) God is dead: and it is
time for the overman to live.
8. Ibid, 4 [133], p.153
To raise and transform the concept of justice - or prove
that the human action is necessarily unjust.
one can place oneself outside of a particular valuation, but
not outside all valuation.
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to value morality - what for?
9? Ibid, 4 [198], p.167
Goal: to reach the overman for a moment. For that I would
suffer everything. That triadJ
10. Ibid, 4 [1] 250, p.217
All signs of the overhuman appear as signs of illness or
madness to humans.
1]L- Ibid* 7 [69], pp.265-66 (Early 1883 to Summer 1883)
Why beside the law which punishes has there not also
developed a law which rewards? Why has the State not also
assumed the gratitude of the individual towards others?
'Justice' according to Jhering, the protection of the
conditions of society's existence in the form of constraint
and coercion.
An action is not evil in itself but in so far as etc.
for example, the unpeaceable man can be killed with impunity
torture on the part of the State
stealing on the part of the Egyptians
Collective conscience and responsibility
It is not the guilt which is punished
Crime as misfortune.
Distinguish between bad (contemptible) and evil.
Morality in the case of the powerful and the subjugated.
Tremendous complexity of the origin of contemporary moral
valuation: but unity as feeling.
Whoever declines to punish on account of freedom of will has
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also forfeited the right to praise, thank, be angry: the
fundamental belief of all affects in dealing with others
is
12? Ibid, 10 [47], p.378 (June to July 1883)
Zarathustra sits in the ruins of a church Act 4
the gentlest must become the severest - and perish of it.
Gentle against man, severe for the sake of the overman
Collision
Apparent weakness.
he prophesizes to them: the teaching of return is the sign.
He forgets himself and out of the overman teaches the
return: the overman endures it and uses it as a means of
discipline and training.
On returning from the vision he dies of it.
13 Ibid, 15 [10], p.482 (Summer to Autumn 1883) (not complete)
Types of lawgivers...
Principal teaching: achieve completeness and pleasurable
feeling at every step - don't leap.
First the lawgiving. After the prospect of the overman the
theory of recurrence now in an awesome way endurable.'
14. Ibid, 16 [3], pp.495-96 (Autumn 1883) (not quite complete)
...The rabble that is cold and without much inner compulsion
wil 1 at first smile at the teaching of recurrence. The
commonest kind of vitality will give its assent first of
all. A great truth gains the adherence of the highest man
last of all: this is the suffering that afflicts the
veracious.
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Act I. He feels alone because he is ashamed: an unspoken
thought (idea) which he is incapable of dealing with (not
hard enough). Temptation to be deceived about it. The
messengers of the chosen people invite him to the festival
of life.
Act II. He takes part in the festival incognito. He
reveals his identity when he is publicly honoured.
Act III. In joy he proclaims the overman and his teaching.
All desert. As the vision departs from him he dies of
sorrow at the suffering he has caused.
Funeral rites. *We killed him* - Midday and eternity.
15 Ibid, 16 [54], pp.517-18
Everything admonishes Zarathustra to speak on: omens.
He is interrupted. One man kills himself, one goes
mad. In the artist the mood of a divine wantoness -:
it has to come forth. When he has demonstrated the
truth of the return and the overman he is overcome by
pity.
16. Ibid, 16 [60], p.519
It is not enough to propound a teaching: one must also
forcibly alter men so that they will accept it!
Zarathustra finally grasps this.
17. Ibid, 16 [86], p.530 (not complete)
Zarathustra is the herald who calls up many lawgivers.
(For 4) First the lawgiving. Then, after this has
presented the prospect of producing the overman - great
awesome moment] Zarathustra proclaims the theory of
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recurrence - which is only now endurable to himself for the
first time.
18. KSA 11, 26 [283], pp.224-25 (Summer to Autumn 1884)
In order to endure the thought of recurrence:
there is needed freedom from morality,
new expedients against the fact of pain (pain conceived as
an instrument, as the father of pleasure - there exists no
summarizing consciousness of displeasure)
enjoyment of all kinds of uncertainty, experimenta lism, as
counterweight to that extreme fatalism
abolition of the concept of necessity as something to be
suffered
abolition of the 'will'
abolition of 'knowledge in itself
greatest enhancement of the consciousness of strength in
man, as of that which creates the overman.
(Compare The Wil 1 to Power, trans. Hollingdale and Kaufmann,
New York, Random House, 1967, section 1060.)
19 Ibid, 27 [23], p.281 (not complete)
Zarathustra 2 - 'the teaching of eternal return' - at first
depressing for the nobler, apparently as a means of
exterminating them - for the lower, less sensitive natures
will remain? 'This teaching must be suppressed and
Zarathustra killed'.
Zarathustra 3 - 'I gave you the heaviest thought: perhaps
humanity wil 1 perish of it, perhaps it wil 1 rise to a higher
state through the rejection of the surmounted life-hostile
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elements1. 'Do not be angry with life but with yourselves!'
- Definition of the higher human beings as the creative
ones. Organization of the higher human beings, education of
the future rulers as the theme of Zarathustra 3. Your
superior power must rejoice in itself in ruling and forming.
'Not only man but the overman also returns eternally!'
* My thanks to Nicky Ansel 1-Pearson and to Silvia Ranawake for
help with the translation.
NOTES
1. For a detailed examination of Nietzsche's reading of Jhering
see the study by Henry Kerger, Autorit?t und Recht im Denken
Nietzsches, Berlin, Duncker & Humblot, 1988, especially
pp.88-103
2. In this respect I am preferring Walter Kaufmann's
translation over that of R.J. Hollingdale. See Kaufmann's
Nietzsche, Princeton, Princeton University Press, fourth
edition 1974, pp.307-9. There are good reasons, in fact,
for retaining the German Ubermensch, and thus resisting the
temptation to translate at all. This is a position which
has been prudently adopted by Bernd Magnus. See his two
essays, 'Overman: An Attitude or an Ideal?' in David
Goicoechea (ed.), The Great Year of Zarathustra (1881-1981),
New York and London, Lanham, 1983, pp.142-165, and
'Perfectibility and Attitude in Nietzsche's '?bermensch',
Review of Metaphysics, vol.36, March 1983, pp.633-59. My
reasons for going down and with the 'overman' can be found
in chapter five of Nietzsche contra Rousseau, and in an
unpublished essay entitled 'The Return of the Overman*.
Copyright (c) K. Ansei1-Pearson and R. J. Hollingdale
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